Science

Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix brings the desert dramatically to life using LiDAR scans

KJZZ | By Kathy Ritchie

Published April 21, 2026 at 6:50 AM MST

Cactus surround a tall, narrow screen showing a saguaro with sun in the background — The first “Framerate: Desert Pulse" installation at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix is located at the Ottosen Entry Garden.

Phoenix is known for few things: It’s one of the fastest growing places in the country; its summers are oven-hot; and it's located in one of the most biodiverse deserts.

An exhibit at Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix explores the tension that comes when humans and nature collide.

“Framerate: Desert Pulse" is is a collaboration with UK-based ScanLAB Projects.

Laura Spalding Best is the senior director of exhibits at the garden.

“There's so much here that we were curious about going into the project, working with ScanLAB Projects, working with the artists on this,” she said.

Blonde woman in black shirt and brown skirt smiles at camera in front of cactus — Laura Spalding Best is the senior director of exhibits at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.

In front of her, a screen flickers grayscale images of different kinds of cactus, twitching, pulsing … almost breathing.

“What we wanted to hopefully uncover — and you never know what you're getting into when you start this kind of project — but what we're hoping to uncover is how vibrant and how everchanging this desert actually is,” she said.

A massive outdoor screen set against a hillside dotted with saguaros and native plants — The final installation of “Framerate: Desert Pulse" at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix.

They achieved this by having local photographers scan this same location day in and day out over the course of a year using LiDAR as their medium; then the artists at ScanLAB were able to create these moving works of art using that data.

Another screen shows highly detailed images of fuchsia cactus blooms; other installations — 20 screens, in fact — show the impact of humans on the landscape.

“So that when you shift back to that natural imagery, I mean, it's almost jarring," Spalding Best said.

A horizontal screen shows the high detail scans of fuchsia-colored cactus flowers bloom — Another installation shows the high detail scans of fuchsia-colored cactus flowers bloom — performing on screen as their delicate petals open.

And it all leads to one final display.

A massive outdoor screen — set against a hillside filled with saguaros and native plants.

For Spalding Best, this is the culmination of four years of work.

“I mean, I think this is the big impressive one: It’s 40 feet wide. It's this billboard of artwork that's this blend of science, art and technology — and nature, obviously.”

And a reminder that the desert isn’t barren. It's alive, constantly changing — and one that deserves our respect and protection for generations to come.

The exhibition runs through Mother’s Day.