COACHELLA 2023
Every year hundreds of thousands of people gather in Indio, California to enjoy two weekends of musical performances, dance parties and massive art installations. This year, Maggie West worked with the Coachella Art Team, to create one of the world’s largest 3D color photography installations.
To create Eden, West photographed a variety of plants, each in two color schemes: warm and cool. All color for the photos was created with lighting, not post production. West’s photographs of flowers and plants were then reproduced on 20 steel structures, each covered with wood and vinyl. Each piece of the installation ranges from 6 to 56 feet tall.
Depending on your view of the installation, you see a completely different composition. One side of the installation features the plants photographed in cool tones (shades of blue, violet and teal) while the other side features a warmer palette (shades of magenta, peach and gold).
Eden Front View, Coachella 2023
Eden Back View, Coachella 2023
Eden, Back Side Detail
Eden, Front Side Detail
Eden, Back Side Detail
Color is central in our perception of the world around us. West’s photographs capture familiar subjects with surreal lighting, seeking to re-contextualize them and inspire the viewer to take a closer look at the nature surrounding us.
By enlarging her photos to fantastic proportions, West illuminates details of each flower that might otherwise go unnoticed; the stamen of lilies, the veins in anemone petals, the patterns in snake plants, etc.
Eden offers Coachella’s visitors a chance to relax in the shade while taking in a surreal interpretation of flora. The installation also combines plants that thrive in different seasons and climates, creating a floral combination that would never naturally occur.
AFTER DARK
After dark, Eden transforms from a static photo exhibit to an ethereal light show. Throughout the night, the installation radiates vivid animations highlighting the natural features of each plant.
To create Eden’s nighttime look, West worked with a team of animators to create visual effects based on illumination in nature. Looks were inspired by natural phenomena like lighting, bioluminescent plankton, lava, fireflies and more. The team highlighted each plant's natural features through a variety of projection mapping techniques.
Eden projections begin as the sun sets.
Photo by Akiko Yamashita
Photo by Zac Layman
The animations for Eden were inspired by illumination in nature. The show references natural phenomena like:
Fireflies
Lightning
Lava Flow
Bioluminiescent Plankton
Water Light Refraction
Rainbows
Photo by Akiko Yamashita
While many projection shows take place on blank white canvases, Eden uses this technology to enhance vibrant imagery - creating an exhibit that is equally engaging day or night.
Photo by Zac Layman
Photo by Zac Layman
Animations were created by Akiko Yamashita, Orin Torati and Yuheng Zhu with additional support by Michael "Chingoo" Lee, Michael Fullman and Zac Layman.
BEYOND THE FIELD
Eden created a colorful, entertaining experience for hundreds of thousands of visitors during Coachella, but by utilizing innovative technologies the artwork also extends into both augmented reality and gaming.
Augmented Reality // Meta
West partnered with Meta and the Coachella Innovation Team to create a virtual extension of her art installation. As they scan the QR code on the sign next too Eden, visitors can watch as the garden grows and extends across the field.
Click the video link for a demonstration.
Through dynamic partnerships with companies like Meta and Fortnite, Eden is an installation that is equally engaging in both the physical and virtual world.
FORTNITE
While Eden may only be on the Coachella field for two weeks, the installation will live on inside the world of Fortnite forever. By creating a digital replica of the piece inside of the Art Park in Coachella Island, West gives visitors from all over the world a chance to interact with the artwork and explore special interactive features.
The installation contains a special portal which transports players through a special intergalactic garden. Players take a ride through space and then are eventually transported back to the Art Park where they can explore the island or participate in a variety of games.
