Four installations were exhibited in Coachella 2017
Text by Cristina Ochoa
Photos by Infobae and loqueva
Translation by Briana Prieto F. and Paula Villanueva
Radiohead interrupted their performance twice; Beyoncé canceled and Lady Gaga sang instead, but Coachella is more than just a music festival; beyond the famous lineup that it manages, it is also a proposal of art.
Music, cultural exchange, sustainability, and the immersion of art through large format installations are included each year at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. This year’s edition featured the largest pieces in the history of the festival.
The artistic experience of those attending Coachella is not only for the musical appreciation; every year the festival has as a project of installations in specific sites.
The artwork
This year, Coachella’s artistic proposal did not focus – as it did in years past – on political analysis, but rather on a sensory experience. With it, organizers seek to create a “breather” of some sort for the audience amid the current political controversy, says Raffi Lehrer, art director of the festival.
Crown Ether
Confirmed of a 50-feet structure, the installation is a colorful mix that visually appeals to viewers, not only because of its shades but because, despite its abstract for, it makes the viewer feel like he/she is in front of a classic tree house. The piece was made by American artist Olalekan Jeyifous and has no other purpose than to be a meeting point for friends and people to start a conversation.
The Lamp Beside the Golden Door
Composed of mirrors and a series of elements that anyone “can find in Home Depot,” the work of Brazilian artist Gustavo Prado focuses on the issue of immigration in two ways: on one hand, a door that turns out to be an opportunity to enter (speaking also from his perspective as a foreigner); and on the other hand, the use of this installation works as a sort of luminous beacon of hope, which appeals to viewers around.
Chiaozza Garden
A structured series with circular shapes stand out to the audience; the work of Terri Chiao and Adam Frezza was based on a landscape made by Dr. Seuss and the colors recall childhood images of landscapes.
Is this what brings things into focus
This piece by British artists Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan could not have a better title! Made of geometric figures that can be a reference to the animal world, but whose colors remind us of classic piñatas, the work of O’Sullivan and Tatham is, basically, anything that comes to mind.
