A set of nine towers that was prominently featured at the 2019 Coachella Music and Arts Festival is coming to Indio for at least the next decade.
The city council voted 5-0 Wednesday to approve a contract with festival promoter Goldenvoice to acquire and install the towering Sarbale Ké (pronounced Sar-ball-ay-Kay) sculpture series in Indio.
Sarbale Ké (the House of Celebration) a group of nine towers, ranging in height from nine to 49 feet, is the city’s largest scale public art project to date.
The installation is set to be installed at Dr. Carreon Park, adjacent to Dr. Carreon Blvd. and east of Monroe Street. The city says they chose the location to maximize public access for those looking to photograph and explore the art piece.
Goldenvoice gifted Sarbala Ké to Indio for a period of ten years, satisfying a long-term goal of Berlin-based, Burkina Faso native, artist and architect Francis Kéré (Care-A). Kéré stated he wanted to home the pieces in the Coachella Valley following their premiere at the world famous music festival in 2019.
Installation is expected to begin in early December and will precede significant enhancements to Dr. Carreon Park in 2020, including the creation of a soccer field, new landscaping, and the addition of benches and tables.
The city says that the work will be performed by Coachella Valley contractors at a cost of $308,038, taken from Indio’s Art in Public Places fund. This fund is paid through fees from developers of new projects in Indio.
