Desert Botanical Garden is thrilled to announce a meaningful partnership with Rivian Automotive Inc.: the shared use and loaner of their electric R1T. This generous partnership will be instrumental in supporting the Garden’s next art exhibition by London-based artists ScanLAB Projects.
Opening in the fall of 2025, DESERT PULSE is a groundbreaking exhibition that will reveal the Sonoran Desert in ways that transcend the capabilities of the human eye and conventional photography. With ScanLAB’s LiDAR 3D scanning technology, the exhibit will be a remarkable visual experience, highlighting everything from spring blooms, sediment shift patterns and the impacts of human activity in the Valley. This ambitious project involves a dedicated team of 3D scanning artists who capture daily scans across 15 distinct sites, ensuring a dynamic portrayal of the desert landscape.
The Rivian R1T will be used by 3D scanning artists, who travel hundreds of miles to each location.
“Rivian seeks to help others explore the world and make sure it remains a world worth exploring,” said Linda Le, Director Experiential Marketing Program Operations. “Supporting creative innovation in partnership with artists ScanLAB and the Desert Botanical Garden will help inspire admiration and preservation of our planet, and we’re proud to be a part of this meaningful work. We look forward to the exhibition and seeing its impact on the minds and hearts of its visitors.”
Rivian’s contribution aligns perfectly with the environmental themes underpinning ScanLAB’s artwork, alongside the Garden’s mission to advance excellence in education, research, exhibition and conservation of desert plants.
“The use of the electric vehicle underscores Rivian’s, ScanLAB’s and the Garden’s shared commitment to sustainability and reducing the organizations’ carbon footprint — setting a powerful example for Garden visitors and the community,” said Elaine McGinn, the Garden’s Chief Experience Officer.
“This project requires over 120 miles of driving each day to complete daily scans. Over the course of the year that’s almost 45,000 miles. The Rivian partnership saves us from emitting those fossil fuels and underlines the Garden’s commitment to the environment. The sustainability of the process is just as important as the exhibit itself. We’re pleased that with Rivian’s help we can deliver this work on the respectful, environmental terms that reflects ScanLAB’s own policies and beliefs,” McGinn said.
In October 2023, the Garden announced the beginning of a two-year innovative exhibition with ScanLAB, led by artists and cofounders Matt Shaw and William Trossell.
The studio and the Garden selected 15 unique desert landscapes in the Phoenix area, including ones on the Garden’s trails, to document daily 3D time-lapse scans that will be recorded over a 12-month period. The recorded data will be used to showcase never-before-seen visuals of the Sonoran Desert displayed on impressive multi-screen digital installations alongside the Garden’s plants and trails, as well as its new Exhibits Gallery.
The exhibit will reveal unseen environmental changes — the result of human, natural and industrial processes — all impossible to see with the naked eye or through the lens of traditional cameras. The team will document cactus flowering and fruiting, shifting sediment patterns along the Salt River, recent fire-damaged desert and desert blooms. Locations include a desert development in Rio Verde, a saguaro growth monitoring site near Needle Rock, a recovering fire area in McDowell Mountain Preserve and a working landfill.
“Creating this artwork is an epic undertaking, covering thousands of miles through tough terrain and extreme conditions. The work highlights our species’ impact on the planet and on these beautiful, sensitive, desert locations. Being able to navigate desert trails almost silently in the Rivian plays a huge role in making this project a success,” said Matt Shaw, ScanLAB Projects co-founder and director.
“ScanLAB aims to minimize the emission impact of every key decision, throughout the process of making the exhibit. With the R1T we get incredible performance, functionality and a beautiful piece of design with minimal emissions.” Shaw said.
