The Mojave Project is a transmedia documentary and curatorial project led by Kim Stringfellow exploring the physical, geological and cultural landscape of the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Project reconsiders and establishes multiple ways to interpret this unique and complex landscape through association and connection of seemingly unrelated sites, themes and subjects, thus creating a speculative and immersive experience for our audience. Begun in late 2014, The Mojave Project is an ongoing, multi-year endeavor.
The Mojave Project explores the following themes: Desert as Wasteland, Geological Time vs. Human Time, Sacrifice and Exploitation, Danger and Consequence, Space and Perception, Mobility and Movement, Desert as Staging Ground, Transformation and Reinvention.
The Mojave Project materializes over time through deep research and direct field inquiry through interviews, reportage and personal journaling supported by photography, audio and video documentation. Field Dispatches are shared throughout the production period at this site and through our publishing partner, KCET Artbound. Installments include those of notable guest contributors. A program of public field trip experiences and satellite events explores the diverse communities and sites of the Mojave Desert. The initial phase of the project is designed to make ongoing research transparent, inviting the audience into the conversation as the project develops. Ultimately, The Mojave Project aims to create a comprehensive transmedia repository of knowledge relating to the contemporary Mojave Desert.
The project was first launched for Made in the Mojave at MOAH (Museum of Art & History) in Lancaster, California, during the spring of 2017. Partnering with LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) through support from The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Curatorial Fellowship program, The Mojave Project was exhibited during the fall of 2018. In addition, Stringfellow coordinated two Mojave Desert field trips to provide participants with an immersive on-site experience in conjunction with this exhibition. Most recently, the project was on exhibit from February 25 – July 23, 2022, at UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art as a large-scale exhibition with related public programming, including the April 2022 Amargosa Immersion field tour. Please sign up on our mailing list for information on future events.
Funding for The Mojave Project is provided through California Humanities, The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, San Diego State University and a gift from Ed Ruscha. Additional project support was provided through a Guggenheim Fellowship awarded to Kim Stringfellow in 2015. The Mojave Project is a project of the Fulcrum Arts EMERGE Program. Project partners include KCET Artbound, UNLV’s Marjorie Barrick Museum of Art, Nevada Museum of Art, LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions), MOAH (Museum of Art & History) and The Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association. A portfolio of images available as limited edition prints and for commercial licensing can be viewed at this link.
