Debo Vado’s Mimetic Hippos Bring Dark Absurdist Humor to Coachella

The installation art group Dedo Vabo has returned to the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival for 2026 with the debut of Network Operations. The project features actors and performing artists in hippopotamus masks who pantomime the operations of a menacing communications conglomerate.

Located in a satellite tower overlooking the main field and the Outdoor stage at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, the installation depicts the hippos as bumbling media barons. The performers wear rumpled suits and operate within a control room environment, where they are observed by festival attendees through glass.

Satirical Media Empire

The 2026 iteration of the project focuses on the hippos’ attempts to dominate the media landscape. According to reporting from the Orange County Register, the fictional conglomerate seeks to capture the airwaves through a variety of mediums, including podcasts, newspapers and DJ radio frequencies.

Derek Doublin, one half of the artist duo Dedo Vabo, explained that the characters are intended to be mimetic. He stated that the installation serves as a little bit of a reflection of society with dark, absurdist humor.

If you were to follow the journey of them from 2010, when they first started, all the way until now, they’ve slowly been building their own empire.

Derek Doublin, Dedo Vabo

The performance involves high-stress absurdist scenarios, including the use of drones that enter the control room. Vanessa Bonet of Dedo Vabo described the chaotic nature of the exhibit, noting that keeping the operation running requires significant effort, especially when performers in the enclosed 10-foot space begin to go a little crazy over 12-hour shifts.

Production and Performers

The installation utilizes a mix of professional actors and music industry figures. Members of the punk band Die Spitz and crew members for Janelle Monáe have participated in the costumes for the project.

The narrative of the exhibit follows a specific trajectory throughout the festival. The hippos operate their corporate entity until the entire operation is designed to blow up in their faces by Sunday evening.

Historical Context

While now closely associated with the Coachella festival, the hippo project originated in 2008. The installation first appeared in a room at the Cecil Hotel during the downtown Los Angeles Art Walk.

The characters became staples of the polo fields in Indio, though the 2026 appearance marks their first return to the festival grounds since 2019. The ongoing story arc has evolved since 2010, transitioning the characters from their early iterations into the current role of satirical media moguls.

The installation was active during the opening weekend of the festival, with sightings reported on Friday, April 10, and Saturday, April 11, 2026.