Four large concrete cylinders arranged in a t-shape sit on the desert sand under a cloud-filled sky.

Sun Tunnels

Holt’s most recognized artwork, Sun Tunnels (1973–1976), is a large-scale installation in Utah’s Great Basin Desert, a four-hour drive from the UMFA. It consists of four large concrete cylinders, arranged on the desert floor in a cross pattern, that align with the sunrise and sunset on the summer and winter solstices. In addition to this perfect solar framing, each of the cylinders is pierced with smaller holes representing the stars of four constellations: Draco, Perseus, Columba, and Capricorn.

Holt’s design allows for an ever-changing play of light and shadow upon the surfaces of her work. The four concrete tubes act as viewfinders framing precise images which, in Holt’s words, “bring the vast space of the desert back to human scale.”

One of only a few women associated with Land art, Holt is a key yet under-recognized figure who has produced ambitious projects all over the world. Holt was also a pioneer of time-based media, and the camera was crucial to her exploration of space, sculptural form, and subjective perspective. Her work—photographs, films, site-specific installations, earthworks, public sculpture, and even personal flashlight and audio tours—transforms our perception of place, space, and time. Focusing our vision and challenging our understanding of an environment, Holt’s work draws attention to the complexities of our relationship with the landscape we inhabit and act upon.

Dia Art Foundation is pleased to share this film highlighting “Sun Tunnels” and the work of Nancy Holt in celebration of the 50th anniversary.

Plan your visit to Sun Tunnels

There’s no Wi-Fi in the desert! Download the UMFA Audio Guide in the Apple Store or in the Google Play Store to take Sun Tunnels Self-Guide with you on your adventure.

History, Directions, and Travel Tips

Download this self guide for history, directions, and travel tips.

Learn More

A group of people stand outdoors by folding tables with equipment and supplies. Several vehicles are parked behind them on a sunny day, and the area appears to be a dry, open landscape.

A person sits inside a large concrete pipe on a sandy surface, writing in a notebook. Sunlight shines through circular holes in the pipe, casting spots of light on the inner wall and ground.

Explore the Earthwork

Download the Sun Tunnels Self Guide to help you learn more about the artwork.

English Guide

guía en Español

Sun Tunnels Family Backpack

Check out a Sun Tunnels Family Backpack at the UMFA, the Salt Lake City Library, or the Brigham City Museum.

Discover What’s Inside the Sun Tunnels Backpack

An adult and a child stand on a rocky shoreline; the adult kneels near a blue backpack while the child wearing a red shirt and patterned pants holds a piece of paper. The background shows a dry, flat landscape with sparse vegetation.

A boy stands at a table outdoors, painting with watercolors. Art supplies and a blue water bottle are on the table. Two adults and a white van are in the background. The scene appears sunny and dry.

K-12 Land Art Resources

Is your class studying Land art? The museum’s Learning & Engagement team has created several lesson plans for K-12 teachers to use in their classes or on field trips to help students learn more.

Land Art Lesson Plans

In 2018, with support from the Holt/Smithson Foundation, Sun Tunnels was acquired by the Dia Art Foundation. The Utah Museum of Fine Arts works in collaboration with Dia Art Foundation, Holt/Smithson Foundation, and the Center for Land Use Interpretation to preserve, maintain, and advocate for this masterpiece of late twentieth-century art and acclaimed Utah landmark.

Photographic and video material of Sun Tunnels is copyright-protected. For rights and reproduction requests, contact rights@diaart.org. For general inquiries related to Sun Tunnels, contact suntunnels@diaart.org.

Nancy Holt, Sun Tunnels (1973-76), Great Basin Desert, Utah, Concrete, steel, earth, Overall dimensions: 9 ft. 2-1/2 in. x 68 ft. 6in. x 53 ft. (2.8 x 20.9 x 16.2 m); length on the diagonal: 86 ft. (26.2 m), Photograph: Nancy Holt, Collection Dia Art Foundation with support from Holt/Smithson Foundation © Holt/Smithson Foundation and Dia Art Foundation / Licensed by Artists Rights Society, New York