FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Sanford Biggers’ “Unsui (Mirror)” to Debut in Aspen’s Paepcke Park
Presented by Buckhorn Public Arts Aspen presentation in partnership with Aspen Public Art Co-commissioned in partnership with Desert X
Landmark public installation on view June through September 2025, a major highlight of Aspen’s summer cultural season
Aspen, CO — June 17, 2025 —This summer, Buckhorn Public Arts (BPA) debuts a major public art installation by internationally acclaimed artist Sanford Biggers in Aspen’s Paepcke Park. Titled “Unsui (Mirror),” the artwork was co-commissioned in partnership with Desert X, and the Aspen presentation is being installed in partnership with Aspen Public Art. The monumental work, two mirrored cloud forms measuring 28 and 23 feet tall, will be on view from June through September 2025, anchoring Aspen’s cultural season with one of the largest-scale public art installations the city has hosted downtown.
The work will launch with a public artist talk in Paepcke Park on June 29, following Sanford Biggers’ appearance earlier that day at the Aspen Ideas Festival. A live performance by the Aspen Music Festival’s music school students will begin in the park around 3:00 PM, leading into remarks by Buckhorn Public Arts’ executive director Tim Sack and Biggers’ artist talk at approximately 3:30 PM. The music will continue after the talk to allow for guest gathering and reflection. A private reception for supporters and invited guests is scheduled to follow. In addition, a site-specific performance by DanceAspen will take place on July 27, further activating the installation through movement and community engagement.
“Buckhorn Public Arts is honored to partner with Desert X to bring this monumental work from Sanford Biggers to Aspen this summer,” said Tim Sack, executive director of Buckhorn Public Arts. “Unsui (Mirror)” perfectly aligns with our mission to connect our community with world-class contemporary art in meaningful, public-facing ways.”
This presentation is supported by the City of Aspen through Aspen Public Art, with co-commissioning by Desert X, the acclaimed organization behind site-specific art exhibitions in California’s Coachella Valley and beyond. This Aspen presentation marks Desert X’s first project in Colorado, expanding its geographic reach while remaining grounded in its mission to activate landscape and cultural context through art.
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ABOUT THE ARTIST
Sanford Biggers is a multimedia artist whose practice encompasses painting, sculpture, video, photography, music and performance. As an artistic intermediary, he disrupts established narratives, weaving U.S. history into broader global frameworks. By remixing cultural symbols and intervening in historical forms, he complicates collective mythologies and reimagines traditions. His work reflects personal experiences, from his early engagement with graffiti art in Los Angeles to his time living in Japan, shaping his ability to bridge disparate cultural and historical contexts.
“Unsui (Mirror)” features two towering sequin sculptures set against the expansive sky. Clouds, a recurring motif in Biggers’ work, symbolize freedom, boundlessness and interconnection. Drawing on Biggers’ study of Buddhism, these clouds — unsui (“clouds and water” in Japanese) — embody unencumbered movement. Shimmering in the light, they evoke a feeling of timelessness and transcendence.
ABOUT BUCKHORN PUBLIC ARTS
Buckhorn Public Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding public access to contemporary art in Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley. Through public installations, partnerships and year-round events, BPA fosters dynamic cultural experiences that are free, inclusive and community-driven.
ABOUT DESERT X
Desert X is a nonprofit organization that produces international contemporary art exhibitions activating desert locations through site-specific installations by acclaimed artists. Founded in 2017, Desert X explores environmental, social and political themes that shape our world.
MEDIA NOTE:
Please ensure that all press coverage and public-facing references include the credit:
Sanford Biggers’ “Unsui (Mirror)” to Debut in Aspen’s Paepcke Park.
Co-Commissioned by Buckhorn Public Arts and Desert X. Aspen presentation in partnership with Aspen Public Art. Courtesy of the Artist and Marianne Boesky Gallery.
Click here for a selection of images of “Unsui (Mirror).” Photos are for editorial use only. Please credit: Courtesy of Buckhorn Public Arts
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