Place to Ponder // Carrizozo

An immersive water sculpture in the New Mexican high desert.

A reason to hit the road for a day or a weekend. 

A means to discover the storied place of Carrizozo. 

A Place to Ponder kicks off a long-term, roadtrip-based project, invited viewers to “Get Lost.”

A Place to Ponder features a 4ft x 4ft x 4ft cube made of transparent plexiglass, engulfed in water. The cube sits peacefully atop a tiered platform made of charred lumber. As the viewer approaches the cube, the flow of water stops, allowing the viewer to enter the cube. Once inside, the water resumes its flow, surrounding the viewer in a meditative waterfall. 

After its debut in Albuquerque, A Place to Ponder will move to Carrizozo, a small railroad town in south Central New Mexico. Located between White Sands and the black rocks of the Valley of Fire, the region is home to naturally opposing elements. Viewers are encouraged to travel a backroads loop from Albuquerque, stopping to take in the sites that range from the Trinity Test Site where the first atomic bomb was tested to the 17th century ruins at Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument. With just under 1000 residents, Carrizozo is home to many artists, historic buildings, and unique businesses. Travelers are sure to find their own sites of wonder, driven by the search for a A Place to Ponder. 

Place to Ponder is made possible by a Fulcrum Fund project grant.