By any stretch of the imagination, Bombay Beach is an oddity, starting with its exotic name, its location by a dying lake and the post-apocalyptic landscape that greets visitors. The desert town, once a thriving resort set along the Salton Sea, is among the poorest communities in California, its 250 or so residents seemingly forgotten by the rest of the world. Most of the homes have been abandoned for decades, their yards filled with beat-up trailers and rusted cars. But the tiny hamlet is experiencing a rebirth of sorts as a group of artists and well-heeled sponsors have taken up residence, buying up dirt-cheap property and organizing an annual three-day festival called the Bombay Beach Biennale. Launched in 2016, the festival, which is being held this weekend, is the brainchild of three Los Angeles-based friends -- Tao Ruspoli,
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