Pia Camil

Set in two locations across the U.S.–Mexico border (Baja, Mexico and the Coachella Valley), Lover’s Rainbow is conceived as an identical set of rainbows made from painted rebar. Exposed rebar usually signals development, but too often in the Mexican landscape we see those dreams thwarted and abandoned. Historically, rainbows have symbolized rain and fertility. Located in desert territory, the act of bending the rebar into the ground is a way to re-insert hope into the land. The mirror rainbows are also meant to throw light into the current immigration policies, prompting viewers to see things from two perspec-tives. Those who cross the border get the full experience. After all, going in search of the rainbow should highlight its symbolic power to re-establish hope, love, and inclusive-ness when we need it most.

The rainbow in Baja is a project commissioned by Villa del Valle in collaboration with Charco and curated by Pablo León de la Barra.

Title: Lover’s Rainbow
Location 1: 69930 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage
33.767371, -116.448537

Location 2: Francisco Zarco, 22750 Ensenada, Baja California, México
32.03956, -116.6539

Desert X 2019 is permanently closed. The artworks have been removed.