Continuing its commitment to the creation of contemporary art, Richard Mille is proud to present the 2021 edition of Desert X, the contemporary art exhibition featuring site-specific installations across California’s Coachella Valley desert.
The watchmaker’s partnerships in support of contemporary art and artists include sponsorship of the Palais de Tokyo in Paris; collaborations with choreographer Benjamin Millepied, composer Thomas Roussel, and street artist Kongo and acquisition of Éditions Cercle d’Art, a publishing house created with the support of Pablo Picasso in the 1950s.
“Desert X’s literal removal of any walls that may have restricted today’s contemporary artists aligns with Richard Mille’s commitment to take the art and craft of fine watchmaking into a new realm,” said John Simonian, CEO, Richard Mille Americas. “Where our timepieces are tiny universes compared to the site-specific art installations coming to the Coachella Valley, we are all striving in our respective formats to challenge conventions, celebrate cultures, and foster dialogue about larger concepts, including the nature of time itself. We anticipate the people who attend Desert X, over the course of two months and the expanse of many miles, will step outside the familiar and interact in a meaningful way with this remarkable time and place.”
Curated by Artistic Director Neville Wakefield and Co-curator César García-Alvarez, this third biennial edition of Desert X will explore the desert as both a place and idea, acknowledging the realities of people who reside here and the political, social, and cultural contexts that shape their stories. Newly commissioned projects by thirteen artists, from eight countries, will take shape on the land, from March 12 through May 16, 2021. A robust series of public and educational programs will accompany the artists’ projects and help broaden the exhibition’s reach to international audiences. A Desert X 2021 film, produced by Desert X and Richard Mille, will premiere globally across multiple platforms.
