ART X TOUR: Episode One
Robolights creator, Kenny Irwin
Produced by Jorge Perezchica & Tysen Knight
Interview by Tysen Knight
Cinematography by Lunafora & Alexis Moya
Edited by Alexis Moya
At RoboLights, you experience a “Why not world in a why world?” Situated in Palm Springs, it is known as a unique art and lights display started in 1986. Instead of cursing the darkness, I try to light it up one light at a time. Today — fast forward nearly 30 years later — it’s not just the annual light display, but it’s part of a year round art walk that people can enjoy. Comprised of over 1,000 tons of art, it’s made mostly of discards donated by neighbors that would have otherwise eventually ended up in a landfill, but has instead ended up as art that everyone can enjoy. The annual art and light display draws in over 20,000 visitors per season, about five weeks, going from Thanksgiving weekend all the way until New Year’s. People from all over the world come to see it.
Take the tour, and find out what happens when you combine Santa Claus, robots and aliens, for it will be a great time sure to deliver smiles and laughter making it a holiday themed sci-fi spectacle.
“In my work, I do convey extraterrestrial space exploration, all that stuff which I have great affinity and love for because I believe it’s a part of our future and it’s essential to our future.”
“Instead of ending up in a landfill, it ends up in art that everybody can enjoy. So basically when you come and experience the art that I do create, the large outdoor artworks and the art installations I make, it’s generally comprised mostly of recycled materials.”
“My ultimate dream and ambition is to create — I think if we could ever make it work, I think it would definitely be very successful, is to create an amusement park to the visual arts.”
“Growing up in Palm Springs, I love this town. It’s such an interesting neat place to live. I mean we’re surrounded by these spectacular mountains, we’ve got this amazing weather and there’s just something special about Palm Springs that I’ve always just loved… this is where my roots are at.”