Social Pool, Art installation swimming pool in San Bernardino County, US.
Social Pool is an art installation in the form of a minimalist swimming pool in the Mojave Desert. The white basin measures approximately 5 feet (1.5 meters) deep, 5 feet (1.5 meters) wide, and 11 feet (3.3 meters) long with built-in seating along both sides.
Austrian artist Alfredo Barsuglia created the work in 2014 as an experimental art project. It remained accessible until 2016, when vandalism caused its permanent closure.
The work questions how people relate to water in desert landscapes and examines luxury versus scarcity in arid regions. It invites reflection on what swimming means when water is precious.
Visiting required advance arrangement with the MAK Center for Art and Architecture to obtain a key and access information. Guests had to bring water themselves and return the key within one day.
The installation required visitors to supply water for it to function, turning users into active participants in creating the artwork. This uncommon requirement was essential to the artist's concept about resource sharing.
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