has been awarded a grant by Burning Man Project. Registered Art includes all other projects that have registered for placement on the open playa in BRC. You can learn more about the BRC Art program here.2024
"Nyurmók" (2024)
Nyurmok is a shrine to microtonality. Maximalist art. Impressionable and inspirational. Whatever an individual ponders and takes from it. Metallic and carved wooden build. The limits only are confined by earthly practicality.
#KOKON
A colossal inflatable baby unicorn stands majestically at Burning Man.
#Kokon embodies purity and simplicity, mirroring the direct and focused way children with autism interact with their surroundings. The unicorn, a symbol of grace and uniqueness, celebrates the beauty of seeing the world differently, inviting a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives.
A Capsule of Curiosity
The Creativity Capsule, a collaborative endeavor by the Gryponart Collective, stands as a testament to innovation and unity. This inflatable marvel, accompanied by student-created Creativity Capsules, serves as both art, sanctuary, and place to contemplate curiosity. Its memorizing presence in Black Rock City invites wanderers to explore its depths, igniting curiosity and sparking connections. Crafted by students, teachers, and parents, it symbolizes the boundless possibilities when art class transcends the classroom.
A Message to the Parents We Should Have Had
The purpose of this sculpture is to give our deepest, youngest selves the chance to communicate whatever we desire. It aims to acknowledge, clear, and honor our deepest, oldest, most authentic hopes, joys, fears, and dreams.
The sculpture itself is constructed of metal bars in the shape of wing, with wires wrapped with lights, surrounding a wooden sculpture of abstracted silhouettes of caring parents.
A Moment in an Aeon
A lotus shaped portal covered in ancient motifs.
Does it connect Asian and Meso-American cultures through their beliefs or does it allow for a dialogue with the forces of creation and being?
A Seat on the Throne
“A Seat at the Throne” harmoniously merges tradition with futurism through an installation crafted from weather-resistant aluminum and steel. Symbolizing resilience and grandeur, the throne features large geometric shapes, seamlessly blending past with future aesthetics. Its towering backrest evokes ancestral connection and celestial grace, while its warm golden hue adds a regal touch to the piece’s allure. As an interactive work, it prompts contemplation on traditional societal power dynamics. It challenges us to examine who is entitled to occupy positions of power, which typically excludes individuals from marginalized communities. This throne represents a reclaiming of that power, disrupting the notion of eligibility when considering access, and status. This sculpture invites individuals from all walks of life to take a seat on the throne with the goal of contributing to a regenerative future of inclusivity and empowerment.
Acorn Village
The project includes four 14-foot round structures resembling acorns and one scaled-up 18-foot version. Each ‘acorn’ will be outfitted with different elements to create its own wonderful vibe, while maintaining a continual whimsical faire/forest theme throughout the entire piece. In addition to the acorn structures, there will be a variety of ‘garden paraphernalia,’ including benches, decks, and rock-lined trails.
Always Another Sunrise
Always Another Sunrise is a love letter to BRC and new beginnings. This art piece commemorates the euphoric feelings of self-discovery, gratitude, and freedom of expression that the Playa provides through the form of a deconstructed music box.
The music box is a 16′ cylinder that slowly rotates, creating an enclosed secluded space where people can duck up into; inside they’ll hear the sweet sounds of a custom music comb striking, transforming the entire room into a resonance box. In concert with the melody, this rotating disk will mechanically project engage 8 zoetropes thru a geared system. Each zoetrope will feature an animation evoking the magic of inspiration and gratitude for this shared experience together.
Anti-Gravitational Chamber
An intergalactic technology has landed at the playa to demonstrate that impossibility is merely a matter of perspective.
Apex of Azure
Apex of Azure is a futuristic stained-glass pyramid that incorporates structural design, interactive lighting, blue flame effects, and a fire poofer to immerse people in a 3D painting of water and sky. 45 unique plexiglass panels, hand-painted with epoxy resin and inks, depict organic patterns that invoke liquid, air, and light.
Art 20 - Years
Twenty years on the playa for BlinkingManCamp97. This year’s project is #13 on the deep playa trash fence. Art 20 – Years will have about 70 tennis rackets with unique, repurposed and recycled folk art pieces attached to them. Many will have art from contributors ranging in ages from 6 to 80’s. Each piece windgineered to produce no MOOP! Your ride along the fence will be more fun than a barrel of playa chickens. More fun than Eggs Bar – well a close second. But you will definitely be smiling and enjoy the efforts of many different artists. And of course the usual yard sale and thrift store gems given a new life in the sun wind and dust (maybe a bit of rain too). Art 20 at the trash fence – It’s not just for breakfast any more!
Awake
Awake is an installation featuring a colossal Eye, 100 feet wide and 60 feet tall, pulsating with video art. It stands in the open playa, gazing towards the effigy, aligning with the theme ‘Curiouser & Curiouser.’ The Eye, vibrant and intricate, unravels new mysteries daily, symbolizing awakening and interconnectedness. It serves as a metaphor for the portal to higher understanding, reflecting a collective journey towards love and enlightenment. Amidst the desert, it is a sanctuary for self-reflection, challenging viewers to contemplate their inner selves and the collective consciousness. The project merges art and philosophy, beckoning silent introspection about the role of love in transcending the ego and achieving unity.
Awkward Silence
Hidden amongst the mangled mess of her mom’s last big art project, Tabitha cowers beside a faux granite monolith. She has a secret she must keep from the others. She can hear them frolicking and carousing outside. Suddenly Bastet, Cinders and Ohlone burst in sideways with their eyes aglow. There is an awkward silence…
Bad Hatter
A shocking, musical, LED-powered Mad Hatter’s hat that generates music composed of robotic instruments and participant’s yelps.
Banana for Scale
The banana is used online as a universal measuring stick, to provide a concept of scale when photographing objects. “Banana for Scale” plays with the disorienting size and contrasting visual cues of Black Rock Desert, by placing a massive inflatable banana on the playa. This enormous banana offers little to no real visual information, and that’s the point!
“Banana for Scale” celebrates the importance of silliness in our lives and work as artists. It also highlights one of the unique challenges of making art for Burning Man: everything looks small in the expanse of the desert. This piece intentionally pokes fun at the conundrum of perspective on the playa, as well as the seemingly arbitrary choice of using a banana to demonstrate scale.
Black Rock City Chicken Ranch
The Chicken Ranch is a brothel of absurdity, where senses are bombarded and reality is fractured. Inside, participants can pummel, squeeze, drown, and pulverize rubber chickens, their cacophony of ‘caws’ will loop and compound upon anyone who dares to approach. Crawling into the egg hole, citizens fall into the rubber chicken pit of squawks where bliss and chaos meet. Swimming or crawling, one finds their way out to emerge back into the desert feeling the disappointment of returning to the mortal world.
Black! Asé 2.0
Black! Asé 2.0 comes back in new form with Visibility and photography at the forefront but this year Erin’s mission is to create an internal experience that takes the audience on a journey of sound and light. This close to 30 foot high scaffold cube has photographic portraits that adorn the outside walls while inside you’ll find elements that touch most of the senses: imagery on the mesh-lined walls, audio playing recorded stories of burners of color and music that takes you on a journey from African beats to sounds of black culture today, and colorful lights that illuminates this internal space at night. This allows for a magical gathering space for connection with self and others.
Bo*b Squad
This art project is made up of replicas of the first a-bombs dropped on humans in WWII.
Constructed of steel with hollow cavity for burning wood and grilling meat, they invite us to delve into the profound depths of human existence and ponder its paradoxical nature. They serve as a poignant reminder of our inherent potential for creation and destruction, while questioning the choices that have led us astray from our loftiest aspirations.
Broken Portal
Broken Portal mirrors the dimensions of a traditional phone booth, yet introduces a variation with its three-cornered design. From afar, this installation presents the illusion of a familiar doorway. It is distinguished by LED lights that emit a radiant glow, as if light is leaking from all sides of the door, suggesting an intensely bright presence behind it. When occupied, the portal comes alive in a different way; the visitor inside becomes part of the art as the light casts ever-changing shadows and illumination angles, creating a dynamic, shifting image of the visitor’s form from the outside.
BYTE: Chip and Terra
Chip and Tera are big cuddle bugs with bulbous mirrored eyeballs that emit dancing beams of light at night.
Chip’s underbelly gives life to a hanging wisteria garden where adventurous humans may find hidden gifts hanging among the flowered vines or wedged in the graffitied rafters, alongside beautiful messages of appreciation and art from past BRC citizens. You may even find a serene chill space with a giant hammock and big fluffy pillows for some “me” time!
Tera piggybacks Chip creating another snuggly hideout, enveloped in fur, for escaping the harsh elements and meeting new fuzzy friends.
Camp-Fire
The first gathering of people was probably around a fire, and Camp-Fire is a recreation of this first sense of togetherness. Camp-Fire looks like an enlarged version of an archetypical scout fire, like the ones you see in comic books. Sitting around this artificial fire and staring into the flames, it’s easy to let go of the uneasiness people get nowadays when they are around strangers, without a phone to distract them. When it gets dark, the flames light up with warm, bright colors, which react to the people moving around them. The firewood is made from a circle of large tree logs, on which you can sit.
Carried By The Wind
Carried By The Wind provides a place for Burners to pause, reflect, grieve, and connect. A field of colorful, hand-dyed banners surrounds a shelter. Inside is a phone connected only to the wind, where you can talk to someone who can no longer hear you. We pay homage to the original Wind Phone in Japan that allowed survivors of the 2011 tsunami a place to say goodbye to missing loved ones.
The banners are dyed using melting ice and gravity blending the colors and creating beauty out of loss. This process is a reminder of the melting glaciers and sea ice caused by climate change. This loss, in turn, is tied to the Wind Phone, the intangible connection to our missed loved ones, and our global grieving for environmental loss.
Celestial Syzygy Garden
You spot two large Saguaro Cacti and an apparatus rising up from the landscape. Approaching you find stunning, beautifully realistic Saguaro, Ocotillo, Organ Pipe, Joshua Tree, Prickly Pear, and Barrel Cacti in a circle around a massive swinging platform. Swings, benches and posts make an Octagon shape with light “stars” hanging above. Surfaces of the swings, benches and posts have Sun, Moon, Star designs and Deities cut outs with lights inside. You rest and interact with other Burners, at first sitting by yourself on the benches revitalizing your soul then lounging on the swings intermingling with all. Laying on the large swing with burners all the stars above and lights shining through the metal cut-outs is magical and you feel at peace!
ChromaCove
ChromaCove stands as a geometric beacon on the Playa, its form a towering assemblage of mosaic-like shards that shimmer with an array of serene, changing lights. The piece embodies a visual symphony of unity, its constant luminescence a silent testament to cohesion amid diversity. It serves as a mirror to the onlooker’s psyche, each color transition reflecting the ever-evolving dance of thoughts and emotions that define the human experience. Through its tranquil presence, ChromaCove communicates a narrative of introspection and the inherent connectivity of all beings in the vast canvas of the night.
Coney McConeface: The Life and Death of a Traffic Cone
Coney McConeface is a larger than life traffic cone. At 60 feet tall he will tower over the playa. He is painted in bright safety orange and reflective silver bands. He has steam rising around and through him. This steam is coming from a crack in the playa caused from geothermal activity deep below the surface.
Coney has been built on top of this geothermal activity to project the citizens of Black Rock City from falling into the cavity and and being injured or burnt.
Coney is a symbol of safety and protection, an image we all very familiar with in our day to day lives….. traffic cones are very where…..
COQUÍ
COQUÍ, a symbol of artist NiNo’s homeland, Puerto Rico, is a charming arboreal frog who sings amid the sounds of the rainforest where he lives. This project will invite our community to explore Coquí’s many attributes, taking a trip inside his enlarged throat, and being fully immersed in his world as he sings.
Crystal Cairn
Cairns are a way-finding symbol across the world. This piece is meant to be a beacon between the city and deep playa or a place to fit and feel centered.
Dancing Balloon Robot
The project focuses on building large-scale bipedal robots that dance among people.
To ensure safety, the robots are lightweight and use buoyancy to assist balance.
The true artistic aspect of the project comes to light when the robots dynamically move, walk, and dance, conveying emotion through motion.
Desert Pop
From a distance, it might remind one of a multi-layered sundial or colored sails. If it were fixed in place, it could be a sundial but, since it is made to rotate with the wind, time would stand still. Therefore, colored sails would be a better description. Even though the sails don’t capture air and blow in the wind, should the conditions be right, when the desert floor radiates heat and the shimmering illusion of water presents itself as a mirage, it becomes “schooner” like. As one gets closer, the distinctive shapes and colors reduce the proverbial “what is it?” to “it is merely a piece of art”. Standing alone, for itself only, not attempting to cloak into any other reality. An art “tower” protruding from the flat, white desert.
Dream Slide
A glowing unicorn, larger than life.
A journey into dreams and out the other side.
White facets by day, a luminescent aurora by night.
A slide runs down the glowing mane.
Dream Slide embodies childhood wonder and fantastic visions, responding to our bodies as our dreams respond to our minds.
Echoes of the Heart
Echoes of the Heart is a biomorphic anatomical human heart containing a “neural network” of nearly 100 acoustic LED fibers that carry light and sound throughout the structure. It collects and plays back hundreds of heartfelt audio recordings from participants, symbolic of the memories of pain, grief, trauma, and love that our hearts carry throughout our lives.
What’s the most beautiful, hurtful, or moving thing anyone has ever said to you? Can you still remember the way you felt when you heard it? What is something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but never could? What words has your heart carried for a lifetime?
Equinox of Curiosity
Equinox of Curiosity explores the transformative power of paradox through the theme of curiouser and curiouser. With its glowing googly eyes and playful appearance, it beckons viewers into an introspective journey. Standing at 9 feet tall, the dual-headed horse serves as a profound metaphor, prompting contemplation on embracing uncertainty and navigating fears. This sculpture symbolizes resilience and personal growth, urging observers to discover new perspectives and embrace the joy found in the unexplored.
Existential Group Therapy
Existential Group Therapy is not for the faint of heart. Come explore your deepest thoughts with others while also finding comedic relief in the absurdity of the universe. Pull up a chair with a stranger or with familiar faces during the day or in the darkest of night to begin the process. Thoughts of dread, confusion, and curiosity are all welcomed.
Fable Bound
Viking (v): to go on a sea voyage.
Fable Bound is a 20-foot iconic Viking longship and immersive experience created to honor the importance of our individual and collective storytelling. The ship itself is created out of reclaimed materials and sways as if sailing on the ocean. Through the lens of history and Norse mythology, Fable Bound explores the power in the stories we all tell and create. Whether you find yourself riding in the calm seas or Thor’s stormy weather, it is an opportunity for voyagers to answer the call to adventure. Embarking on a hero’s journey transcends time and space. What one may discover along the way, either by sea or within themselves, only the Gods know!
Field of Dreams
As Burners navigate a field of five sculptures, they become active participants in its ever-shifting tapestry, their interactions shaping the contours of this ephemeral realm.
The Field of Dreams symbolizes the boundless potential of human connection. Its dynamic spatial forms, composed of luminous structures and mesmerizing soundscapes, evolve throughout the event, mirroring the ever-changing nature of our relationships.
Finding the Light
The art installation “Finding the Light” consists of 3 large steel and stained-glass monoliths. They are strategically placed on playa with exact distances from each other and perfectly aligned with the sun. As the sun heads to the west, the shadows and colors of the stained glass begin to elongate and interact with the playa surface. The monoliths alone are abstract geometric forms which can be explored and interacted with throughout the day.
Twice a day, sunrise and set, the long shadows from the monoliths and colors from the stained glass will form a beautiful church on the playa surface.
An 8′ high observation deck with a preacher’s podium, perfectly placed for the sunset shadow, will be placed on playa as well.
Forest of Confusion
A grove of Colorado Blue Spruce trees, with a central clearing, where participants can wander between the trees. Twenty-five trees make up the grove, and they will be spaced out in a way that obstructs the central clearing from outside sight.
During the night, the networked trees will light up together to display solid colors. The trees will be touch-sensitive, and participants will have to interact with each tree to unlock new color patterns. After a set amount of time, the tree color patterns will time out and revert to a solid color. If participants activate every tree before the time runs out on any of them, they will unlock the full forest grove of patterns.
Gaia weeps
Gaia Weeps is a slightly larger-than-life copper sculpture of goddess Gaia, holding in her hands a world that is aflame with destruction. Gaia is crying tears of sadness which fall from her face sizzling upon the globe on impact. The front of the base has a monitor showing a looped video clip showing the current destruction happening in our world on a daily basis. Gaia is looking out on a group of stumps left over from a forest being clear cut, created out of Hempcrete; the tree stumps give those watching the clip a place to sit and reflect. The art piece will use recycled materials whenever possible and will generate its own power supply using solar and wind turbine energy. Materials include steel, copper, brass, bronze and gold as elements of the earth.
Glimmer
Glimmer is a grand crown made of steel vines, vibrant resin and steel flowers, and colorful gems. Inside the crown a fire pit and benches invite people to pause, observe, and consider the reality around them. At night gems will glow and points of the crown will ignite, creating a spectacle of light and heat.
Goa Gil farewell Darshan
We are excited to bring Baba Goa Gil’s psychedelic aesthetic presence and energy to Black Rock City. The intention of this project is to honor his legacy and offer a glimpse into the dark psy dance floors decorated with psychedelic intent.
Goa Gil
October 11, 1951- October 26, 2023
H E A R T H
HEARTH is an expression of ambivalence and symbolism, the individual and interconnectedness, with a strong emphasis on the duality of human and planetary experiences. Exploring themes of healing and destruction, liberation and confinement, and the complex interplay between these elements. HEARTH encourages a shift in perspective from the individual human experience to a broader, collective and planetary viewpoint. In essence, the philosophy of HEARTH is to use ART as a vehicle to explore the nature of individual and collective human existence and its intricate relationship with the planet, acknowledging the ambiguity and tensions that arise as we grapple with these complex emotions and challenges.
Heartless Dino
Heartless Dino is a sculptural replica of Acantholipan Gonzalezi, a new species from 72 million years ago, created using metal sourced from dismantled parts of confiscated weapons. It is surrounded by light bulbs, with a structure and netting that allude to a portal, blurring the boundaries not only in space and time, but also between science, art, reality, and fantasy. Above, there lies the heart of the dino, crafted from natural fabrics.
The Heartless Dino serves as an opportunity to transmute, through art, the atrocities implicit in environments of violence, while prompting reflection on the importance of intention and collective action in transforming reality. This collective action stems from a limitless imagination, celebrating fantasy, love, wonder, and curiosity.
Hortus Lux
Inspired by succulents in the arid desert, Hortus Lux is a restful oasis by day and an invitation to play by night. Each of the five woven hammock leaves accommodates two.
Hug Cabana
Hug Cabana is a hugging booth.
Hábitat
Hábitat means where an organism lives and inspires the goal to show the beauty of coexistence and community through a sculpture thats feels like its a living organism, breathing and thriving when whatever is living inside can live together in peace.
I Ching O-Matic
A wooden spinner stands aside a record-keeping console that illustrates graphically the results of each of the 6 spins of an I Ching reading. The console contains wooden slats that correspond to the 8 symbolic trigrams of Chinese culture. The wooden pieces placed on the console help provide a clear view of the divination process. There are informational signs that help the querent formulate questions, which lead to comprehensible answers and the nature of change in their lives. The new version of the I Ching O’Matic now has 64 wooden tablets that provide a simple synopsis on one side, and on the other, extraordinary details revealing great complexity within each hexagram for those who wish to learn more.
Infinipus
A desert octopus, brilliant and adaptive, emerges from the depths of the black rock lake bed.
Interlace
Interlace is a family of three hyperboloids. When in motion, hyperboloids seem to curve and bend, yet are only composed of rigid, straight lines. As participants rotate the outer ring, these strange creatures twist, transforming from a linear body into an elegant hourglass figure, and back again.
Joya
Joya is a black metallic structure that has the shape of an upside-down diamond formed by six columns, 6 levels of removable static platforms. It has six sides. The columns are structural irons and the platforms are folded metal plates.
The art piece has a deep meaning in our Argentine culture. “Estoy Joya”, means when people are having a good time, all they say is “I’m Joya!” An English translation would mean that you’re in a jewel, splendid place. Or state, frame of mind.
Joya is surrounded by 6 structural totems, making the area for dancing and enjoyment bigger, enhancing the idea of inclusion while boosting the lights show. The gathering, the sharing, the root and fundamental of having a great time, while connecting with other beings.
Kaleidoscope Hole
Taking from the theme of this year’s Burning Man, Kaleidoscope Hole (as its name suggests) brings up thoughts of curiosity, infinity, psychedelia, creativity, and mischief. Kaleidoscope Hole is a conceptual, life-size kaleidoscope created by three painted standalone wooden rings, spaced apart and descending in size, and lit by LEDs at night to create a kaleidoscope-like view. It is an endless void of changing colors and patterns, where participants can lose themselves for the time that they choose to live within its world. Or they can partake in the creation of colors and movement by touching and spinning the Kaleidoscope Hole rings.
Library Of Emotions
Life is sewn together from a galaxy of emotions, ebbing and flowing like a nonstop body of water. Every day, you walk through life transitioning from one emotional state to another – some simple and pleasant, others powerful and wild. The Library of Emotion is a space containing a tangible multi-sensory display of these emotions, and just like in life, you will have the chance to walk through these clouds of feelings. Each area of this space will represent one of Paul Ekman’s five basic emotions used in the atlas of emotions (anger, disgust, fear, enjoyment, sadness), overlapping with each other to create a geometric organization that the participant can wander through and experience these familiar emotions, and find interesting spaces in-between.
Life is a Puzzle
At its core, this artwork is a colossal, multi-colored puzzle symbolizing life. However, its true significance lies in its portrayal of people coming together to support one another.
Light Curve
Light Curve is a rogue star ball of fire, mounted on a swinging arm, which is moved by participant interaction. Twenty independent flame heads, in synchrony with LEDs, react to participants with exciting dynamics.
Live Dangerously, Carefully
In the night it twinkles and glistens, in the day it blazes and shines! What is it? It’s a pile of treasures from around the world! There’s layers of intricate detail and tons of tiny discoveries to find. There are many wondrous treasures of the human spirit to unearth – all of which can be yours if you decide to live dangerously, carefully.
Lost in Thought
Lost in Thought is a life-sized sculpture of a person meditating, with the layers of self splitting away like the leaves of a lotus flower to reveal a skeleton in repose. Lost in Thought is a simple project inspired by the challenging conditions from Burning Man 2022 and Burning Man 2023 and the feelings that I struggled with while trying to find joy in suffering. Lost in Thought is made of blown playa dust sculpted onto a simple recycled metal frame and is meant to decay into just the skeletal frame underneath as the week goes by.
Mani Padme
Mani Padme is a 9-foot tall, 5-foot diameter cylinder with 32 vertical bars of full-color, computer-controlled LEDs around its circumference. The cylinder spins on a vertical axis, but there is no motor. It only spins because someone spins the cylinder by hand. As it spins a rotary encoder lets the computer know, 360 times per second, what angle the cylinder is. The computer choose the colors of the LEDs using this information to display a solid cylinder of light, making use of the eye’s persistence-of-vision characteristic.
Mare
Lefty Out There’s installation, Mare, aims to spark urgency about environmental stewardship and the importance of living in harmony with nature. His installation is a composition of three reef structures crafted from repurposed wood, recycled materials, and playa MOOP to evoke an underwater ambiance. With a modular design and hints of Lefty’s signature pattern, Mare symbolizes the vibrancy of natural growth and advocates for reef preservation.
Mariposa
Mariposa is a 26′ wide aluminum butterfly, hovering 15′ overhead, with 39,000 LEDs. The tower that holds it aloft has an 8′ wide porch swing. When visitors swing on it, the motion makes the wings flap, making Mariposa uniquely interactive and immersive. The animated patterns displayed on the LEDs are chosen to choreograph pieces of classical music, played by 4 speakers disguised as flower pots.
Matter Out Of Time
Time machines? They sound like theremins. That’s the rule.
Matter Out of Time (MOOT) appears as a giant, shiny, spiky ball, partially embedded in the playa. The aluminum tubes span some 25 feet, but are surprisingly easy to climb. Inside the ball you find a captains’ station, controls, and screens, but nothing seems to be working. You activate the initiation sequence, and
Is all of this a step towards a real time machine? Well, there’s definitely been a clear progression through time…
Memory Decay
Memory Decay will stand as a monument that can be scaled in several ways. The initial idea can be a rugged, abandoned bus stop overtaken by plants, including an overhang with seating surrounded by an abandoned pile of luggage with vines and flowers growing out of it. The overhang design is a mixture of Soviet-era bus stop designs whose walls will have a floral mural painted on them. The foliage will give the bus stop an ambient but enticing glow.
The luggage is to look worn and its contents to appear as if they are the last vestiges of meaningful substance to the people who had to abandon them. The way the plants have overtaken this seemingly abandoned space is meant to symbolize how life finds a way no matter what.
Mercurialosity
“Picture yourself in a boat on a river”, or a bicycle on a dry lakebed, laughing and playing as you cantor around the Black Rock Playa.
Look over there! Something shiny!
Approach it!
We dare you.
As you get closer you will notice the shiny thing gets very intricate, a steel onion dome shape with a fractal pattern cut into it, creating a 3-dimensional steel doily.
Come in closer, it’s talking to you. What is it saying? Where is it leading you?
“Turn off your mind, relax and float downstream.”
Mona Mushroom
Mona is an eight-meter-tall, pink metal sculpture of a mushroom that evokes a soft, organic feeling, even though it is very strong, being constructed from stainless steel. The ancient fungus, which has been living within the mycelial network beneath the playa for over a billion years, has decided to emerge from the ground this year. Through a wormhole in its stem, citizens can enter inside of the mushroom, which is made of a metal that is polished to act as a mirror, allowing participants to explore the weirdness and depth of their inner worlds. Whimsical artistic lights dancing within the mushroom and lasers outside of it transform its surrounding into a magical world. Follow the rabbit to join us in exploring this wonderful mushroom world.
Monoceros
Monoceros in Greek means “one horn.” This visually striking temple boat explores what having one horn means by exploring various unicorn appearances through time and from around the world. On the outside, a tall wooden temple resides on top of a wooden ship floating on the playa. The piece combines elements from the artist’s Dutch ancestry of wood ship building along with Chinese ancestry of floating meditation temples. Inside, a museum of exhibits will entertain and illuminate the best of unicorn virtues and lore. Through this experience, people can discover their own unique unicorn magic and bring them forth to the world. Ultimately, we are all of one horn, we are Monoceros.
Naga and the Captainess
Deep in the Black Rock Ocean, treasure and cargo are streaming out of the broken hull of a ship – the Aldrovanda. The ship belongs to an adventuress, who travels the world in search of knowledge, treasure, and botanical curiosities. She ferries cargo to distant ports to fund her travels. But something has gone wrong! The ship is sinking, and looming above is a giant sea serpent, looking intently for someone or something. His name is Naga, a treasure-protecting serpent, sworn to guard something that was on the ship. Did he sink it? Or is he there to help? What will we learn about the enigmatic captain from her quarters? What stories will be told around the fires? What will we discover in the treasure chests, floating into the waves?
Nebula Rider, Goldie and Minnie
Adrian Landon returns with some new vibes and energies through mechanical marvel and sculpture, with kinetic horses and Pegasi of various scales.
Nebula Shroom Grove
The Nebula Shroom Grove is an art installation inspired by Colombia’s nature and heritage as the land of magical realism. It depicts a forest of living fungi intertwined with a nebula-esque ecosystem built with parametric modular structures.
The installation features interactive modules designed as shelters, each equipped with a top resting area where visitors can unwind. The goal of the installation is to create a community art piece that stimulates social interactions and conversations about the various elements and ideas that inspired its structure.
NOW
The surreal and captivating “cloud” that came down from the sky and is kept within this moment by our thoughts. Intentions and actions.
We live in the NOW, and there is nothing outside of this very moment. The reality is created constantly, it is non-linear and agile.
The installation is a unique experience. It invites the audience to interact with it, to ground, and to achieve unity.
The integrated space allows spectators to lie down, relax, feel cozy, and re-charged.
Ogoh Ogoh The Karmic Questioner
“The Ogoh Ogoh embodies the essence of karmic belief, serving as a tangible reminder of the power of compassion and empathy. It symbolizes the inner struggles faced when confronted with doing what’s right, even when it seems daunting. Amidst life’s chaos, it serves as a beacon of light, urging the embrace of both light and shadows. The Ogoh Ogoh, rooted in Balinese tradition, takes on a sacred role in cleansing the soul of negativity. It’s a profound reminder that by doing good deeds and embracing self-awareness, one can navigate life’s complexities with curiosity and grace.
Organic Study No. 4
Organic Study No. 4 is a large-scale steel sculpture that is a clear celebration of Mexican culture. It draws inspiration from Dia de Los Muertos, the Catholic church, and colonialism. It includes an upside down cross in the archway. It acknowledges the history of colonization and its negative impact on the global community. OS No. 4 challenges the status quo and makes an argument that we don’t need to subscribe to dogmatic belief systems to accept each other. The piece uses historical and cultural references to remind people how beautiful we can be if we base our behavior from a place of love instead of greed or fear.
Outside Voice
In Deep Playa, there’s a station where, if you are lucky, there might be a bus that takes you somewhere special. At least that’s what the old Burners say – but they seem a bit mad. Sit and wait. There are ads; you already like to ‘eat bacon,’ silly advertisers! There seems to be someone listening to you – the station is not hostile but seems vaguely amused. Use your Outside Voice. Curiouser and curiouser…
P.O.D.S. (Plants of Dimensional Spatiality)
PODS is a group of plant-like seating pods which are covered in colorful blossoms. Connecting the three pods is a series of stems that join together in the middle to form one stem, on which sits a colossal flower. Each POD will feature a beautiful circular wooden bench that is made from reclaimed wood. PODS is designed to create a space for people to chill and hang with friends new and old.
Penumbra
Penumbra is a striking geometric presence in the desert landscape. During daylight, it stands as a wooden monolith, its skeletal form inviting exploration. As the sun sets, it undergoes a mesmerizing transformation. The central light within the tower becomes a beacon, casting dynamic shadows upon the desert floor, creating a poetic dance of light and dark. Participants can control the height of the light, making it an ever-evolving spectacle that beckons all to engage, climb, sit, and converse. When not under participant control, the light moves of its own accord as if by magic.
Perpetual Motion
Perpetual Motion is a wind-driven kinetic sculpture. Three sets of colorful wind-driven paddle wheels are mounted on a tall curving steel armature. As the paddle wheels spin, they intermesh in a chaotic kaleidoscope of light and shadow.
This sculpture is designed to be fun and visually interesting. The unusual shape and movement of the motive elements stretch the envelope of what a wind sculpture can be. Perpetual Motion is a good fit with this year’s theme as it encourages curiosity, contemplation, and thinking.
PINIA
PINIA symbolizes the pinecone, characteristic of the forests of Punta del Este, Uruguay. In rural tradition, the bedroom of married couples was adorned with PINIAS to wish for the formation of a large family. PINIA has multiple meanings in Spanish, like “hit” or “blow” associated with big changes.
PINIA consists of 17 hard wood octagons, each measuring 2×4 inches, of varying sizes from larger to smaller. These octagons will be installed vertically and spaced 8 inches apart from each other. Each rib has been planed and cut on one side at the desired angle to accommodate future petals. The petals will be made of birch plywood and will be attached one per side of the octagon. They also vary in size according to the rib where they are located.
Pipedream
Five pairs of swings, arranged as a pentagonal swing set, will play sets of overhead organ pipes. The painted structure is primarily wood with metal structural and decorative elements, crowned with metal organ pipes. Focus is on the swings, bellows, and pipes.
At least one swing will be for children with some safety features and there will be additional adult and child swings with accessibility enhancements. One will be a horse-style glider swing for people who may not be able to sit in a regular swing.
Play 4 Two: Contact
Play 4 Two is a piece of audio theatre on a shaded stage built for just the two of you. Put on the headphones, press the red button, and be guided through a short theatrical experience like no other with your partner. This year’s play is called CONTACT.
Playa Art Park
The Playa Art Park is a semi-enclosed sculpture garden in a park-like setting. It encompasses a random collection of smaller art pieces created by many different artists. This arrangement allows for 20 or more artworks to be experienced together as a group. Each art piece stands alone on open playa in a designated area, avoiding the challenges a small project might have if it were isolated. Decorative park lamps and ground lighting makes it easy to find the entire ensemble at night. Visitors are invited to spend some quality time with several pieces at once while having a seat on a park bench. The open layout of the park allows artists to present subtle themes that could be overlooked when compared to the larger art nearby.
Playa Portrait Pallet
A pallet, representing the pedestal on which the burner or burners stand, will be placed on the playa across from an art frame. Those on the pallet will then become the art itself by simply posing for fellow burners to commemorate via photo while looking through the art frame opposite the pallet.
Polychroma
Polychroma is an iridescent LED rainbow with interactive cloud pillars and relaxing benches. Citizens of BRC can lay awash in the beauty of the full-color spectra here and belly flop into the concept of ‘polychromatism,’ which is an expansive, subversive, heterogeneous way of thinking, being, understanding, and relating to others that cultivates beauty, diversity, strength, fulfillment, justice, and planetary health. It is set in contrast to ‘monochromatism,’ a limiting, black-and-white, homogenous, conventional way of thinking, being, understanding, and relating to others that leads to domination, weakness, boredom, injustice, and social, personal, and ecological disease.
Portal Oasis: An Inquiry into the Liminal
Portal Oasis is a tribute to the ethereal, designed to connect participants with higher thought concepts. It embodies both metaphor and physicality, showcasing a mirrored archway and ascending stairs symbolizing a threshold between realities—the liminal space. The art creates a space for participants to embrace life’s liminal moments as sacred, inviting them to activate and reflect on the new realities they are catalyzing within their personal and collective consciousness.
Prismatic Perspectives (Changed name from "Promise of the Century")
A view of “Prismatic Perspectives” from the outside will appear to be a little house entirely made of doors & windows… but not just any doors. These doors that have stories to tell. Inside, from sunrise to sunset, the installation allows onlookers to experience the magic that always surrounds them. By harnessing the power to create rainbows like never before, a not-so-fleeting rainbow covers anything in its path, creating an unforgettable moment that stays with the person long after they leave the art installation. At night black lights create a captivating kaleidoscope effect through the same prismatic windows. The artist hopes to evoke feelings of child-like curiosity and playfulness to all.
Profundity Of Surrender (POS)
The Profundity Of Surrender (POS) is a life-sized melting face emoji – a totem questioning the rigidity of ego – a monument to futility and surrender. The magic of BRC happens when one melts and becomes a part of the whole.
When we melt, we surrender – is it defeat or is it release? Who are we when we lose human form and are reduced to a puddle? Do we still exist in puddle form – does it even matter?
How can something so trite as a meme trigger such pointed questions of the ego? Can profundity exist in conjunction with prosaic icons of contemporary zeitgeist?
The POS might truly be the “Live, Laugh, Love” of our digital yet dystopian world.
Programmed For Pleasure
Humans are biologically wired to seek pleasure and enjoyment in life and can manifest in various ways such as pursuing activities to bring happiness, satisfaction and fulfillment and avoid pain or discomfort.
Rabbit of Curiosities
A point of convergence, a temporary portal, has opened amid other dimensions where otherworldly incarnations appear in anthropomorphic form―a gender and species non-confirming Deer GODdess of the forest realms and a 5th dimensional disco being―to meet and greet humanity, give blessings, offer enchantments and bestow magical tidings. Written instruments will be provided for those who wish to put their thoughts to paper, placed into a lockbox and transported to the temple for ritual burning.
Radial Sonic Runway
The Runway Crew is back!
The Radial Sonic Runway visualizes sound waves rippling across the desert. Twenty-five gates with LED spokes form a corridor stretching out into the open playa, through which participants can walk or bike. A microphone at one end triggers patterns of light that ripple out at the speed of sound.
The original Sonic Runway, in 2003, was one-dimensional – a streak of strobe lights triggered by each bass thump. In 2016, we added another dimension – each gate was illuminated with a string of LEDs, allowing for complex patterns representing different frequencies.
With this new piece, audio waves can truly reshape the space itself. As it picks up sound and music, the Radial Sonic Runway twists, pulses, and ripples to life!
Reclamation of a Stolen Heart
Reclamation of a Stolen Heart will act as a beacon to those who seek peace for their hearts, offering them a place to congregate and inviting them to reflect on their heart’s path toward healing.
The 10′ tall heart sculpture will be adorned with various kinds of reclaimed scrap metal that will incorporate different interactive and kinetic features to capture the curiosity of its viewers. A heart-shaped bench will spread out from the sculpture’s base and surround a heart-shaped bonfire pit, allowing guests of the installation to take a moment to rest their weary legs and warm up before venturing off on their next adventure.
Various colored LEDs will light the sculpture at night.
ReHatchosaurus Recyclosaurus III (aka R3)
Our project will feature the dinosaur from 2023, Stella. Her eggs from last year hatched, and the baby dinos want to play with Burning Man participants. There will be five different interactive playground dinosaurs. Stella will still have her flaming tail, which will blast for various reasons.
Release
Release is a contemplative sculpture that seamlessly intertwines the female figure with the delicate symbolism of butterflies. She will be 33′ tall and emerge from an abstract chrysalis base. Crafted meticulously from a diverse array of butterfly species, this sculpture tells a profound story of liberation, metamorphosis, and the boundless potential inherent in all. Interspersed subtly in the bottom portion of the sculpture will be various mixed-metal treasures. The dynamic interplay between the female figure and the butterflies illustrates the symbiotic relationship between personal growth, transformation, and the liberation of one’s spirit. It serves as a reminder of the power gained by letting go, as the butterflies are released above.
Relevé Ladies
Relevé Ladies is an interactive art installation that celebrates the power of feminine expression. What began as sculptural studies for Rebekah Waites’s 2022 installation Relevé, these dancing sculptures have transformed over the last 2 years into an awe inspiring series.
Created with the help of volunteers who will decorate them, they are also inspired by flowing dresses, dust devils, as well as the bronze era archeological site, “The Nine Ladies Stone Circle” which is located on Stanton Moor in Derbyshire, UK. Relevé Ladies consists of 9 hand carved manzanita trees that are embellished with various materials and other hidden surprises. Arranged in a large circle, each lady invites participants to enter their sacred space and rise up.
Rhinoceros
A mechanically-styled rhinoceros made from found objects and new steel. It has multiple hand-moveable parts for participants to enjoy.
Rotations of Time
Rotations of Time clock moves in measure only when touched by life. As the colorful pinwheel spins, the clock’s time changes with each rotation. The influenced time is displayed next to the “real” time on the face of the clock. One is affected by manual movement, and one displays a universal rate.
Is time an illusion, our most sought-after desire, relevant or irrelevant? What would you request of it? Father Time stands above the pinwheel clock with a commanding presence.
This art installation is a collaborative piece created as a dedication to loved ones lost, and lives lived fully. Burning Man is the last destination on its journey of time before going home forever to the KP Mushroom house in Lakebay, WA.
Rushmore
Here are North America’s top animal predators presented in poses similar to the Mount Rushmore carvings of four famed United States presidents. For our animal carvings, we will employ using coins in concrete to create the color and dimension of fur. The effect has the charm of being tactile and durable for many to enjoy.
When the participant first sees this project they likely will see the Mount Rushmore comparison. Mount Rushmore’s reputation is an impressive tribute to the U.S. presidents who formed this nation and in being that they are cut from stone only makes their legacy seem indelible. Our substitution with predators should also create that legacy impression.
Sands of Time
Sands of Time holds an opportunity for individuals to collectively reflect on their perception of the passage of time as they encounter each other at the sphere. Taking time into one’s own hands, turning the globe to observe the sands of time dissipate in multiple directions through 6 intersecting hourglasses, demonstrating the fluidity and interconnectedness of the temporal dimension.
‘Kairos’ time refers to ‘Deep Time’ whereby measurement is not dependent on the quantitative passing of time; but rather qualitative presence in which time appears to stop entirely; just like watching the sunrise over ‘Deep Playa’, a smile from a stranger, or the moment our eyes first met.
Scared Sacred
A play on the balance between light and darkness. The lower half features a trunk that is entwined with serpent creatures and tentacles. The upper branches are adorned with backlit crystals and crystal chandeliers that emit a warm glow, creating a striking contrast with the darkness below. The intentional interplay between the trunk and the canopy emphasizes the balance between light and dark.
Shade Of Pink
Shade Of Pink is a shaded place where you can sit while contemplating all that is around you.
Shell
Shell is a sculpture about scale and how usually when we find a shell on the beach we can pick it up to inspect it and look at its unique shape. When we find this giant shell, the exploration of the shape means walking around outside and inside the surface. The object crosses the boundary between object and environmental space. The structure is built from stainless tubes and flat stainless sheets that conform to the curved surface.
Sky Gazing
Sky Gazing is an aerial canopy of ribbons of colorful fabric moving dramatically with the wind, creating an illusion of a floating, dancing kaleidoscopic cloud hovering magically in the sky. Underneath, the murmuration of vibrant colors is immersive overhead, and breathtaking as it ascends to full height. Unexpectedly, the sound is gentle, like a rushing river.
SLOW
When we are in a hurry, we tend to make poor decisions for ourselves, for nature.
But if we slow down, are we making better ones?
To test this idea and get a fair answer, we have decided to slow down through the help of handmade embroidery and also learn from our ancestors: doing handicrafts while meeting with each other.
SLOW contains 24 flags, crafted in communities around the world, 24 flagpoles, and six burnt “Sysimetsä” trees to hold the space and remind us of the need to slow down from nature’s perspective. Benches for contemplation and a maker station: a custom-built frame where new flags are being stitched by the citizens of BRC.
The maker station is placed on a 256 sq ft platform that is the first phase structure for Ravens Temple (being envisioned and built for Burning Man 2025).
Sock-o-tron 4200
We have all pondered what it would be like inside of a dryer at some point in our life. Why is it that many washers/dryers have windows built into them? It’s something that we as a species have been unexplainably fascinated with. Perhaps there is something to gathering around and watching a tumbling dryer that pulls on our primal instincts in the same way a camp fire would. Maybe there is something more to this seemingly mundane machine.
Did you know: there has been documentation recently uncovered depicting what could be “dryers with windows” in ancient societies? Where did they come from? Was it an invention “ahead of its time,” or was it…a gift from the gods?
SOTSOAGAWIIE
The project is a large-scale wood glue up of a head and shoulder. The shoulder is designed to stand on and whisper into the ear of the giant head. The piece is a manifesting giant.
Spiral of Secrets
SOS consists of four spiraling hallways that converge into a central atrium. The atrium holds a large cocoon, which houses a small kiosk where new secrets may be submitted. The piece will present old secrets via diorama peepholes, printed booklets, and sound collages. Old secret cards will be presented as paper mache attachments flanking the atrium and the entrances. The cocoon also hides a steel helix-shaped sculpture that will be revealed during our OF1 burn. The walls will be painted in abstract swirling spiral-galaxy style, at the direction of muralist CaroCaro. The layout of the piece is designed to create a giant fire vortex when burned, using the passageways as air channels.
StarFalls
“Starfall” captivates with its celestial allure. The installation features five ruby stars, in a captivating descent, each meticulously crafted with a metal frame, a structure of crimson stretch fabric, and adorned with decorative wooden overlays. The stars reach up to 11 feet, creating a mesmerizing visual symphony. The installation draws inspiration from Alice in Wonderland. As each star delicately descends, time seems to slow, inviting visitors into a whimsical realm of magic. Ensuring structural resilience, the metal frame and wooden embellishments withstand external forces, while a robust foundation stabilizes the installation in the desert landscape.
Styx and Stones
The ancient flames of an eternal river erupt from the ground — a giant fountain of fire bursts from the playa and a pulsing footbridge made of magma offers a path across. The roar of flames and flickers of light are convincingly real but this river gives off no heat. It plays with the senses and makes even the bravest second guess their steps across. Styx and Stones is a sculpture that embodies the fires that ferry the dead and a living bridge made of magma. It gives everyone the chance to remember the big story and practice the fateful crossing. It is both a reminder of and the way across to another side.
Tall Tails
This Jackalope, standing at 10 feet tall, is your imagination come to life. Tall Tails is made from many individual hairs of stainless steel, heat treated to color the hare in iridescent golds, blues and purples and sculpted in a running position to add dynamics and movement. Artist Clinton Lesh is thrilled to share this mythical project paired with the western flair that is inspired by his childhood and upbringing in rural Montana.
Tempus Turibulum, The Time Burner
Tempus Turibulum, The Time Burner for Burning Man 2024, brings time and large fire art to the playa. We will build twelve 500ft+ flamethrowers at each o’clock position on the esplanade of BRC, and fire one on the hour, every hour, and all 12 at noon and midnight. This would be roughly at least a half mile diameter, making it the largest clock of any kind. It would bring a timescale to the event that can be shared by the whole city. A maypole by which everyone can dance.
Tepee
Tepee invites participants to undergo a transformative experience, both individually and collectively. By providing a space for contemplation, self-expression, and dialogue, it encourages introspection and reflection on personal and societal values, fostering personal growth and cultural exchange. The philosophy is grounded in the principles of cultural reverence, inclusivity, environmental stewardship, interactive engagement, and transformational experience. It seeks to inspire participants to connect with one another, with nature, and with themselves, while celebrating the diversity and creativity of the human spirit.
The (Im)possible Dialogue
The installation is a circle of big heads, reminiscent of a blend between Stonehenge and Easter Island. Each head is fixed on an axis and turns 360 degrees. They are likely to be facing different directions, hence having an impossible dialogue.
When someone approaches a head, they hear some gibberish or white noise. When the head is turned on its axis, the sound changes, like when you are searching for a certain frequency on a radio tuner. As you turn the heads toward the center of the circle, the sound becomes a clear note. Similarly, the color of the light inside the head changes and becomes brighter.
Once the heads are all facing each other, a burst of light arises, as well as a magnificent chord composed by the respective notes of each head.
The (Middle Path) Bridge (Between Heaven and Earth)
To think about death is to think about life. The (Middle Path) Bridge (Between Heaven and Earth) is a celebration of transformation, representing the in-between transient space between Yin and Yang. It is a bridge elevated between Heaven and Earth, forever working towards balance, harmony, equanimity. It is a creative and inspiring space to practice ritual, hang out and spend time to reflect upon (pun intended). The Bridge between Heaven and Earth project gives opportunity to experience a reinterpretation of an ancient ritual practice of communication and interaction between two worlds. And to realize that life and death cannot be one without the other, that maybe death is not the end, but maybe just another beginning.
The (Re)Salvaged Spoon
The (Re)Salvaged Spoon is an eclectic space for Burners to socialize, explore, or rest. Colorful found objects in the walls draw observers into a rabbit hole of delight. A patchwork shade structure above holds aloft additional objects, string lights, LED chandelier, and an exterior rotating sign. Outside, lampposts invite passers-by in on their journey across the playa, while benches welcome them to sit and watch the world go by.
The space may elicit nostalgia. The artists were inspired to create the piece out of unique salvaged materials and objects, aiming to show that something beautiful and useful can be made of items that may otherwise be overlooked, or worse, go to the landfill.
The Archeon
The Archeon is an interactive light and sound sculpture that asks participants to consider how social isolation has impacted their lives and challenges them to invest in “Rebuilding True Connections.”
The Archeon is an alien, bio-metallic spore; an antenna and signaling device planted here to find sentient, cooperative life. Upon detection, it opens and broadcasts a message of hope to distant celestial objects.
The sculpture brings two participants together and engages them in a tonal call-and-response, guiding them towards singing notes in harmony. They face each other, hear each other’s voices and vocalize notes together. The sculpture responds by opening its heart, targeting a celestial object, and beaming a message of hope.
The Basic Bench
The Basic Bench is constructed out of 4″ curved steel I-beam tunnel ribs repurposed from the construction of tunnels, rough-cut wooden timbers, waxed canvas tarps, and memory foam futons. The tunnel ribs are stacked and connected in a manner creating a three-story curved structure comprised of three partial circles. The curved nature of the form lends to a feeling of fluidity, while its sheer weight presents a feeling of solidity in space.
The Doors of Mysteré
Welcome to ‘The Doors of Mystère,’ a captivating art installation standing proudly amidst the vibrant energy of Burning Man’s playa. With its towering 20-foot height and majestic 16-foot doors, this installation serves as a conduit to a world of mystery and wonder.
‘The Doors’ serve as a portal to a realm where the mundane is left behind, and the sacred essence of creativity reigns supreme. It is a sanctuary for those who dare to delve deeper, to unlock the mysteries of the universe and embrace the infinite possibilities. Be your own creator.
The End of Time
The End of Time is a dying clock, in fact it is a murdered clock. As a consequence, Time has stopped and now it will forever be Teatime. This artwork illustrates the death of one clock, which results in the death of all clocks and therefore Time itself. It does so in a whimsical manner designed to disturb but entertain at the same time. This 22 ft tall, climbable, surreal, collapsing clock has been pierced by a gigantic sword, its mechanism is broken and exposed, its numerals and hands distorted, and it has a giant Teacup and Saucer perched precariously at the top. The Teacup can accommodate 6 people at a time sitting on a circular bench in a surprisingly intimate setting. A huge, mysterious key hangs inside the clock but what is it for?
The King
The King is a geometrically shaped, octagonal King Chess Piece of monumental scale. The King is designed to express the shortcomings and follies of contemporary power dynamics and gender roles. We want the citizens of BRC to first be inspired by the scale and construction of the piece. Then, as they explore and inhabit the spaces, we hope to invoke thought and discussion around the roles we play and the ways we participate in contemporary patriarchy. We believe that these roles are damaging to all people, and we aim to create an approachable platform for that idea to be shared.
The Purple Unicorn
Only the pure of heart can approach the fearsome unicorn. The mythical beast is rearing up on its back legs as if it is in moment of passion, pausing to give us a tempting glimpse, knowing that we can never catch them. It is an apparition of love, a beautiful hallucination, a good luck oasis. The unicorn’s horn possesses magical powers of healing and the ability to neutralize poisons and heal sickness.
Rearing up on its hind legs, paint shimmering in the sun, the Purple Unicorn is here to bless the citizens of Black Rock City with Sweet Unicorn Magic.
The Reckoning
A deer skull sweeps its antlers into a ring to encircle those who stand upon a platform to look into its eyes, enrapturing them in a thrumming soundscape. The sculpture is placed in alignment with the setting sun, armatured with rusting steel and clad in clear-resin soaked leather, glowing from within. The Reckoning invites us to grapple with the inescapable nature of our own mortality—to find solace and beauty in the culminating experience that binds us in our shared humanity. It serves as a sanctuary, and a space to confront the fears and sorrows that global and personal crises have laid bare.
The Silence of TENGRI
The Silence of TENGRI is an articulated shiny metal sculpture of a large winged wolf. The metal symbolizes strength and the ability to withstand the test of time and the elements. Howling upwards towards the sky, TENGRI stands on top of a mirrored pedestal base, evoking the feeling of a sacred cliff. The sculpture exhibits colorful lights, reflecting off the many angles of the shiny metal surfaces. The Silence of TENGRI is a mythical manifestation of silent inner peace, and harmony of the ancient, sacred, and secret universe. It radiates light with movement purifying the inside of a person, bringing enlightenment. Its howling sound invites and awakens humanity to the path of connection and unity.
The Solar Library Phase 3, The Solaria
The Solar Library is sculptural charging infrastructure supporting battery powered art. Artists apply for a library card securing enough capacity to charge their batteries each day replacing the noise, fumes & fuel spill of generators with battery power and preventing panel proliferation from affecting the aesthetics of art.
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In 2022 & 2023 we removed tons of direct & indirect fumes and gallons of spilled fuel working with 18 art projects. Our goals are to grow until we can serve 200 small art projects and provide attractive & safe solar charging.
The Teetering Trail of Tooter
The Teetering Trail of Tooter is a musical trail the the desert bringing fun and joy to all who enter. Lining the trail are a series of handmade cedar lamp posts and a row of wooden organ pipes atop a wall of art and curiosities. The pipes bring music and delight to all who walk on the teetering trail.
The Tempest
The philosophy of The Tempest has its roots in a Shakespearian play that is based on these three principles: freedom, empathy and forgiveness, and nature versus nurture. The classical sculptural representation of Zeus/Neptune atop a storm cloud is mixed with contemporary elements such as aluminum lightning bolts combined with an interactive sound and visual system designed to give the viewer a full immersive experience of a thunderstorm. As in our childhood, a coming thunderstorm evokes a sense of wonder, power, and fear – not the kind of fear that is malicious, but the kind that is natural with its righteous place in our lives and hearts.
The Temple of Together
The Temple of Together is about the light that emerges when we come together with all parts of ourselves and with the oneness we share with every other living being. In this time of global challenge and conflict, she invites each of us to unfurl under her protection and be seen, loved, and inspired.
The World Reimagined
The World Reimagined is built on the belief in the transformative power of art: to inspire, to move and to open our imagination to new possibilities; the artists that create the Globe sculptures are essential in helping people travel through this Journey of Discovery.
Project Aikido is bringing Globes to BRC that explore the history, legacy and future of the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans. Each Globe has been individually curated by a different artist and embody The World Reimagined themes of: Mother Africa; The Reality of Being Enslaved; Stolen Legacy; The Rebirth of a Nation; Abolition & Emancipation; A Complex Triangle; Echoes in the Present; Still We Rise; Expanding Soul; Reimaging the Future; Community.
Tree Circle
The sudden realization that you are intrinsically and ultimately connected to everything. That you are insignificantly small in the context of infinity, yet you are infinite. In those moments, we are home.
The Tree Circle reminds us of those who were here long before our grandparents were born, and who will stand tall long beyond the passing of our children. Roots anchored deep into the ground and branches reaching tall. Nature’s majesty in co-creation with human hands.
Natural bamboo form seven tree trunks, hollow as if burnt from the inside. Like fractals, each trunk creates a circular space within themselves, and together, a circular open space, all bathing in a soundscape of deep primal frequencies promoting collective coherence.
Typha
Typha is a series, or grove, of sculptures rising from the ground that reflect the environment around them during the day with their mirrored surfaces. At night, they shine light and cast shadows onto the ground, creating an immersive landscape of color mixing and pattern interference.
Veraison
Veraison, the onset of grape ripening, is a mesmerizing spectacle where grapes transition from vibrant green to rich hues. This natural phenomenon symbolizes the essence of our art project, celebrating the beauty of transformation. Just as grapes evolve into luscious ripeness, our project aims to embody the spirit of growth and change, inviting patrons to witness the allure of nature manifested in a unique artistic endeavor. The project itself will be a giant cluster of grapes composed of spheres made of barrel bands.
Vessel (The Solar Barque)
Vessel (The Solar Barque) is a sculptural installation and temporary landmark. A twenty-metre-long cross leans on its side, consructed from 4 sea containers temporarily removed from the global supply chain. Like some future relic, its dents, knocks and scratches, combined with thousands of miles of sea spray, register as battle scars that tell a very human story.
The piece suggests the awe and might of global capitalism while also highlighting its pitfalls. It suggests a troubling mix of the deeply impressive and the highly unsatisfactory, and questions where we as a society place our faith.
The work comes to life as the sun sets, when it is transformed through projection mapping, lighting, sound design, and haze.
Where Lies the Strangling Fruit that Came from the Hand of the Sinner?
Where Lies the Strangling Fruit that Came from the Hand of the Sinner? is a sculptural mystery composed of handmade, interactive ceramic tiles that ignite with light and resonate with sound, transforming the object into a living mosaic of communal discovery and mysterious beauty.
Womantree
The Womantree is a curiosity of nature, changing the idea of a singular art object to a symbol of communal experience. The tree reflects process of our human growth. We are all born from this tree of life. The asymmetric, organic growth of the tree parallels the irregular growth of generations through time. One connects to the piece in a visceral way because we’re all part of it, and provides a natural stage for people to gather, dance, reflect, and wonder.
Zozobot, the Curious Clowndroid
Zozobot, the Curious Clowndroid.
A giant robot clown who is putting a lens to the humans of Black Rock City.
¡¡¡¡Big Spinning Wheels!!!!
Prepare to embark on a journey of contemplation and creativity with Big Spinning Wheels. More than mere sculptures, BSW stands as a beacon of meditative art, meticulously crafted to ignite inspiration and evoke introspection.
Nestled at the bounds of BRC and the limits of reality, BSW offers a sanctuary for thought and reflection amidst the cacophony of the desert. Here, at the edge of the known and the unknown, BSW invites participants to explore the depths of their imagination and the vast expanse of their inner landscape.
But what exactly is BSW, you ask? Well, that’s the beauty of it—open to interpretation, these magnificent creations defy categorization. After all, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder.
Patience is a virtue.
PDA