Desert sun projections by Sarah Meyohas
In the far south of California, near Palm Springs, artist Sarah Meyohas showcases a monumental installation for the art exhibition Desert X. A sinuous ribbon-like structure starts as a simple path, inviting visitors from the city into the desert. Surrounded by small shrubs, the path climbs out of the ground and unfurls into a convoluted curved wall, forming different alcoves. Within each space, mysterious reflectors stand, waiting for passers-by to orient them properly. When catching the sun’s rays, each polished metal sculpture reflects a message on the wall, thanks to Rayform’s caustics technology.
The optical phenomenon of caustics is often witnessed near bodies of water as light traverses the rippling surface to form abstract patterns on the floor. Used in this desert landscape along with some water inspired patterns, the artist invites a reflection on the scarcity of water in parallel to finding truths in today's tumultuous world.
“When Desert X approached me, I immediately recognized the opportunity to deploy this technology in its ideal context: the constant and absolute light of the desert. Here, the engineering of surfaces becomes a way to materialize how truth works—not as direct illumination, but as carefully calibrated reflections that emerge only under specific conditions of time, position, and attention.”
Sarah Meyohas
Calculating the reflections of sunlight
The algorithms developed by Rayform enable to trace the light coming from the sun, onto the reflectors, and the wall, and computing the very fine waves that the mirrors should have in order to project the light messages imagined by the artist. These “caustics” images are made possible thanks to the unique patented technology developed by Rayform.
Many iterations are required to find the right set of parameters that fulfill the different technical constraints such as material thickness, image stability, or blur. The artists guides this process by providing feedback on the physically realistic rendering generated. Once achieved, each reflector is represented as a network of height varying points and exported into a 3D file ready for production.
High-precision fabrication
Once the calculations are done, the fabrication process starts. This critical step requires highly sophisticated computer-controlled machines that cut the block of metal according to the 3D file surface. Switzerland has a world renowned expertise in high-precision machining which Rayform was able to leverage for this large scale project. The company Delmet SA was chosen for its unique know-how in producing large structures with the highest level of precision. After the machining, each plate needs to be hand-polished in a long multi-step process to obtain its final shine.
‘Truth Arrives in Slanted Beams’ is publicly visible from March 8 – May 11, 2025, in Coachella Valley, California. More information here.
Press – Links
The installation has captured the attention of the design and art world, learn more about the project through those publications.