Robolights was a Christmas-inspired explosion of quirky, creepy, and colorful sculptures created from found objects. This large lot featured a path that snaked through the property, with an array of robots, lights, and eerie holiday decor in every direction. It was fascinating to see all the intricate details of the pieces Kenny had assembled. So much creativity and inventiveness went into the massive display.
To Get There (now closed indefinitely)
Robolights, the wildly imaginative holiday art display, lit up Palm Springs for the last time in 2018 before being shut down at its residential location. Artist Kenny Irwin Jr. has since purchased land in Desert Hot Springs with plans to revive it as a larger, year-round art attraction, with some city funding support. But while the vision remains alive, the new site hasn’t yet materialized, and as of late 2023 there’s still no confirmed timeline for its return.
Images are from Palm Springs 2018, Robolights Palm Springs went from 1986-2018.
The History
The creator, Kenny Irwin, was encouraged to use the private property in Palm Springs by his father who was also an artist. He received his degree in fine arts from CCAD in Oakland CA. In 2018, Robolights drew in 60,000 visitors.
“Kenny’s art has been influenced by space exploration, spiritual pursuits and a search for man’s place in the universe. A consistent theme found in his work would be human relationships to material consumption and machines.”
— Kenny Irwin website as source
Robolights Art Exhibit
There are so many things to look at, and new things are added every year. The true meaning is left up to interpretation, but to me if feels like a commentary on the abundance of material things, which is at its height during the holidays. It would also make sense that Kenny chooses to create everything from scraps, essentially repurposing all these items into this strange wonderland.
Once the new Desert Hot Springs location is up and running go and give Robolights a visit. Night is the best so you can see the insane amount of lights everywhere. This is a great place to discover the holidays in a very unique way. There is a lot to be interpreted here as far as what the artist is trying to say. What do you think it means?