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Jacob Jonas The Company performs outside Desert X installation
Los Angeles-based dance group Jacob Jonas The Company performed on Friday, March 7, 2025 outside the Desert X work “Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams.”
The artist behind the giant naked babies with bar codes for faces that used to crawl through downtown Palm Springs has returned with a new piece that should provoke just as much conversation.
Hanging outside of the Kimpton Rowan Hotel, David Cerny’s “Meat” aims to make a statement about car culture in the United States and abroad. The sculpture, which was brought to the city through a collaboration with the hotel, Grit Development and Hohmann Fine Art, depicts a car-shaped slab of meat that appears to be stretching downward from a nail.
“The automobile has long been more than just a means of transportation—it has become a symbol of status, identity, and even personal belief systems,” Hohmann Fine Art, a contemporary art gallery located near the sculpture, said in a press release. “Cerny’s ‘Meat’ challenges this cultural phenomenon, drawing parallels between the cult-like devotion to cars in America and the fervor of religious fanaticism.”
‘Meat’ was installed on Wednesday to coincide with the Desert X art exhibition. It is expected to be in place for at least a year, but could potentially stay longer. The 17-foot sculpture has previously been on display in the Czech Republic, Cerny’s home country, and the Tijuana Cultural Center.
“The sculpture invites viewers to reflect on the transformation of the automobile from a practicalnecessity into a divisive status symbol that shapes societal perceptions and hierarchies,” the press release says.
The artwork comes at a peculiar moment when certain cars have become a political flashpoint, potentially aligning with the artist’s statement. The electric vehicles produced by car manufacturer Tesla have been targeted for vandalism in recent weeks due to their association with CEO Elon Musk, who has led efforts to cut government spending under President Donald Trump.
Around 200 people protested outside a Tesla dealership in Cathedral City on Sunday, according to KESQ. Tesla owners and dealerships across the country have reported incidents that include arson and even gunshots.
Cerny’s previous Palm Springs display divided public opinion. One reader called the babies “insulting” and claimed their lack of a face reduced their appeal. The work, titled “The Babies” was meant as a statement at the loss of individuality.
One baby still remains perched on a balcony of the Kimpton Rowan Hotel.
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
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