The 5 Biggest Art Installations At Coachella 2017!

The life of Coachella that are the art installations!

While most people think of the music at Coachella as it’s most crucial element, what truly makes it remarkable and unique are the large-scale art installations, a major part of each year’s event.

This year’s installations are all about “architectural scale and visual impact,” according to the festival’s associate art director Raffi Lehrer. Coachella just wrapped up its first weekend, where some of the biggest names in music, including Radiohead, Lady Gaga, Kendrick Lamar and many others performed in the midst of these stunning installations.

While last year’s installations had a somewhat political theme to them, the pieces this year are more whimsical in nature and are meant to appeal to festival goers on a broader scale. “They’re landmarks during the show, a point to congregate and find your friends, and after the show, it becomes the icon of that year,” Lehrer said.

Take a look at the five major installation pieces:

1.Crown Ether – Olalekan Jeyifous

The 5o foot high installation is the largest piece done by the 39-year-old the Nigerian-born, Brooklyn-based artist, and is based on his previous architectural collages. The elevated piece offers shade to the festival goers and a spot underneath which to gather, meet and rest, away from the heat of the blazing sun.

The structure comprises of painted plywood on a structural steel frame and is meant to depict a heritage-rich community held aloft. Moreover, the artist seeks to establish a connection based on safety and respite amongst the festival goers.

2. Chiaozza Garden – Terri Chiao and Adam Frezza

The prominent, colorful installation comprises a total of 31 large “plants” of the “Chiaozza Garden”, and stretches over a vast expanse of grassy festival fields. The towering structures are made of stucco and are painted in bright pinks, blues, oranges, and greens. The shadows that they cast over the field serve as a perfect resting spot for tired festival goers.

3. Is This What Brings Things Into Focus? – Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan

These colossal structures are the creation of UK-based artists Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan. The collection of five pieces are up to six-stories tall, and festival-goers received a DIY cardboard cutout of the pieces in their Coachella ticket package.

4. The Lamp Beside The Golden Door – Gustavo Prado

The piece, which was created using 2,120 security mirrors fastened upon a 35-foot metal frame, borrows its title from the poem “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus. Gustavo Prado, a native of Brazil who moved to the USA six years ago, describes the scene as “a sort of entry gate where you get scrutinized” not unlike an immigrant coming to the USA, but also serves “as a lighthouse that beckons and welcomes the viewer“.

Prado has confessed his gratefulness at becoming a part of the U.S. and hopes his work will reaffirm the country’s promise of openness, although he prefers that it be done subtly and tastefully. “I really wanted people to go look for the poem,” he said. “Maybe the poem itself and where it’s placed would carry the message.”

5. The Antarctic – Digital Obscura and HP

This new digital art installation was the brainchild of Digital Obscura and HP, who have partnered with the music and art festival in Indio Valley, Ca. to bring you this astounding experience-oriented piece. The Antarctic is placed near the main entrance to the festival. From the outside, this planetarium-style dome could be mistaken for a normal white tent, but the real magic is on the inside.

Festival-goers can enjoy cosmic images and trippy animations upon the vast dome-screen, while reclining on one of the 500 bean bag chairs that have been provided. The films are presented in 15-minute slots that have shocked and enchanted fans alike.

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