The Living Pyramid.jpg

Olga Trehub

Life Goes On

The fifth iteration of Desert X is underway. As in past years, chosen artists challenge viewers of their art to re-examine this special environment we often take for granted.

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On a return visit to view Agnes Denes’ “The Living Pyramid” at Sunnylands, it was interesting to see quite a few visitors who clearly had not been forewarned about the art installation. Several visitors were both curious and confused, while a couple seemed miffed, looking around for groundskeepers to explain why one of Leonore Annenberg’s giant planter boxes had been mis-situated.

                  This second visit revealed that Denes’ installation had subtly transformed. For one, the native plants on the pyramid had not reacted uniformly to their new home. Depending on the side that caught the most or least sun, some thrived and some seemed a bit stunted. Denes’ pyramid will come down after six months when Desert X closes in early May. But, it occurred to me that it would have been interesting to see how the pyramid’s occupants fared after a full year – if they survived the obliterating heat of summer and came back to life in the fall.

                  This return visit also sparked the connection between Denes’ installation and Sunnylands. When Walter Annenberg first discussed the design of the house with architect A. Quincy Jones, he emphasized how he wanted it based on Mayan pyramids – ancient architecture with which he was fairly obsessed. It all started to fit together. Then, it occurred to me that this might be part of Denes’ plan: to get viewers to stop and think.

There will be plenty of opportunities to stare, muse, and contemplate as Desert X 2025 opens March 8 with the art of Denes and 10 other artists on display throughout the Valley. The artists are Sanford Biggers, Jose Dávila, Cannupa Hanska Luger, Raphael Hefti, Kimsooja, Kapwani Kiwanga, Sarah Meyohas, Ronald Rael, Alison Saar, and Muhannad Shono. Curators Kaitlin Garcia-Maestas and Neville Wakefield say on the Desert X website that “the exhibition reflects on the desert’s deep time evolutions, reframing ideas and wilderness and exploring themes of Indigenous futurism, design activism, colonial power asymmetries, the impress of humanity on the land, and the role of emerging technologies in our contemporary society.” The installations will be in place until May 11.