Mirror-covered ‘Mirage’ house disappears into the California desert

Artist Doug Aitken Workshop has installed a completely mirror-clad house in the middle of California’s Coachella Valley. Mirage, which is modeled after the classic American Ranch home design, is entirely covered in mirrored panels, inside and out, creating a mirage-like appearance of fading in and out of the surrounding landscape. The art installation is part of the Desert X Art Festival, which features 16 artworks scattered across 45 miles of the valley.

Reflective panels on the home give off the dramatic sensation of the structure appearing and disappearing into the expansive arid landscape. The artist says that his work was inspired by the works of beloved architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, whose designs led to a boom in what would become the ubiquitous American ranch home design.

Through his Mirage piece, Aitken makes a poignant statement on the mass-production of the popular home design, which essentially made the repetitive structures “disappear” into their surroundings. “After World War II, the ranch style’s streamlined simplicity gained popularity as commercial builders employed a simplified assembly line approach to create this efficient form, matching the rapid growth of the suburbs,” explains Aitken. “Mirage distills the recognisable and repetitious suburban home into the essence of its lines, reflecting and disappearing into the vast western landscape.”

The Desert X Festival artworks will be on display until April 30th.