Playful and monumental, the works of art across Coachella 2025 are not standing still, literally or conceptually. As festivalgoers descend once more on Southern Caliornia‘s Colorado Desert, they’re greeted not only by sonic booms from the main stage but by a chorus of kinetic sculptures, light-blooming inflatables, and temporary works of architecture that sway, ripple, and all but vanish in the shifting sun.

This year’s installations, curated by Public Art Company (PAC) in collaboration with longtime Goldenvoice Art Director Paul Clemente, present a high-stakes pas de deux with the elements. In the words of PAC founder Raffi Lehrer, ‘This is an art program that asks us not just to look, but to inhabit, activate, and embrace the beautiful opera of the festival experience.’

Coachella 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

blooming inflatables to ephemeral clouds for coachella 2025

A standout art installation at Coachella 2025 is Taffy by Stephanie Lin, a mesmerizing work which continues to blur the line between sculpture and environment. Seven cylindrical towers cloaked in scalloped mesh flutter and ripple in the wind, creating flickering moiré patterns that appear and disappear with each gust. Painted in hues borrowed from midcentury desert modernism, the structures shimmer with the day’s changing light — monuments not of permanence, but of becoming. Beneath them, curved benches invite visitors to pause, reflect, and dissolve, just for a moment, into the mirage.

Meanwhile, Isabel + Helen Studio‘s Take Flight is inspired by the elegant impracticality of 19th-century flying machines, the installation features giant turbines that catch the desert wind and spin hypnotically, seemingly hovering between motion and stillness. Two skeletal bicycles roam the festival grounds, channeling the madcap ambition of human-powered aviation. By day, Take Flight reads as a mechanical relic lost in time; by night, it becomes a glowing, ghostly turbine—a reminder that sometimes the beauty lies not in success, but in the audacity of the attempt.

Le Grand Bouquet by Uchronia is a surreal garden of inflatable flowers that glow from within. Towering and translucent, these blossoms stretch skyward, their oversized petals providing shade and wonder. As the desert light shifts, the work transforms from radiant sculpture to floating mirage, toeing the line between reality and reverie. Beneath the flowers, festivalgoers can lounge in ephemeral springtime, gathered in pockets of soft nostalgia and shared spectacle.

Taffy, Stephanie Lin, Coachella, 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

art that invites touch, movement, and inhabitance

The art installations across the grounds at Coachella 2025 are assembled on-site. Since 2016, Clemente and a skilled in-house team of builders — carpenters, painters, riggers — have brought large-scale commissions to life from the ground up, embracing architectural scale and structural integrity without losing playfulness. From the curator‘s perspective, Lehrer’s vision draws from artists with ‘an intuitive understanding of scale and elevations’ who can evoke emotion through material, form, and color. Many of these collaborators come from architecture and design backgrounds, chosen as much for their technical fluency as for their spatial imagination.

The works do not shy away from interactivity. Many of the installations — architectural in ambition, sculptural in feel — invite touch, movement, and inhabitance. Some twist in the wind, some glow from within, others transform from day to night. What unites them is an attunement to Coachella’s extremes: blinding light and deep shadow, crowds and solitude, the monumental and the fleeting. Every piece is site-specific and tailored for the festival’s unique demands, often requiring up to three years of development in close collaboration with the curators.

Take Flight, Isabel + Helen Studio, Coachella, 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

The team notes that these installations face the same environmental trials as any desert structure — sun, wind, sand — but PAC is taking the challenge one step further with an evolving sustainability ethos. ‘We’re increasingly exploring modular and demountable strategies,’ says Lehrer, ‘so works can live on elsewhere.’ In some cases, like Francis Kéré’s Sarbalé ke, installations find new homes as permanent public art. When relocation isn’t possible, parts are repurposed, structural elements salvaged, and materials recycled — design decisions that begin not at teardown, but at first sketch.

The artworks might be up against sound systems, but they holds their own through scale and sensation. Lehrer describes the curatorial approach as mirroring the music festival’s genre-fluid spirit—pairing sculptors with architects, digital artists with experimental designers. It’s this multiplicity that gives the art program its vitality. Each piece becomes a punctuation mark in the sprawling sentence of Coachella’s landscape — an invitation to pause, reflect, and maybe even spin in the wind.

Uchronia, Le Grand Bouquet, Coachella, 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

Take Flight, Isabel + Helen Studio, Coachella, 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

Taffy, Stephanie Lin, Coachella, 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

Uchronia, Le Grand Bouquet, Coachella, 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

Coachella 2025 | image © Lance Gerber

project info:

event: Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Art Program

artists: Stephanie Lin, Isabel + Helen Studio, Uchronia

curation: Public Art Company (PAC)

dates: April 11th — 13th and 18th — 20th, 2025

photography: © Lance Gerber | @lance.gerber

The post coachella 2025 art installations embrace movement, illusion, and the ephemeral appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

isabel gibson and helen chesner of isabel + helen receive the golden madonnina trophy of milan’s THE DESIGN PRIZE 2021 in the category ‘best design newcomer’. designboom visited the british design duo for a tour of their london studio, where we got to experience first hand their animated installations and discover the processes behind some of their key projects. the two experiment with movement, materials and mechanisms, and in just a few short years since they founded their studio, they have created works for fashion houses like moncler, hermés, and, more recently, bottega veneta, for which they have developed two playful sets of  animations (see more here).

‘we met whilst studying at chelsea college of art in london. since graduating in 2012 we began collaborating on projects that highlighted our shared love of analogue design processes and understated kinetics,’ isabel gibson and helen chesner tell designboom in this in-depth interview. ‘process and play has always been integral to the way we work… experimenting with how simple mechanics can be engineered in such a way to bring materials to life and give them new meaning, making things move or perform – creating experiments with what we have around us, almost scientific in their execution.’

in the video above, isabel + helen receive THE DESIGN PRIZE 2021 golden madonnina, and take us through the making of their recent works, like the ‘kinetic dresses’ for bottega veneta, while offering a sneak peek at their latest experiments.

helen chesner (left) and isabel gibson (right) with THE DESIGN PRIZE 2021 golden madonnina | image © designboom

DESIGNBOOM VISITS THE DESIGN DUO’S LONDON STUDIO

located in south east london, the workshop/studio of isabel + helen is a lively space filled with prototypes, experiments and tools of all kinds that assist them in bringing their concepts to life. ‘most of our ideas come about through making and testing and tweaking until we’re happy with the end result,’ the two explain. samples of their large-scale tonal paintings, exhibited at the saatchi gallery earlier this year, are one of the first things visitors encounter as they walk into the studio, before entering the main space where isabel, helen and their team spend most of their time.

as a special treat, designboom got to see how ‘kinetic dresses’, one of the two animations created for bottega veneta‘s digital journal, issue 03, was created. through simple kinetics and movement, the duo has abstracted elements of the brand’s collection and captured its fun and innovative nature. the quite analogue process was then translated into digital format, allowing the studio to develop its film work further.

image © designboom

in recent years, isabel + helen have also worked with fashion brands like dior, hermès, moncler, and craig green, each time coming up unique ideas whether it is for display windows, collection presentations or film animations. ‘our ideas are heavily inspired by each collection. we love hearing about the inspiration and processes that have gone into making the garments and the feeling that is conjured up through the collection as a whole. we then develop our ideas in response…this comes about through physically experimenting with different materials and mechanisms to develop new ideas.’image © designboom

THE DESIGN PRIZE trophy, designed by antonio arico, is a mini-size porcelain replica of the golden madonnina statue on top of milan’s duomo | image © designboom

the making of ‘spinning dresses’, one of the studio’s animations for bottega veneta | image © designboom

video still from isabel+helen’s ‘inflatable bags’ series, courtesy of bottega veneta

‘in orbit’ tonal paintings, exhibited at saatchi gallery | image by jack hems

‘in orbit’ tonal painting | image by jack hems

isabel + helen, mischievous machines: SS18 windows across all hermés UK stores

isabel + helen, moncler x craig green AW18

image © designboom

the golden madonnina in the studio | image © designboom

THE DESIGN PRIZE is an annual award program that celebrates excellence on a global scale. initiated in 2017 and curated by designboom, with patronage by the city of milan, THE DESIGN PRIZE recognizes both the extraordinary achievements and little sparks of beauty and delight that have emerged over the past 12 months.

The post visit to isabel + helen’s studio, best design newcomer of THE DESIGN PRIZE 2021 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

designboom spoke with the british design duo isabel + helen, ahead of being awarded with the golden madonnina trophy 2021 of milan’s THE DESIGN PRIZE (find out more here). the london-based creative studio develops projects that highlight their shared love of analogue design processes and simple kinetics. since 2012, they have gained widespread recognition for their experimental, engineered installations and animated sculptures. underpinned by an ongoing exploration of movement, materials and mechanisms, their work has attracted clients in the fashion world including hermés, dior, moncler, craig green, and bottega veneta, as well as cultural institutions such as the victoria and albert museum and tate modern.

for issue 03

bottega veneta’s digital journal (see more on previous issues here and here) — isabel + helen have created two sets of animations that capture the fun and innovative nature of the brand. titled ‘issued’, the quarterly journal features not just editorial shoots but also videos that add to the storytelling of their products. by abstracting elements of the collection, the studio has come up with ‘inflatable bags’ and ‘kinetic dresses’, two playful series of kinetic sculptures, presented as short animations within the journal. read our interview with isabel + helen to find out more about the studio’s background, design philosophy and key moments that have defined their journey so far, below.

video still from isabel+helen’s ‘inflatable bags’ series

full header video + all stills of ‘inflatable bags’ and ‘kinetic dresses’ courtesy of bottega veneta

DESIGNBOOM INTERVIEWS ISABEL + HELEN

designboom (DB): when did you first start working together?

isabel gibson and helen chesner (IG + HC): we met whilst studying at chelsea college of art in london. since graduating in 2012 we began collaborating on projects that highlighted our shared love of analogue design processes and understated kinetics.

DB: how would you describe the studio’s design philosophy?

IG + HC: our work is underpinned by an ongoing exploration of movement, materials and mechanisms, we seek to simplify often complex ideas and ambitions, translating them into something more readable and relatable. we aim to recreate moments of simple gratification for the viewer which are at once honest and unpretentious, yet also misleading in their apparent simplicity. process and play has always been integral to the way we work… experimenting with how simple mechanics can be engineered in such a way to bring materials to life and give them new meaning, making things move or perform – creating experiments with what we have around us, almost scientific in their execution.

the series captures the essence of three bottega veneta bags

DB: how important is experimentation in your design process?

IG + HC: it’s a very important part of our process. we have a workshop/studio space in south east london where we spend our time making prototypes and testing out our ideas. most of our ideas come about through making and testing and tweaking until we’re happy with the end result.

DB: what are some key projects that have defined the studio’s journey so far?

IG + HC: our first ever project we worked on together was for the V+A friday lates, creating interactive sculptures -selfridges christmas window back in 2016 was our first windows commission -our ongoing collaborations with craig green/moncler and hermès have played a large part in shaping our practice -we recently had a solo show at the saatchi gallery exhibiting a series of large-scale paintings and films to explain the process.

key details of each bag are highlighted within the sculptures

DB: can you tell us a few words about ‘in orbit’, your first solo show at the saatchi gallery?

IG + HC: for the show we created a series of tonal paintings, produced using a hand-made contraption made up of the paintbrushes arranged on a rotating canvas. we would spend hours setting up the process, but once the machine was turned on, we could step back and wait for the painting to reveal itself. it was almost therapeutic and reassuring, a moment where we could relinquish all responsibility and where the paintings would create themselves… the set up could take a few hours but the actual process of painting, a couple of minutes, and completely out of our control. a brand new painting was created every time we turned on the contraption, each one completely unique.

bottega veneta’s pouch bag transformed into inflatable sculpture

DB: your work often employs analogue design processes and simple kinetics. do you also create 3D works? is there a difference in the process between the two?

IG + HC: yes we also create static 3D installations sometimes too, as movement isn’t always necessary to communicate our ideas. it just seems to be a natural thing we’ve been drawn to, but we never set out with that in mind initially.

IG + HC: our ideas are heavily inspired by each collection. we love hearing about the inspiration and processes that have gone into making the garments and the feeling that is conjured up through the collection as a whole. we then develop our ideas in response. for hermès we look to explore narrative and tell stories, viewing their windows almost like a public art gallery for anyone walking by. where as with craig green/moncler it’s much more about capturing an emotion and making the audience experience the collection in a very tangible way. this comes about through physically experimenting with different materials and mechanisms to develop new ideas.video still from the ‘spinning dresses’ series

DB: you are often commissioned to design display windows or sculptural compositions for fashion shows. do you think these will continue to play an important role in our digital world? is that role changing in any way?

IG + HC: we love the accessibility that comes with the digital output, it means you can reach a much wider audience which is exciting. before ‘the fashion show’ was only for the few but now with live streaming anyone can tune in, it’s much more democratic in a way. saying that, after the last year, people more than ever are desperate for physical experiences too. it’s important to have both. it’s where these two worlds meet that it feels really exciting.

in ‘spinning dresses’ isabel + helen abstract elements of the bottega veneta collection

DB: what are you working on at the moment – any upcoming projects?

IG + HC: more experiments….more contraptions….more collaborations…. more exhibitions…

‘in orbit’ exhibiting at saatchi gallery

‘in orbit’ is a series of tonal paintings produced by hypnotic, rotating contraptions that have been assembled by hand

mischievous machines: SS18 windows across all hermés UK stores | production: andy knight ltd | photography: francisco ibáñez | courtesy of isabel + helen

mischievous machines: SS18 windows across all hermés UK stores

spatial design and kinetic sculpture for the moncler genius x craig green show; milan fashion week 2020 – light room | courtesy isabel + helen

moncler x craig green – season 5 | photography: dan tobin smith

project info:

designer: isabel + helen

THE DESIGN PRIZE is an annual award program that celebrates excellence on a global scale. initiated in 2017 and curated by designboom, with patronage by the city of milan, THE DESIGN PRIZE recognizes both the extraordinary achievements and little sparks of beauty and delight that have emerged over the past 12 months.

The post best design newcomer 2021: an interview with isabel + helen appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

while dog shows garner widespread and universal popularity among owners and enthusiasts alike, the world of guinea pig clubs remains elusive and a bit bizarre to most everyday people. isabel + helen, a creative partnership based in london, takes a humorous look at cavy clubs in the UK, where guinea pig possessors exhibit their animals and win trophies for the breed. for the photographic series ‘pig or wig’, isabel + helen make the viewer decide if they’re looking at the carefully combed locks of cavy, or a synthetic hairpiece made for humans.

The post pig or wig? isabel + helen take us inside cavy clubs in the UK appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.