[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:07.58,0:00:12.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Andrea Zittel: High Desert Test Sites]
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.76,0:00:30.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[REPORTER] For thirty years, Curtis Springer\Noperated his Zzyzx Mineral Springs,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.24,0:00:34.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,selling health, religion, and the Springer\Nspecialty,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:34.40,0:00:36.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Antediluvian herb tea.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.45,0:00:40.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But then, the troubles with the government\Nover who owned the land
Dialogue: 0,0:00:40.18,0:00:42.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,finally caught up with him in 1974,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.52,0:00:43.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and he was evicted.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:44.72,0:00:45.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Boulevard of Dreams]
Dialogue: 0,0:00:45.92,0:00:49.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ROB FULTON] Oh, I never did explain Zzyzx,\Ndid I?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:49.35,0:00:53.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Curtis invented it to be phonetically or alphabetically\Nthe last word--
Dialogue: 0,0:00:53.94,0:00:55.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,nothing more than that.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.04,0:00:56.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But then he incorporated that in his advertising,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:56.69,0:00:58.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,both in literature and on radio.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.67,0:00:59.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,He'd say things like,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.73,0:01:02.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"Come to Zzyzx Mineral Springs, the last word\Nin health."
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.92,0:01:12.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ANCHORMAN] Well, according to the bureau\Nof land management,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.08,0:01:14.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,legally, Hell has frozen over,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:14.73,0:01:16.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and Springer will never get Zzyzx back.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.80,0:01:19.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[CSU Desert Studies Center]
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.60,0:01:22.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[AURORA TANG] Zzyzx is currently this desert\Nstudies center,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:22.34,0:01:26.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,which is about three hours from both Joshua\NTree and L.A.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.73,0:01:30.33,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, it's just far enough out to be a trip.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:30.33,0:01:33.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,One of the reasons to do High Desert Test\NSites programming here
Dialogue: 0,0:01:33.82,0:01:37.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was to continue to keep that sense of exploration
Dialogue: 0,0:01:37.32,0:01:40.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that feeling of discovery and learning.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.02,0:01:41.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Aurora Tang, Managing Director, High Desert\NTest Sites]
Dialogue: 0,0:01:41.32,0:01:44.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And also, it keeps things interesting for\Nboth Andrea and I.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:44.12,0:01:46.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[FULTON] We've salvaged some of the old resort\Nsigns and everything.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.49,0:01:48.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I brought this out of mothballs today so you\Ncould see it.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:48.83,0:01:51.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This would have been posted here at the building.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.99,0:01:57.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To kind of underscore the religious underpinnings\Nof his ministry here--
Dialogue: 0,0:01:57.24,0:01:59.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and his foundation and his mission here--
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.80,0:02:02.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,he developed the pool in the shape of a cross.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:02.49,0:02:05.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then, if you wanted to sun yourself on\Nthe slabs out here,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:05.01,0:02:07.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,these pipes sticking up would provide cool\Nwater
Dialogue: 0,0:02:07.13,0:02:09.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to flood the surface and cool it down.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:11.60,0:02:14.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ANDREA ZITTEL] So, it's always a little hard\Nto explain
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.08,0:02:15.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,what High Desert Test Sites is,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:15.66,0:02:17.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Andrea Zittel, Co-Founder, High Desert Test\NSites]
Dialogue: 0,0:02:17.26,0:02:22.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because we're, sort of, deliberately not trying\Nto make an institution.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:22.55,0:02:26.85,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it's a non-profit entity that...
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.16,0:02:35.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's a support entity for work that sort of\Nlives in the world at large.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.76,0:02:41.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So this weekend, High Desert Test Sites is\Nbeing curated by Aurora Tang.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.53,0:02:44.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's all about water in the sense that
Dialogue: 0,0:02:44.14,0:02:47.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,being in the desert is only possible because\Nof water.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:47.12,0:02:48.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so water takes on a special...
Dialogue: 0,0:02:48.90,0:02:52.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I mean, I would probably call it like a "life\Nforce".
Dialogue: 0,0:02:52.81,0:02:56.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We have a mix of different artists that we\Nwork with,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:56.04,0:02:57.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and some are local--
Dialogue: 0,0:02:57.15,0:02:59.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,like, people that we discover out here
Dialogue: 0,0:02:59.07,0:03:01.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who we think are like really amazing and inspirational,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:01.31,0:03:05.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we sort of want to bring more attention\Nto them.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:18.40,0:03:22.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ALYSE EMDUR] The desert, I think, is a place\Nof escaping civilization.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:23.18,0:03:27.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My film really looks at this attempt to escape\Nthe aging bodies of retirees
Dialogue: 0,0:03:27.92,0:03:28.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Alyse Emdur, Artist]
Dialogue: 0,0:03:28.96,0:03:32.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the healing mineral spring in Florida.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:33.40,0:03:35.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They travel there every year
Dialogue: 0,0:03:35.24,0:03:39.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in hopes that the water will alleviate illness
Dialogue: 0,0:03:39.13,0:03:40.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and restore health.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.88,0:03:53.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ZITTEL] We do a lot of different things,
Dialogue: 0,0:03:53.95,0:03:58.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but the sort of trademark things are these\Nbig events that we create.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:58.64,0:03:59.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[MATT COOLIDGE] Well, hello everybody.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:59.86,0:04:01.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My name is Matt Coolidge.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.70,0:04:04.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I'll be talking about lakes of the Mojave!
Dialogue: 0,0:04:04.81,0:04:06.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ZITTEL] Like, we have an audience here
Dialogue: 0,0:04:06.30,0:04:08.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that's not necessarily an art audience,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:08.29,0:04:09.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,but people who are really interested
Dialogue: 0,0:04:09.65,0:04:13.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and willing to support art that inserts itself
Dialogue: 0,0:04:13.01,0:04:14.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,directly into the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.31,0:04:15.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I don't know...
Dialogue: 0,0:04:15.34,0:04:17.28,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I like working with Aurora so much,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:17.28,0:04:19.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and we talk, like, at length
Dialogue: 0,0:04:19.56,0:04:21.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what it is and what it isn't,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:21.26,0:04:22.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what it should be,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.10,0:04:23.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and what there's a necessity for,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:23.57,0:04:25.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and how art functions.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.22,0:04:30.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[SANT KHALSA] I thought,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:30.22,0:04:33.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"It's absurd that people are going to water\Nstores to buy water"
Dialogue: 0,0:04:33.26,0:04:36.24,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,"when their tap water is perfectly safe."
Dialogue: 0,0:04:36.24,0:04:37.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[Sant Khalsa, Artist]
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.86,0:04:41.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, realize, that they didn't think that\Ntheir water was safe.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.64,0:04:48.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The primary consumer of this water was immigrant\Npopulations
Dialogue: 0,0:04:48.58,0:04:52.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,who had come from countries where their tap\Nwater wasn't safe.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.47,0:04:56.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I realized they had some really interesting\Nnames,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:56.12,0:04:58.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and that's actually what drew me to them.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:59.30,0:05:03.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The process of photographing the water stores
Dialogue: 0,0:05:03.39,0:05:08.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,was really more about the idea of taking this\Npilgrimage,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:08.25,0:05:11.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,looking for, in a sense, the sacred springs.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:12.50,0:05:15.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[TANG] Sometimes we'll send people off to\Nthese remote sites
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.59,0:05:17.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to look for projects,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:17.38,0:05:21.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and they won't find it, with our little primitive\Ndriving maps.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:21.52,0:05:22.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the thing is,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.92,0:05:27.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,they're never usually that upset about it,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.86,0:05:31.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,because they found something else equally\Namazing
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.23,0:05:34.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that they might not otherwise have found.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:35.70,0:05:38.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[ZITTEL] We bought a hundred acres of land\Nto use
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.68,0:05:40.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that we let artists do projects on.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:40.59,0:05:42.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And we wanted to find parcels where
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.72,0:05:46.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you wouldn't ever necessarily see two artworks\Nat the same time.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:48.40,0:05:52.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We've always tried to help artists find situations
Dialogue: 0,0:05:52.92,0:05:53.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,to make their work,
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.87,0:05:59.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,where it can retain that, kind of, quality\Nof unknowableness.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:00.66,0:06:01.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you're, sort of, out somewhere,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.97,0:06:06.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and you see some weird, amazing, inexplicable\Nobject,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:06.14,0:06:09.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,you can wonder about it for days.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:09.71,0:06:14.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It's been this constant discussion about how\Nto remain a support entity
Dialogue: 0,0:06:14.34,0:06:19.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,without becoming another institution that's\Ncommissioning people to do works.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.17,0:06:22.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And that's a very very fine line to walk.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:24.28,0:06:26.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[FULTON] So, I believe, in about fifteen minutes,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:26.46,0:06:30.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,there is a lecture scheduled in the main hall\Ndown there.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:30.02,0:06:33.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You might want to go up and use the restroom,\Nif needed,
Dialogue: 0,0:06:33.07,0:06:35.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and, thank you very much for attending!
Dialogue: 0,0:06:35.51,0:06:38.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,[APPLAUSE]