Aspen's AIR festival transforms the Rocky Mountains into a stage for ambitious artistic endeavors. Matthew Barney's Zone Defense saw PVC pipes and football jerseys held aloft by weights atop a quiet ranch. The festival’s opening night brought Los Thuthanaka to Aspen Mountain, where siblings in Andean attire delivered an ethereal performance at 11,000 feet.

The film-performance of Lucy Raven's Murderers Bar added drama with live scores and helicopter footage. Meanwhile, the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center hosted Ivan Cheng’s dynamic 'live situations for camera', blending monologue and dance amidst heaps of scrap metal. Morgan Bassichis’ stand-up comedy delved deep into personal narratives, exploring parasocial relationships with dead artists.

As Miranda July discussed erotic potential in hang-ups, the festival showcased a diverse range of artistic expressions that questioned traditional boundaries between performance art and everyday life. Whether through bronze triceratops or hyperventilating monologues, AIR 2019 wove together old and new to redefine mountain landscapes.