Influencers swarmed art near Joshua Tree Airbnb. Now host says photo has $20,000 fee
Social media influencers have been flocking to an Airbnb rental in California to take pictures of its 28-foot cement art piece.
Now, they’re facing a $20,000 shoot fee if they don’t abide by the host’s rules.
The Mojave Moon Ranch in Joshua Tree charges guests over $1,000 per night to stay at the two-bedroom, two-bathroom desert-inspired oasis, according to the Airbnb listing.
The 220-acre property touts its 360-degree views, a watering hole, salt water pool, spa and stone cabanas, according to the listing.
It’s also home to a “28-foot tall one hundred feet wide” art piece called Transmission comprised of concrete and steel, according to the ranch’s website.
“Transmission” referred to as “her” serves as a reminder that “we are all rooted in love, unity, and the divine, always,” according to the website.
Developer and Airbnb host Morgan Brown commissioned South African artist Daniel Popper for the art piece, according to SF Gate.
Popper rose to fame “thanks to his top music festivals around the globe including Electric Forest Festival in the USA, Boom Festival in Portugal, Rainbow Serpent Festival in Australia” and more, according to Secret Los Angeles. Now some of his creations have found permanent homes in Miami, Chicago and Tulum.
It wasn’t too long before influencers wanted to snap a shot of the art.
Brown said the buzz spread quickly.
“It just spread like wildfire, and there is not a time that I go there without [seeing trespassers]. There are massive Instagram influencers ... that have hundreds of thousands of followers that are blatantly standing in front of it with drones everywhere,” Brown told SF Gate. “It’s sad that we don’t seem to respect each other. Whatever the Instagram shot takes, you’d go to any lengths to get it. People have climbed the fence right in front of me, which I find really incredible.”
To combat the trespassers, the ranch said there would be a $20,000 minimum fee for photo shoots in the area, according to the website.
“Due to the overwhelming response to our new art installation we are informing anyone viewing this page that trespassing is NOT allowed onto the property. Close viewing is reserved for guests of the ranch. This is private property,” the website said. “Any trespassing and media obtained from illegal entry onto property will be legally resolved. The minimum shoot fee is $20,000.”
For those who don’t want to shell out $20,000 or the $1,000-a-night to be an official guest at the rental, they are encouraged to take pictures and videos from the public viewing platform that the host constructed on a road running by the property, according to the website.
Joshua Tree is about 130 miles east of Los Angeles.
This story was originally published March 6, 2023 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Influencers swarmed art near Joshua Tree Airbnb. Now host says photo has $20,000 fee."