The third edition of Desert X in the Coachella Valley will be curated by César García-Alvarez and Neville Wakefield

García-Alvarez joins returning Artistic Director Neville Wakefield for the third edition of the international art exhibition that will activate California’s desert landscape through site-responsive installations by renowned international contemporary artists.

Born in Mexico and based in LA, García-Alvarez is the founder and current Executive and Artistic Director of The Mistake Room (TMR), an international non-profit contemporary art space in LA. Prior to founding TMR García-Alvarez held the position of Associate Director and Senior Curator of LAXART (2007-2012). He was also one of the curators of Made in L.A. 2012, the first iteration of the Hammer Museum’s LA Biennial, and from 2012-2013 served as the US Commissioner for the 13th International Cairo Biennial in Egypt.

I am thrilled to be joining Neville and the team at Desert X as co-curator of the 2021 edition. The Coachella Valley is a vibrant and complex locale of layered histories forged by a multitude of communities. I look forward to spending time in the region working closely with artists, local residents, and other stakeholders in order to put together an exhibition that considers the desert not just as an ecology but also as a home, a border, and an idea. My hope is that this iteration of Desert X can shed light on a set of lived experiences that are shared across geographies and cultures.

— César García-Alvarez

Desert X has been an honor to work on and an extraordinary journey into the unknown with some of the most significant artists working today. The overwhelming response to the exhibition’s first two editions, and the lure of the desert and its endless possibilities continue to inspire me. I am excited to welcome César as co-curator, and confident that the curatorial acumen that he brings along with a deep involvement and understanding at both local and international levels will be instrumental in shaping and developing new voices and outlooks for 2021.

– Neville Wakefield