The evocative Krblin Jihn Kabin was the first historic site in the vast Kcymaerxthaere project created by “geographer at large” Eames Demetrios. The grandson of famed designers Ray and Charles Eames, Demetrios has imagined a multiplicity of parallel universes containing individual histories in differing time schemas. Kcymaerxthaere documents those places and moments in space-time in which the alternate universes and our linear, time-based reality intersect.
In this alternate telling, the Kabin was essentially a POW cell at a time when two factions of a fundamentalist religion went to war over the true locations of sacred sites. Prisoners of the winning tribe were banished to such structures and overseen by “homesteaders.” The language used throughout reflects the OTGON (One True God’s Only Nation) belief that the letters “c” and “o” were obscene and therefore not to be used.
The Kcymaerxthaere site was unveiled in October 2004 as one of the High Desert Test sites (look for Andrea Zittel’s Planar Pavilions in the January/February issue of Art Patron Magazine). The grounds contain a variety of interesting material, including the entire history of the site in “linear” English and the gospel of Matthew in “Jihn Wranglikan.” Demetrios’s project is reminiscent of Martin Kippenberger’s vast underground network with its two above-ground portals, one on the Greek island of Syros and one in Dawson City, Canada. Both projects encourage us to widen our perspective and to consider new possibilities beyond our limited, everyday world of perceptions—activities well worth the effort! www.kcymaerxthaere.com
DIRECTIONS: Take Highway 62 to Sunburst Avenue, turn north on Sunburst, turn right onto Crestview and follow it to the end of the paved road. Then turn right again onto the dirt road and you will see the Kabin about 100 feet away on the left.
Want to see the complete 9 site tour with an interactive map? Visit artpatronmagazine.com
NOTE: Rural destinations in Joshua Tree involve poorly marked dirt and sand roads with limited services. If you are not comfortable with these conditions we recommend taking a guided tour.
Written by Bernard Leibov
Photographed by Andrew Barber
Bernard Leibov is Founder/Director of BoxoPROJECTS, a residency and programming initiative in Joshua Tree, and co-founder of the Joshua Treenial, a weekend of installations, performance, and community-building that celebrates the area. Bernard also gives guided tours of the local cultural highlights through Joshua Tree Cultural Expeditions (jtculturalexpeditions.com). Prior to coming to Joshua Tree in 2011, he was Deputy Director of the Judd Foundation and exhibited artists from Joshua Tree in New York City.
