Palm Springs Withdraws Desert X Funding Over Saudi Partnership, Commissions Christopher Myers Directly

The city of Palm Springs, California has decided to withdraw its support for the 2021 Desert X biennial because of its past collaboration with Saudi Arabia in 2020. Instead, the city council is giving $30,000 directly to artist Christopher Myers for six sculptures, bypassing the Desert X organizers. Mayor Christy Holstegereform voiced her concerns over the biennial's association with human rights violations, referencing the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, allegedly ordered by Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman. Notably, in 2020, three board members, including artist Ed Ruscha, stepped down in protest. Despite this backlash, organizers Neville Wakefield and Saudi curators defended the event, emphasizing art's potential to connect cultures. Myers's work will feature six 1.5-meter steel horse sculptures with textile flags, displayed in Tahquitz Canyon for five years. Desert X is known for its outdoor art exhibits in Southern California's Coachella Valley.