Tour This Year’s Outstanding Coachella Art Installations in 15 Photos

Festivalgoers can't get enough of these colossal works.

Portals art installation by Philip K Smith III.
Photo: Courtesy of Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.
Art of Coachella.<br>Photo Courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Art of Coachella.
Photo Courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

When it came to this year’s art installations, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival promised to do it bigger than ever—and from the looks of it, they delivered.

Festival-goers were surrounded by colossal works this weekend, including four pillar-like structures called Katrina Chairs by Cuban artist Alexandre Arrechea, who New Yorkers may remember from a series of towering steel installations in 2013 titled “No Limits” at the Park Avenue Mall.

There’s also a series of flashy glass installations on display by Palm Desert-based artist Philip K Smith III, whose mirrored neon towers pulsed under the desert skies at Coachella in 2014.

Then there’s Jimenez Lai’s jumbled “Tower of 12 Stories” and R&R Studio’s lustful “Besame Mucho” installation to take in. See them, and other arresting artworks below.

Atmosphere.<br>Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Atmosphere.
Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Katrina Chairs by Alexandre Arrechea of Cuba.<br>Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Katrina Chairs by Alexandre Arrechea of Cuba.
Photo: Courtesy of Getty Images.

Portals art installation by Philip K Smith III.<br>Photo: Courtesy of Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

Portals art installation by Philip K Smith III.
Photo: Courtesy of Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

Portals art installation by Philip K Smith III.<br>Photo: Courtesy of Matt Cowan/Getty Images.

Portals art installation by Philip K Smith III.
Photo: Courtesy of Matt Cowan/Getty Images.

INDIO, CA - APRIL 17: A night view of the art installation Portals, by Philip K Smith III during day 3 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 17, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)

INDIO, CA – APRIL 17: A night view of the art installation Portals, by Philip K Smith III during day 3 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 17, 2016 in Indio, California. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella.

Balloon Chain art installation by Robert Base.Photo: Courtesy of Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

Balloon Chain art installation by Robert Base.
Photo: Courtesy of Emma McIntyre/Getty Images.

Robert Bose's Balloon Chain art installation.Photo: Courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

Robert Bose’s Balloon Chain art installation.
Photo: Courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty Images.

INDIO, CA - APRIL 15: Jimenez Lai's Tower of 12 Stories art installation seen during day 1 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images for Coachella)

INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: Jimenez Lai’s Tower of 12 Stories. Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images for Coachella.

INDIO, CA - APRIL 16: A view of the art installation piece Tower of Twelve Stories by Jimenez Lai of Taiwan/Canada as seen during day 2 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images for Coachella)

INDIO, CA – APRIL 16: Tower of Twelve Stories by Jimenez Lai. Photo by David McNew/Getty Images for Coachella.

View of the art installation piece Tower of Twelve Stories by Jimenez Lai.Photo: Courtesy of David McNew/Getty Images.

View of the art installation piece Tower of Twelve Stories by Jimenez Lai.
Photo: Courtesy of David McNew/Getty Images.

INDIO, CA - APRIL 16: Art installaton piece Besame Mucho by R&R Studios of Argentina as seen during day 2 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 16, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella)

INDIO, CA – APRIL 16: Besame Mucho by R&R Studios. Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella.

Sneaking Into The Show art installation by Date Farmers.Photo: Courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty images.

Sneaking Into The Show art installation by Date Farmers.
Photo: Courtesy of Frazer Harrison/Getty images.

INDIO, CA - APRIL 15: The art installation Portals, by Philip K Smith III, during day 1 of the 2016 Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival Weekend 1 at the Empire Polo Club on April 15, 2016 in Indio, California. (Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images for Coachella)

INDIO, CA – APRIL 15: The art installation Portals by Philip K Smith III. Photo by Matt Cowan/Getty Images for Coachella.

TRASHed Art of Recycling artist bin.Photo: Courtesy of Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.

TRASHed “Art of Recycling” artist bin.
Photo: Courtesy of Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images.


Follow Artnet News on Facebook:


Want to stay ahead of the art world? Subscribe to our newsletter to get the breaking news, eye-opening interviews, and incisive critical takes that drive the conversation forward.
Article topics