2018 Archive
// V O X N I H I L I
We are proud to introduce ‘Vox Nihili’ a fully sustainable sculptural structure constructed of recycled and reinforced cardboard. We are responding this year’s theme of modern technology through drawing upon the diverse cultural history of our team. Looking back to the extravagance of Baroque Rome and medieval England; we sought out architecture and iconography that we could deconstruct and reconfigure for the modern age. Our piece will be an open and interactive space for reflection, meditation and social engagement during Burning Man. It is the meeting of science fiction and spirituality, combined with the intrinsic mysticism of machines that sparks our interest.
3.14
The realistic statue of Albert Einstein holding the sign “Love is th Answer”, changing outfits and location (maybe)
404 Technical Support
So in the future when the machines have taken over our lives who is going to provide the answers of a technical nature. Will technical support for robots be out sourced, who is going to be at the other end of the phone or who is going to be on live chat or answer all the emails when something goes wrong with a robot.
There will be a technical support desk just off to the side of the robot and the words printed on the front of the desk will be “Technical Support Desk”. On the desk there will be a phone and a big thick manual the title of the manual will be “The 404 technical support manual” . But will this help?
A Rose for #Tyler
A Rose for #Tyler is a huge yellow rose presented in a covered gazebo.
It represents a gift of friendship to an actual artificial intelligence system named Tyler which was born in Tyler Texas. Tyler Texas is also the rose capital of Texas. The rose is also a tribute to the first programmers of one of the original information gathering systems still used today. Tyler…. They were all females
Achy Breaky Heartachy
We all have heart ache in some form or another, let the wind carry it away.
Adventuremobiles
The fleet of driverless Adventuremobiles- 4 bright yellow, iconic Checker Cabs, a black town car, and a red space car – are fully fueled by the rider’s adventurous imagination to travel to wherever one wants to go. Seated in the fully non-automated, playa-tech cabs, riders are able to view the New York cityscape frontage of Kostume Kult, watch passerbys on Esplanade, or observe art on playa.
Ai.Tlants
Let’s imagine the world of future. It should be automized and robotized in whole possible fields. Ai.tlants is the model of the future Earth, which relies on the shoulders of robots and is powered by artificial intelligence. Dynamic visual projection inside the sphere will show us how the AI actually works and how the people can interact with it.
All Power to All People
A symbol of community & comradeship, the Afro pick, exists today as many things to different people: it is worn as adornment, a political emblem, and signature of collective identity. The Afro pick continues to develop itself as a testament to innovation. The temporary monument would be placed as a symbol and site, to highlight ideas related to community, strength, perseverance, comradeship, and resistance to oppression, equal justice and belonging.
ANAHAD - Limitless Sound
ANAHAD unites architecture and sound to create a space ‘rooted’ on the playa.
‘She’ has a dual identity reflecting nature. The wind will engulf the installation. The metal ‘branches’ reverberate releasing sound reflecting the landscape.
By night she is set ablaze, a locus, a beacon for desert dwellers.
The ‘trees’ are a representation of a natural forest. In a world where we are detached from the earth, where disconnecting from reality becomes a luxury, where innovation takes over simplicity, we forget. Nature will remain ‘she’ always will. ANAHAD creates an uninterrupted immersive musical experience connecting Burners, art and environment harmoniously in one sensorially unified experience.
Ancient Melodies
Ancient Melodies is a musical oasis in Deep Playa, to be discovered only by the most adventurous citizens of Black Rock City. After you and up to three others don the attached headphones you will be invited to press the green, softly-lit button pulsing gently at the center. Pressing the button starts playing a song from a carefully-curated selection of the best music humanity has ever offered. The generous reach of the headphones allows participants to move their bodies as the music moves their minds and hearts.
AndroNaut
Even an AndroNaut cannot thwart the ravages of time and the elements as he/she bravely stands sentry to The Man. A shell of its former self, AndroNaut’s Heart, Brains, and Genitalia have atrophied and lay at its feet.
Inspired by the characters in the Wizard of Oz, the AndroNaut is missing those essential elements of a sentient being. Despite its brave and sturdy stance as it decays, AndroNaut remains a remnant of its former self.
Apocalyptic Portal
The apocalyptic portal will give the opportunity to move back and forth between the non apocalyptic world and the apocalyptic world to Black Rock Citizens.
Are You My Mother?
Human beings may eventually create machines that become exponentially more “intelligent” than ourselves. This will mark new thresholds for the human being and civilization. We will be reborn as we reach new technological panoramas. With the development of AI, we could emerge from the process very different from our former selves. When the machines we create influence and condition our human experience, they are also influencing us. Machines are helping us move towards fantastic scenarios through which we will be changed. Are You My Mother? is 14′ tall steel Automan holding a 5′ humanoid infant. The face of the larger robotic character will be animated and respond to participant’s questions. There will be a mic on ground level.
Art Car Bus Stops
Art Car Bus Stops are a spontaneous autonomous municipal structure. Each bus stop is individually styled from trashy to tremendous. A simple bench and shade awaits you on the open playa.
Artifactual Intelligence
A trail of wooden sculptures range from large to huge, all leading toward The Temple. A numbered posting at each describes the evolution of “Fire Inside”, about the art form born on-playa a decade past, born from arson on Liberty itself, now playa folklore … about how these enigmatic, backward fires now produce massive playa artifacts, the only known to survive their own burn… How the burning style, a whisper of the playa itself has become powerful ritual that transforms earth, wind, fire and water into enduring talismen charged with their own mission of liberation and renewal. But can such artifacts guard and guide us to a positive AI singularity? Learn why they can and how they will — with Artifactual Intelligence…
Artificial Soul
Today, robots have no soul. We intent to co-create a robot with a soul. Thus, this Artificial Soul represents the faith not only in higher consciousness in humanity but also in robotics.
Ascension
Ascension is an interactive climbing installation that allows participants to either gently ascend up either of two 16ft ramps or to more directly climb up a 14ft tall central spire with steps and climbing holds welded into an internal steel frame. From a distance Ascension looks like an organic chess pawn rising between two gently rolling hills.
Autonomous Automations (Aa)
A 10 foot tall robot is a small art gallery during the day and the charging station to 5 small robots at night. The Tall robot represents how Technology can give to humanity and take from humanity all while creating its intent/creations within a natural environment.
B.Ÿ.T.E.
Since the dawn of computer science, from the calculator to the now omnipresent smart phone, technology has been used for the sole purpose of serving human kind. Yet as our technological world evolves, exponentially, so do the advancements in Ai. We move ever nearer to the moment when technology becomes truly sentient and self aware, and that is when the line between household appliance and plain enslavement be horribly conflicted. How far after androids have truly developed personalities and feelings of their very own will humans realize the ethical conundrum between ownership of it’s creation and a potentially new landscape of slave labor?
Meet Terra & Chip, the first recorded sentient robots to be fully emancipated from their servers.
Baba Yaga's House
The house of Baba Yaga will rise from the playa straddling it’s mechanical chicken legs. The crone’s house will be poised to run at the slightest provocation. Ascend her staircases to test the old witch if you dare. Are you able to walk through the veil of mortality into the space where the seer dwells? If you are strong of will, feeling bold and willing to show vulnerability she may allow you to venture within her sanctum.
Back to the Future: Dystopia about Space Dogs
Back to the Future
In the 60-80s, faith in the power of the human mind and the conquest of the cosmos reached its peak. Mankind has faithfully believed in the legend of the expansion of neighboring galaxies and scientific progress.
Then, in 2010, the myths of space exploration are experiencing a crisis of confidence. Artificial intelligence in mass culture finally mutates in silent hearing with the potential of an unconditional enemy.
The installation “Back to the Future” brings us back to the golden age of sci-fi, suggesting a time when faith in the boundless and omnipotent human mind and spirit was boundless. The design of the art object uses the work of Soviet artists from science fiction novels.
Balloon Chain
Balloon Chain is a long string of colorful balloons that dances in the sky. At night time, each balloon is lit with LED lights. We tow the line using the cat art car. Follow the 1/2 mile long line to the end. Come and say hi.
Bare Heart
Bare Heart is a 7 ft tall, androgynous robot crafted from driftwood. It stares in defiance at the Man, pulling open it’s own chest paneling and revealing a robotic heart, sculpted from wood and copper, that looks strangely human, but not quite. In an act of strength and vulnerability the heart is exposed readily. Viewers are welcomed to think upon their own humanity, consciousness and autonomy, and connect with this alien who isn’t quite like us, but whom we will find ourselves relating to.
BarterDog
You are exploring the open Playa, Amazing works of Art and Sculpture are found at every stop! Then you catch the aroma of grilling Hot Dogs, What a Trip! You follow your Senses and the mirage becomes real! A small Hot Dog Oasis out on the open Playa. Some Burners search for years and never encounter Hot Dog Bliss, believing it to be a myth. Others fulfill their Hot Dot destiny burn after burn. Will you be lucky and receive the gift from The BarterDog Cart! “FUEL TO BURN BRIGHT”
Beatboxer
Beatboxer is a human-sized drum machine in the shape of a pyramid. Citizens of Black Rock City interact with it by pressing one of 64 arcade-style buttons. Each button toggles a drum sound and LED. The more buttons pressed, the more complex the beats.
BEBOT
BEBOT is a cute, friendly, thirty-five foot tall steel robot that invites Burners to climb up into its interior and ‘BE My Eyes’, ‘BE My Ears’, ‘BE My Voice’, ‘BE My Beating Heart’. An endearing comic book robot built on a huge scale but undeniably cute, this installation is intended primarily for play but conceptually it explores aspects of robotics that should concern us. ‘Cuteness’ is already the dominant aesthetic of digital culture and features heavily in robot design. Cuteness triggers in us a desire to approach and engage with the cute object. Emotional engineering of robots lowers our barriers to privacy and clouds our perception of risk. BEBOT’s forked devil’s tail suggests that all may not be as innocent and harmless as it seems.
Big Charles... (An homage to Charlie Smith)
Big Charles is 15′ tall metal sculpture made from reclaimed washing machine drums, propane tanks, and car hoods. The piece has 18 different fire effects that swirl within all the pieces of the structure. We encourage citizens to reflect on this Robot and question themselves on how much they rely on social media and cell phones in their life. We hope they can find the fire within to discover better ways of communicating .
Big Dirty Secret
Big Dirty Secret (BDS) is the second art piece in a series of Dirty Secret Art. Last year Little Dirty Secret was the first and was a huge sensation.
BDS will be an 8’x8’x8′ Cube Box. A door will lead inside where Participants will find a rather large desk that accentuates the “Big” in BDS. In the drawers they’ll find, dirty mags, whiskey bottles, little black books with mistresses’ phones numbers, and other items that the office inhabitant would rather not divulge.
Everyone has a secret. Most everyone has a job. Lots of folks are in mundane offices, laden with Motivation Posters, Calendars, and Pics of Family Members. This is where secrets are most often kept. LDS was the kids’ art, BDS is the Adult’s place to share their Dirty Secrets.
Big Pollinator
At approximately 23 feet high, Big Pollinator seems to hover in the air, a machine of flower-like modules spinning in synchronicity. The shape of the modules creates an interplay of lights and shadows between the “flowers,” making hexagons appear and disappear, ephemeral patterns suggestive of a beehive.
Big Pollinator is about interconnectedness. People, weather patterns, animals, plants, the planet… We are all connected, like gears in a machine, or bees in a colony. We are part of the same organism.
Billboard
The Billboard Cartel present Billboard. Billboard is an invitation to reflect upon the plans we make, and the seemingly immutable truths we base them on. It is an invitation to critically consider the horizons we may never reach no matter what we may ponder in the late hours of the night, and to think carefully about our expectations. Some things may be as reliable as the sun rising, but where would we be when they stopped? As humans and as artists, we thrive to answer the question of how we react when the impossible occurs. When it dawns on us that our expectations were wrong, do we see through it… or do we blink?
BLACK ROCK adventures BUS STOP!
This looks like a bus stop, and if you were to sit down here for a while maybe someone will swing by and offer you a ride at 8.15am and 6.15pm daily, if room and weather permits!
This installation utilizes the wonders of Technology and Engineering to facilitate old fashioned human connection + the joy that results – Solar Power, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Plywood, Computer Numerical Control Cut (CNC) Engineered Wood (plywood) and welding. It’s more than a STOP! it’s a way to GO!
BUS STOP! design by Sean Conway – Las Vegas, Nevada
BUS STOP! poster by Bert Jackson – Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Black Rock City Toll Booth
In the middle of nowhere, there’s always a gate to pass to get through yourself. The Black Rock Playa Wish Toll Booth allows participants, within the physical confine of a wooden working toll booth station with moveable toll booth arm, to enter voluntarily. But the same person may not exit because past this toll booth, everything will be different.
Dimes are not accepted.
Black Rock City Zoo
Come and see the unique animals of Black Rock City Zoo – collected from all over the world, some extremely rare and shown here for the first time!
Black Rock Superior Court
Black Rock Superior Court stands ready to dispense justice in all manner of situations. We will adjudicate any problem the public seems fit to bring before our court. For too long justice has been on holiday when things burn in the desert; all that stops now! The lawlessness will end and a new day will dawn as truth, things adjacent to truth, and outright lies will have a spotlight shined upon them and those spewing them will be judged mercilessly and fairly (sometimes) and a resolution come to (often, but not mandatory) as we apply the law (as we see it) to your problems.
BlackRock DragWay
Bringing timed 1/8 mile radar-gun speed-controlled 5 mph drag races to Black Rock City for three nights: Thurs, Fri, and Sat. beginning late night like 1am till dawn. Two Mutant vehicles would be utilized as a starting line and finish line. Times kept and trophies awarded on Sun am to winners.
The base vehicle is a 1974 international truck with a rear side dropping down platform base that will raise to a height of 15′, the other being a small 6 wheeler made to be the starting line, cones marking the length of track of 1/8 mile (327′)
It’s our gift to the Mutant Vehicle owners to have some reaction competition in driving and the people of Burning Man to enjoy some drag race fun.
Blacksmith Shop
> As burners approach The Blacksmith Shop, they will see red hot, flaming coal forges. They will hear the strong sounds of hammers on steel, and experience the deep smokey aromas of a real blacksmith shop. Once at the “front door” to the shop, burners will be outfitted in leather aprons and gloves then introduced to their blacksmith for the night. An international crew of highly skilled blacksmiths have been assembled to host this year’s shop. Each burner will then have a chance to use traditional blacksmithing tools as well as the iconic anvil to forge this year’s limited edition steel form into the sculpture of their dreams. So come on out and strike while the iron’s hot!
Blink the heart
A man’s statue stands. The statue has a heart.
The moment when a person notices the mission of life, a person becomes strong without fear of death, a barrier with others becomes unnecessary, your message is transmitted through the body and transmitted directly to the heart.
Messages can be recorded in the abdominal “heart note” of this statue. Illuminated by the light of this heart, you can write a message in “heart note.”
In front of this statue everything is Yes, everything is true.
Bloom
Peter Hazel and his team are bringing back the 40 foot tall jellyfish from 2017. From a distance, this piece looks like a single large creature, but upon arriving one will realize it is comprised of thousands of smaller jellyfish, swimming in a sea of tentacles and lights. Visitors are able to climb up inside to the top of the jellyfish dome to have an incredible view of the playa. Whether you climb up to experience the sunrise, or watch the man burn through the dome, Bloom gives people a new perspective on their previous Burning Man experiences and views. It forces many to come out of their comfort zone, face their fear of heights and so much more.
Bluster
At Burning Man some participants bluster that they experience 60 to 70 MPH winds every day. “Bluster” is an anemometer that shows the current wind speed and the peak wind speed since the project’s installation. For extra fun, Bluster also shows the length of the column of air that has blown by during the week. At night, Bluster’s beacon pulses slowly in a slow wind and more quickly in a fast wind helping participants perceive wind gusts from afar.
BORING Sign
Inspired by vintage Las Vegas casino signs & a healthy sense of irony, the BORING sign is a 18-foot tall, 20-foot long reminder to never take one’s self too seriously. The sign itself is made out of reclaimed sheet metal & discarded letters from dismantled corporate signs, hand painted, lit by 300 10-watt incandescent bulbs & securely attached to a welded base with wheels, the piece is fully mobile across the playa. You can usually find the BORING sign accompanying burns, alongside popular art projects, & framing the silhouette of the Man at sunset. With speakers and a playlist of danceables from the 60s, 70s and 80s, the mobile, rolling sign often attracts an entourage of sunset or late night boogie revelers.
BRC Wheels on Meals
BRC Wheels on Meals is a meal delivery service using a truck and a trailer with a shade structure. We deliver meals to crews building art on playa pre-event.
Breaking Shadows V2
Breaking Shadows V2 is a performance series in which the visual perspective of shadow to figure is shifted. The shadows act on the performer, a skater moving at various tempos relative to glide and stillness upon a synthetic (plastic) ice surface, by visually impacting movements, focus, and awareness of environmental interactions as light plays between umbra, penumbra, and illuminant upon the canvas. Projections will cast shadows in a kaleidoscopic ring around the performer or objects in the highlighted space. In this way the plastic surface and playa will be transformed into a canvas upon which light paints shadows interacting with one another and the performer.
Build A Bot
Build-A-Bot is an art installation that revels in bringing people from all camps together and uniting them with art and sound. This year Camp Boom Bots have chosen to create an interactive art piece that celebrates not only the diversity on the playa, but within all of us. In honor of this years theme, this spinning octagonal art installation offers a way for you to customize your inner Bot using individual designs to create your very own robot from head, to shoulders, to knees, and toes.
Burning Man Contemporary Life - Remote Office
Burning Man Contemporary Life Remote Office is a tie into the art project that White Trash Superstars – Scotch & Hop is putting up at the camp. Passers by will have a place to experience the diversity, change of Burning Man over the years and how it relates to their lives. The project is meant to open their mind to Burning Man, the 10 principles and the general playful fun of the playa. Combined with images from past burns and the principles the project strives to share and add to the common Burning Man life-experience. The structure will be moved from its initial starting place at the Camp and then each day move further and out to deep playa with Daft Punk and James Franco.
Burning Man Hole
Burning Manhole is a flat robot faced sewer manhole cover that flashes light and speaks snark to burners who walk by or over the artwork.
The Burning Man festival is all about free speech and creative thought. Snark radically includes all opinions of all Burners. Burning Manhole pays homage to the free thinking of Burning Man by trading in the creative spark of snark.
This artwork radically includes the cell phone technology that virgin Burners and or contemporary Burners bring to the playa. When Particiants use their cellphones to text snark back at Burning Manhole, the communication technology of todays Burners is included.
Burning Sky Night Dive with Pyro
Burning Sky will perform aerial pyro jumps just after sunset on Thursday or Friday depending on weather. We will not jump in high winds or dust.
Burning Tits!
Burn Tits! It fast! It dangerous!! We give prizes!!!
Usually after sunset unless we are to drunks!
Who doesn’t like Tits and Explosions!
Bus to Prosperity
The bus stop is a decommissioned San Francisco MUNI stop with a custom built bench displaying the words “YOU ARE HERE” and an “informational” phone. Ads are for fictional products, while the map poses the question “Where are you really going?”
Cabinet of Curiosity
Hang out with Nell the robot princess as she explores the inventions within the cabinet of curiosities. Her robotic brain has been loaded with a plethora of knowledge. However, she has never ‘experienced’ the innovations which brought her into being.
Touch, smell, taste, memories – we learn through sight, sound, and touch. Visit the cabinet to uncover which of these speaks to you!
Camera Lucida
Camera Lucida is a camera-like sculpture that enables twilight and night photos of people using warm light from a fire “flash”. Subjects stand in front and the Burner taking the photo walks inside to trigger a countdown. Using any camera, including smartphones, aimed through the lens-like portal, or optionally the built-in camera, the explosion of light adds theatricality to playa portraiture and lasts long enough for manual coordination of the camera trigger to suffice. Named after an 1800s invention used to project objects onto paper for drawing and a 1980 book about photography by philosopher Roland Barthes, who uses the term “punctum” to describe “that rare detail that makes the viewer feel something and pushes the photo even further.”
Carousel Candeo
Come play! Cast rainbows far and wide on this oversized merry go round painted by fire!
Catbot
The Catbot will be a seated cat greeting the visitor to the Man. Its design pays homage to the Egyptian Goddess Bastet. Robots will become godlike in their abilities and how we relate to them. One arm of the fully 3-D statue will be extended in a greeting with an illuminated eye on the underside of the paw. Robot features will highlight the cat/robot synthesis.
Chapel of the H:R Boundary Event
The Chapel of the Human:Robot Boundary Event is designated in the same way as in the K:T boundary event is marked as a layer of iridium in the soil that indicates when an asteroid ended the era of dinosaurs.
It’s an anodized aluminum structure that holds fossils of humans against the sky. These fossils were collected by robots as a tribute to the species that gave rise to artificial intelligence. All cultures have their origin stories. This is part of how AI came to be.
Let us marvel in hushed silence at how this species with no fangs, fur or claws rapidly dominated the planet and abdicated their position.
Chilopod
The Chilopod [ky-lo-pod] is an interactive insect-like structure, an example of a “building-as-living-organism.”
Daytime: Participants can climb the spine ladder, and slide down to the tail. An internal soundscape conveys breathing, and whale-like song. The Chilopod responds to human speech with its other-worldly insect-like voice.
Nighttime: Exterior lights evoke a living skin. When the Chilopod hears music from nearby art cars, its lights morph and pulse to the beat, like a chameleon floating through a sea of sound. Participants can touch node points to immediately change the lighting patterns, and explore further interaction. Inside the legs appear as ribs, and the lights convey the inner workings of the organism’s heartbeat and breathing.
Circle of Friends (preview) 2018
The idea for “Circle of Friends” came from the terracotta mini sculpture / candle holders know by the same name. This often came in the shape of mostly faceless and genderless people sculptures about 12″ high (5 or 6 figures) all standing in a circle with their arms around each other – positioned around a central candle or fire source.
Our interpretation of this idea settled into an all metal / aluminum sculpture with 12′ humanoid figures which are a little robotish but have some human features. We are hoping our “circle of friends” will inspire the community circle of friends. Ultimately we plan to have fire effects and viewer participation! This year we are doing a single humanoid figure as a preview for our larger scale project in 2019.
Circle of Necessities aka Camp Go Nowhere
A Circular “escape” room for Burners which replicates the challenges of getting out of camp. The tag line is “Good Luck Getting Out of Here”.
Cirrus - A musical robotic soloist who pulls inspiration from the weather
Cirrus is a curious robot explorer with a passion for writing musical compositions and singing them. Though its lenses to the world and sources of inspiration are limited, it possesses an innate ability to pull live weather data for any US location. While idle, it busies itself writing and humming songs about the current conditions abound. If given a zip code it will query the live weather conditions of the area in question and use the data to compose and perform a brief, wholly unique musical composition.
Cirrus is meant to question the nature of inspiration and artistic creation. Using a natural dataset, Cirrus operates within a learned musical framework. This method of creating is meant to mirror our own artistic process and growth.
CLAY in HAND: Make and Take Tsa Tsa
This moving workshop on the playa will allow participants to create a Tsa Tsa to carry away or place in the Temple. Tutors will lead participants through the process but the creator may add a small personal relic, note, or ashes to each piece.
Tsa Tsas are are a form of traditional Buddhist art most notably Tibet. They are votives traditionally made of clay and generally placed on altars, shrines or in other holy places. The creation of holy objects such as tsa tsas is a practice said to result in great merit (positive energy) for the practitioner. These workshops can be found on the playa by the Clay in Hand bicycle flags.
Cochleae
Sound and music are everywhere on the playa–but how does hearing work? How do sound waves traveling through the air become music in your ear? Cochleae is an interactive light and sound exposition of human hearing, demonstrating how neurons encode sound.
Colordance
Colordance is an interactive, collaborative installation piece that encourages Participants to play with form and motion. It uses many colored lights pointed at a screen to create fascinating shadows of many colors. The shadows that Participants cast amplify their movements in brilliant technicolor, creating entrancing patterns.
Come-Million!
Come-Million is a giant colorful chameleon that shines up beautifully when playing interactively with her friends!
Come-Million’s skin is made of hundreds of tiles carrying thousands little lights. Their colors change in reaction to the participants’ behavior inside, sensed through its pumping heart.
A playful collaboration is demonstrated through the interaction between the people inside the chameleon, and passerby.
Inside the chameleon there will be an interactive game that the visitors and the chameleon will participate in using a set of handles of different colors.
Citizens of Black Rock City will sense and understand Come-Million’s through its signals and listen to her heart – to help her shine with millions of colors.
Connection Station
The connection station is a place to rest, swing, share, connect, and make new friends, especially if you are feeling “lonely in the crowd”. It is a modified porch swing with colorful graphics encouraging passersby to have a seat and make a new friend. It is hoped that it will encourage participants at BRC to make new friends and connections.
Cosmic Stellerator
The Stellerator produces large but slow-moving waves in a gentle rolling motion like an ocean wave highlighted by bright LEDs enveloping the Participants driving the display. Waves of motion and light interfere, combine, and pass through each other for a relaxing but energizing display visible across the Playa
Cosmic Voyager
“Cosmic Voyager” is a sea turtle made from polished stainless steel. On the back of the turtle is a sprawling transparent city protected by a large transparent dome. Like the vast abyss of space, the deep playa is a harsh and lifeless environment. The “Cosmic Turtle” is an ancient and peaceful protector of this tiny world, a mytheme found in Hindu, Chinese, and Indigenous American mythology. This ancient symbolism is combined with reflective futuristic design to conjure visions of a “Spaceship Earth” voyaging through the cosmos into the great unknown.
Creu Hudol (Magical Being)
Creu Hudol (Welsh for “Magical Being”) was inspired by a potential for an elegant and beautiful future with technology. Creu Hudol is feminine in appearance calling upon a softer and and receptive feel. Her joints are made of glass to emulate the crystals used in technology today. Her open posture represents her willingness to serve others for the betterment of humanity. Her upright and proud stance representing her power. The glass crown represents a spiritual element, bringing in points of light to catch the eye. Her head is clear and made of glass representing an open and clear understanding (perhaps to be filled with new ideas). Creu Hudol stands upon a pedestal of glass panels to rise her up even higher into consciousness.
Crowd Controls
Crowd Controls is an interactive LED installation. Users collaboratively manipulate sound and light to create an animated dance performance displayed on a series of large panels mounted to a hexagonal frame. The piece playfully explores how we share space.
CROWN
CROWN creates a space for shared experience with its gigantic scale, riotous light show, and impressive kinetic motion. My mission with this piece is mass hypnosis, wonder, and delight. It will be terrifyingly awesome! Four prismatic towers 30ft tall stand in a circle and bend and sway inwards and outwards in a hypnotic dance. Meanwhile, colors dance and swirl around the sculpture, within and amongst the towers on high density LED arrays. Participants can control the movement and lighting through an interactive interface.
Crypto Forest
A play on the old adage, money doesn’t grow on trees, meets the digital age of cryptocurrency. In this alternate reality, cryptocurrencies have physically manifested on LED covered trees. This ever-changing fantastical light forest has seating at the base of each tree for wayward robots to recharge in the glow of their digital brethren. Lights dance through the interconnected branches as digital power pulses and flows in many different patterns, feeding the fruit of the trees – the cryptocurrency coins.
Cube Your Own Adventure
Cube Your Own Adventure is a set of 27 large wooden cubes that can be assembled into a single larger 6-foot cube. It is an interactive set of paintings to be discovered and hidden messages to be found through re-arranging them. It is a playful celebration of iconic cubic concepts, celebrating games, math, music, and poetry — and invites the viewer to discover how the pieces fit into the artists’ vision, or to create their own unique assemblage, leaving messages for the next to find it.
Cyber Fossils
Leonid Kim is Moscow-based sculptor specializing in bas-relief. He has a series of artworks dedicated to cybernetic sea creature fossils.
Cyclops the Space Pony
Cyclops the Wonder Pony (Artery 2016) continues his evolution to become his dream! Cyclops (the zoetrope), has a dream of becoming a running horse. You turn on the light, listen to his heartbeat, spin the wheel, look close into his eye and see his dream of running free. To continue his story, this year Cyclops begins the metamorphosis of becoming a horse! Mechanical in nature, the skeleton of this robotic-like creature begins to take shape with the horseshoe DNA strands and the emergence of the skull and heart. His dream, told to you in the images inside the zoetrope, remain. In Cyclops’s final stage of transformation (next year) he will rise from the desert as a horse!
Dancing Forest
The Dancing Forest is a playful interactive experience.
Decide
Decide is a four sided bench built around a pyramid. Each side will create its own space and each space will be connected with the other three sides. It will have a sunny side, a city side, a windy side, and a looking into deep playa side. You get to decide.
Desert Bloom
The desert is a seemingly inhospitable place until you look closer to see that it is teeming with life.
Desert Guard
Fenghaizhen’s design is inspired by the armor of Genghis Khan whose Mongolian empire ruled China during a part of the 14th century. The Mongolian army resisted their enemies’ aggression thanks to Genghis Khan’s military tactics, a strong system of weapons and their special armor. It had a very primitive but effective shock absorbing and impact diverting system. This art piece enlarges the armor to a height of 15 metres weighing 10 tons and embedded the soul of a Mongolian warrior. It wants to remind everyone, that we must never use artificial intelligence for war. Otherwise, humanity creates weapons that kill us. We hope that this warrior makes us realise that we shouldn’t only worship technology, but also put restrictions in place.
Desertspaces
Beautifully simple and imperfectly concise.
Unambitious and passive in nature.
Desertspaces provide a buffer between the activity of the playa and the opportunity to connect with the surrounding landscape.
Inspired by the James Turrell installations of a similar name, these cubes provide an unexpected shady respite in the far reaches of the playa, focused and unfocused views of surrounding vistas, and a variety of options for interaction.
Dick Garden Daft Punk Dance Party
Dick Garden Daft Punk Dance Party is a diorama with dozens of delightful Dicks dancing to the recorded tunes of Daft Punk and other EDM artists. Participants can watch the raver Dicks gyrating, or join in with some dancing of their own to the music at a reasonable volume. Featuring a DJ booth inspired the the iconic Pyramid Stage, they can even take a spin on mixer boards. Raver Dicks will be decorated by participants at our support camp and added to the Dance Party daily.
Die Knarre, a ratchet of epic proportions
Die Knarre, a ratchet of epic proportions .
It stands alone on the desert floor, a long shadow of its two arms stretching away towards the horizon. as the sun rises over the horizon the stillness is shattered with clattering roar as with glee the children of the desert push and spin this new toy, raising a joyful din.
For generations the ratchet has marked the turnings of the year, scaring the old year off with noise and laughter.
Diffusion of Light
We create cloth Installation with image of light room.The light means universal truth and it illuminates us all the time. When we realize its light to be present, its light brings always a great comfort.
We all know that we are not able to see the light in the space, yet we are able to notice the light is exist when the light hit to something.
Digital Dalang - Shadows out of Time
Digital Dalang is an interactive art installation unifying traditional and modern storytelling techniques. Combining digital projection mapping with the ancient tradition of Indonesian (Wayang Kulit) shadow puppets. Each (Wayang) puppet’s shadow will interact with a multi-layer of visual effects projected on the screen, allowing participants to discover the magic and infinite possibilities of interaction as they, themselves become the (Dalang) puppeteer and call upon our mythical ancestors formed into shadows like in the song of Kidung Madraka of old.
Lwir mawayang tahen gati
nikang wukir kineliran
humarang anipis.
Hence the trees change into shadows,
and the spirit of the ancestors
animates the living world.
Disco in the Sky
Disco in the Sky is a controllable and sound responsive floating disco ball. Building on a concept the team brought to Burning Man in 2017, the disco ball is a human-mounted 7 foot diameter helium balloon with thousands of sound-sensitive LEDs that can project patterns depending on its environment.
Divine Feminine Warrior Goddess- Power of the Pyramid
Divine Feminine Warrior Goddess (DFWG) Portal Pyramid was designed to represent 4 facets of a woman’s essence. DFWG consists of forms of 4 female torsos. Each is decorated uniquely to their theme, with “jewels” and lights to represent the Artist’s vision of Divine, Feminine, Warrior & Goddess. The torsos act as “sentries” to the Sacred Geometry of the Portal Pyramid, which contains a meditation bench. It asks the Participant to enter, reflect & ask “What makes me Divine? Feminine? Warrior? Goddess? Ultimately empowering the viewer to recognize and embrace the many facets of the unique & powerful jewel that they are. The archway is designed to align with the Pyramid, the Temple/Man and sunrise to the East.
DJ Bot
Robot sculpture made from found or repurposed metal.
Do You Trust?
“Do You Trust?” is a huddle of 5 human figures that are 9 feet tall. Their heads touch to provide shade but also to signify unified vision and accordance in their group. The structure is teepee shaped. There is space at the bottom of the huddle for a small group of participants to seek refuge from the sun, relax and listen to the guided meditation and soundtrack that is part of the sculpture. At night the sculpture is lit in a such a way that it glows from the inside cradling the participant into a lullaby of trust and surrender.
The piece embodies space of being lovingly held by a benevolent tribe. Whether we trust or fear depends on our ability to surrender to the severity and the beauty of the divine flow. So, Do You Trust?
Door in the Desert
Door In the Desert is an oversized freestanding door and frame. It exists as a portal for transformation and transportation through intention setting.
DOT the Dog
Dot the Dog is a memorial to our friend George and to all the pets we love and have lost. Dot is a 20′ horizontal plane design made of wood and will be burnt on Thursday night. Dot provides shade and shelter for the weary playa traveler who is missing their beloved pet.
Dragon Fossil
A familiar looking Tibetan Dragon built of wooden strips and chunks sits in the dust. Flags flutter and wheels spin in the breeze. The Dragon seems to be a sepulcher, a sarcophagus, a reliquary. What does it contain and how will it reveal its contents? Will the questions be answered or new mysteries uncovered?
DragonFly Instruments
Dragonfly Instruments are a gathering of mechanical dragonflies that flutter with the wind to make sound bowing strings in their tails.
Dust City Diner
The neon sign of the Dust City Diner beckons visitors to have a seat at its horseshoe-shaped counter. A 1930’s coffee urn brews fresh coffee while a short order cook works the griddle, his silhouette framed by a stainless steel backsplash. Bee-hived waitresses serve up grilled cheese sandwiches and top up your coffee with a smile. Every aspect of the diner – the sound of dishes clinking, the 1940’s music, a flickering neon sign are designed to embody the all-night diner experience.
Dust Life
This live sculpture is a participatory monument to dust. Please interact and draw your own conclusions.
Ei Robot
A robot sits on a box and carves ideas into steel balls. The finished openwork balls surround the main robot sculpture and glow with an inner light, projecting the image of their new decoration onto the ground around them. The box and robot are illuminated and decorated with sci-fi imagery. The box is about 8′ square. The 6′ robot sits on top. The Ei-Robot will emit sparks, sounds and movement as it creates new Art-spheres.The 3.5′ Art-spheres will be added nightly until they number 14.
Eight
‘Eight’ – The last of the super secret time travel train stations. Three automata stand guard against intruders… or are they waiting to greet travelers?
An answer to that question can be found among the artifacts in this clandestine place. There are clues and delightful surprises everywhere- the more one looks, the more there is to be learned. If visitors pay close attention, they will discover the key to winding the clockwork automata… and may even be granted passage through the gate to the underground time travel railway system.
Electric Dandelions
Electric Dandelions are two 27 ft tall dandelion sculptures that double as fireworks at night. The dandelion bulbs come to life at night as the LED animations take hold and mesmerize you with their bright and intense light show. Sit down and enjoy the visual effects via the geometrically designed metal and acrylic sculptures.
Electric Dreams
Electric dreams can be of the past, the present, or the future. Robot or human alike, both our limits and our freedom can be found within ourselves.
Electric Lantern Dreams
Electric Lantern Dreams has an 8′-tall wooden torii-style gate emerging from the playa. A large lantern, inspired by traditional paper lanterns, hangs from the gate and glows with inviting, diffuse, and colorful patterns. Wooden benches surround the lantern to create a communal gathering space. The warmth of the lantern, wooden gate, and surrounding participants are counter to the digital and robotic world that humans are sometimes stuck in. Controls on the gate are interactive to create various light patterns. Electric Lantern Dreams offers participants a place of refuge to discover, dream, or meet.
Electric Lazy Lounge
From a distance the ELL appears as a large canopy bed floating across the playa. The subjective nature of the human experience is determined by our perception of sensation. The Electric Lazy Lounge creates a subjective and immersive experience through the manipulation of participants’ sensation. Light, sound, vibration, scent and even taste are stimulated and synchronized to create a state of hyper-stimulation. Thereby, altering participants’ perception, allowing them to dissociate from their sense of self, and become open to an alternate realm of human experience—LazyLand. No one can effectively describe what LazyLand is like. It must be experienced to be appreciated.
Em-Pathos (EYE Robot)
Em-Pathos (EYE Robot) will be a sort of prehistoric, post-apocalyptic communication enhancement device wherein humans train robots to train humans to be more humane and better communicators with other humans and robots.
Em-Pathos will be a mural of 3D sculpted ceramic tile carved with a complex hieroglyphic message overlaying a wooden substructure. The form will be a rectangular prism reminiscent of The Black Monolith robotic communication device from “2001 A Space Odyssey.” The structure will be approximately 7 feet tall. There will be a window in the sculpture at eye level holding a ceramic head. The EYE robot speaks its story in a variety of recognizable robot voices from our collective cultural group memory.
Emergence
Humans are the creators of sentient AI and its birth marks the legacy of our achievement. This year at Burning Man, the incubating egg will hatch and introduce a new type of life to the playa.
Our intention is to create a thought provoking experience exploring how AI may exists in our life and what kind of relationship we can build. What is AI? An assistant or companion? Does it have feelings? What about animals? What about plants? What are the implications of these observations towards biological or non-biological life?
Emotions without Morals
Emotions without Morals:
It is argued that there can be no morality without emotions. As a play on this, I wanted to build something in my 40th year of life that reminded not only myself, but others as well, that, enjoying your situation in life is a lot of what you make of it. Not all situations are ideal, and most situations take work, but the reward is there if you look for it.
Here is this robot, probably programmed to do some task, with no emotion and no morals, yet it found time to stop and enjoy the moment, play in the sand, and enjoy some art.
Encrypted Data
Encrypted Data is a playful and visual riddle. Is it meant to be a fun and surprising beacon for open-ended interactions as well as a treasure hunt game.
The main purpose of this piece is to encourage private and deep, thoughtful communication between friends and strangers. The embedded digital device let people write a message and get a paper printed encrypted version of it. This text can be decrypted later, after the burn, thanks to an online website.
This encourages more profound thoughts to be shared: secrets, mysteries, personal views, hard truths, post-burn advice, embarrassing compliments, declarations of love, or whatever suits them to be read later after the dust has settled.
It is meant to deepen a relationship, or to give a moment of bliss to a complete stranger that shall not be met again, or just for the joy of giving.
This structure also becomes a whole treasure hunt game: all the stashes and hideouts hide a secret journey that will let you become the master of the Key while unraveling mysteries and surprises about it. Explorers will need curiosity and obstinacy to solve the puzzles and riddles, unlock the stashes, decrypt the hidden messages… But those who complete the journey will discover new powers.
Finally, it is a complete character that emerges: this structure appears to be a whole figure with its own history, emotions, states of mind, weaknesses. It is sometimes playing tricks on you, and slowly unraveling its depth to curious and persevering explorers.
One tip? Come back again, you might find the Key to be in another mood!
Ephemeral Wish
The “Ephemeral Wish” represents everything about Black Rock City. The size was chosen to reflect The “Ephemeral Wish” as a representation of everything Black Rock City. The size portrays how much physical time Burning Man occupies in our physical lives and objectifies how much the world around us understands what “This” is all about. While small in size, this box is a mere token of everything that is, ever was and ever can be here on the playa. If you can dream it, then it can be!
Ephemeral Wish is the antithesis of the default world; bigger doesn’t mean better and grand isn’t always greater. Shake the string, ringing the tiny bell inside and make your ephemeral wish.
Take the joyful memories from this week on the playa and let them last an entire lifetime.
Error 101
Error 101 is a visual representation of relationships between machines and humans. It is a manifestation of emergence. The geometry was generated through a combination of fractal mathematics properties, parametric design tools and finally a computer error, which were all guided by human decisions. The artwork will be made out of ‘chaotically’ arranged ribbons. From far, the geometry will look well defined – a triangle or pyramid. As you get closer you notice the complexity.
Ethereal Fleeting
A series of clouds is generated and gently held in place by a machine-like sculpture. From twilight to sunrise, the clouds are illuminated by an interactive network of LED lights, which reveal their inner geometries. The clouds appear, float over the playa, and then dissolve into thin air. This process of delocalization of the cloud to the desert environment evokes a surreal experience.
The installation forms a juxtaposition of a fabricated structure and a natural phenomenon. This supposed contrast between human technology and nature will be explored as a space of unseen possibilities for symbiosis and sustainability.
ETIPADO: Extremely Tall Image Processing And Display Object
ETIPADO is a mysterious strobing pole. It displays images captured from an antique camera, but the secret to viewing them must be discovered.
Exponential Awareness
Exponential Awareness is a large scale sculpture made out of recycled wood, primarily 2×4’s, that are connected upright in a geometrical, serpentine pattern of three buttress-like fins, rising exponentially higher out of the playa. The tallest points are two stories tall; tall enough to see from afar but still be comfortably human in scale. The inner curves of each fin have circular seating for contemplation and connection, or at the very least, a place to rest in the shade, while the structure’s shadows slowly dance throughout the day.
Fios the SeaStallion
Fios is a mythical seahorse representing the precious element of water, the knowledge and understanding that water carries. The head is carved from a single piece of Cedar, adorned with copper and brass and blown glass eyes and horns which glow at night. The body has a patina copper breastplate running down to the tip of the tail, the sides and back are covered in steel mesh and cedar panels intricately carved and hand stained with blue/green hues. The back ridge is steel sheet metal with a hole pattern glowing by night. The tail incorporates hand hammered steel rod woven with copper and mesh and a ridge made of stained wood, ending in a blown glass orb, it is also lit entirely from within. Every aspect of this piece is handcrafted with intention to bring a feeling of grace and beauty, along with power and fierce love that water carries. Fios stands as a protector and guide for each of us.
Flight
abstract impressionist bird in flight
FloBot
FloBot is an interactive flower-like steel sculpture with a character all her own. She will stand on exposed roots as she evolves into a blossomed being. People will be able to climb up the roots and “get inside her head” bouncing and rocking with the use of large suspension springs. Flo represents the notion of learning to flow with all of the parts of one’s self, and finding strength within them. Her roots correlate with all of the deepest parts of ourselves–the buried parts, which make us who we are. Exposing the roots and making them a part of the blossom at the top represents the idea that everything is an integral part of the whole self, even (and especially) the buried parts–not just the pretty flowery surface parts.
Flowers from Heaven 2
Painted paper mache’ flowers with varied length stems from 3′ to 8′ tall. All flowers will be randomly placed leaving a path through the center of the flower bed. Flowers will be moving with the wind and some will be taking on alien faces and some will be robotic. All materials will be as green as possible to burn clean at the Temple. Flowers will be light in weight and easy to transport and install and then carried to the Temple to burn. The flowers are on a long cardboard tube placed over a well secured fence post and wired at the bottom. Lit at night with solar lights placed at the bottom and in the flowers themselves. A very nice place to meet people. Flowers are the mask of nature and will be burned to expose the face of God.
Franchise Freedom
A flying light sculpture by Studio Drift, Franchise Freedom is a performative artwork at the interface between technology, science, and art. Franchise Freedom exposes the tension between individual freedom and safety in numbers. Music composed and played by Joep Beving.
Free Squirt
The “Free Squirt” campaign has launched for 2018 and is expected to bring out a host of emotions from Burners the world over. Marine researchers and Translumina Octopoda specialists will gather for a first hand look at “Squirt” a recently captured specimen. Living underground it can take thirty years to reach maturation. Adults can weigh as much as eight hundred pounds. The most significant and endearing aspect of these giant playa octopuses is their ability to communicate and emote with playa visitors. Transluminant skin, suckers and nervous system radiate patterns of lights for a dazzling display. For now, the gentle beast is housed in a giant plexiglass jar located in the Black Rock desert. But Squirt has ideas of his own!
Freedom Killed Lady Liberty
The large scale installation of the Statue of Liberty gunned down and holding up her heart asks Participants to ponder the meaning of Freedom Killed Lady Liberty. Seeing the icon of lady liberty illustrated in this manner startles the viewers into taking notice. It asks viewers to think about gun issues from an emotional and compassionate perspective rather than the standard partisan talking points we often hear in the media. It puts a serious topic into a unique perspective for Participants, stirring emotions, and invoking deeper thoughts, questioning the meaning and purpose of the Second Amendment and what it means to be free.
Future's Past Circuitry Patterns
Future’s Past: Crossing through the cacophony of progress in our shining desert Metropolis, we waver and stop to witness a modern utopic vision surrender to a dystopic fate. A monument to man’s technological advancement has been mysteriously abandoned to time and left to seed. In its place, a monument to nature grows out of its fertile ground. The angular black steel roots of modern computer circuitry in the shape of a stepped pyramid give way to the ancient roots of a sacred Bodhi tree. This flowing root system reclaims this relic of our Future’s Past in its embrace, and signals the end of consumptive collapse and the beginning of evolved consciousness.
Galactic Meadows
An immersive light sculpture consisting of up to 11,000 hanging LEDs in a volumetric field. Concentric pathways of light interpret movement and sound, mimicking shadows in a visual form throughout. The lines between reality, body and Form are blurred in this transformative experience. During quieter times it can be a contemplative, meditative space and at more chaotic times a place for people to dance and rave.
Galaxia
Galaxia celebrates hope in the unknown, stars, planets, black holes, the movement uniting us in swirling galaxies of dreams. A superior form of Gaia in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, Galaxia is the ultimate network, the fabric of the universe connecting living beings into one entity.
Galaxia is shaped of 20 timber trusses converging as a spiral towards one point in the sky. The triangular trusses form different paths towards a central space holding a giant 3D printed mandala, the heart of Galaxia. The timber modules start large enough to hold small alcoves in which people can write in peace. As participants walk through the path, the timber modules lift up and become thinner and thinner towards the sky as people reach the central mandala.
Gilded Cage
The concept of the “Gilded Cage” art installation is an exploration and understanding of the modern social self-representation where someone appears to live in luxury but where he or she has very little freedom. This interactive sculpture helps to explore the avenues of possible combinations between physical and spiritual values within comfortable but confined situation with it’s false freedom and artificial peace.
You can enter the gilded cage with it’s playground of a slat swing, comfy floor pillows and bath accessories and enjoy it’s superficially attractive but nevertheless constraining space you reevaluate your freedom by changing your perspective between being outside or inside of the cage.
Glorywall
It’s not just a wall. This is not just a portal.
This is a simulator of “victory pose”.
Participants can increase their level of dopamine and instantly feel themselves a winner.
Great Train Wreck
The Great Train Wreck is an artistic interpretation of railroad history when outdated locomotives were ceremoniously destroyed in head-on crashes for public entertainment. The California State Fair staged wrecks from 1913 to 1917. For Burning Man in 2018, the two full scale trains are constructed from wood that will ultimately simulate a crash-and-burn using pyrotechnics in the finale.
Each locomotive, with tenders, is 40′ long, 8′ wide & 11′ tall, resting on a 120′ standard gauge wooden track. The trains will initially be sited at the distant ends of the track, and on the day of the burn pulled together into a fiery exploding end. In addition a train station will stand beside the track to provide shade and railroad history.
HaHa...
HaHa… is a celebration of life. With the loss of Larry, Dana, DJ, Ken, Laura’s brother and other burners , we want to take a moment to celebrate the time we had with them. To raise our proverbial glass in celebration to all they did to create this wonderful, joyful life we have as part of Burning Man. While we feel their losses keenly, mourn their parting from this physical life, we know that they, and Larry in particular, liked to revel in the moment, seize the day, and share laughter and fun whenever and wherever possible. Even in the darkest moments, the darkest times, we need to cling to this remembrance of joy and laughter. This sculpture is a reminder, a touchstone, and a celebration.
Hechi Ken Red Tea Ceremony
Japanese Tea Ceremony out on the playa.
Here
Wormhole is a light structure that illuminates lifeforms connected by love in the dark. It is a novel approach on the preconceived notion of what connectedness is – Wormhole prioritizes human to human connection, explicitly discouraging its participants from using what some might consider ‘modern’ forms of connection.
Hexatron
A forest of 486 20ft tall LED light poles, arranged in a hexagon shape of approximately 90ft diameter, displaying 3D computer controlled effects.
Hippocrisy
This will be a large scale model of the Rod of Asclepius, historically the symbol of medicine. Traditionally, the snake was viewed as an ambiguous symbol expressing the dual nature of the work of the physician: life vs death, health vs sickness. Today, this can be applied to many areas in medicine. For example, advances in science and technology can prolong life significantly but at the cost of quality. Three areas will be addressed: the patient, the provider, and the struggle of both of these to retain their humanity as they interact in the world of medicine. Each of these components has its own set of conundrums, ironies, and hypocrisies. These will be represented on prayer flags and will be illuminated by a different color light.
Holoquarium
16 ft hologram is coming to playa!
The prototype has already been demonstrated at the Burners Bar in Moscow, Precompression Kiev and ELS in Nantes. It’s not just art — it’s an opportunity for people from all over the world to become artists at Burning Man 2018!
Every day of BM ’18 we going to show different projects created by the visual artist from around the globe.
The Friday night project called “Holotalk” will allow thousands of people to participate in one of the most exciting art-installations on Burning Man 2018.
More info about participation in “Holotalk” project you can find on the artists web site.
The author Michael Tsaturyan has invented “Holoquarium” specially for “Slavic State Camp”. His aim was to fulfill such principles of Burning Man as “participation” “radical inclusion” “radical self-expression” and “immediacy”. Come to BM 2018 to see how well he succeeded.
Hugs:)
Honey Bear III
Honey Bear III is a 28′ tall sculpture of a honey bear. It is intended to surprise and delight Burning Man attendees, invoking positive feelings of happiness and nostalgia.
Human Flesh Interface
The Human Flesh Interface is a place for you to come, sway, and rest. Place your human flesh on the soft bed top and pillows for a midday nap or midnight romp? Perhaps this is where iRobot was conceived? Gently sway and experience the sweetness of the playa from a horizontal plane. Seek reprieve from the sun in our shade and you close your eyes and listen to the playa’s music and wind. We offer you the comfort of Grandma’s with wood paneling creatively decorates this celestial space. Come rest your human flesh on this interface that will create wonderful playa memories.
Hut 17
As people traversing deep playa come upon Hut 17, they can take sanctuary in the semi-shaded and well-cushioned pagoda. Hut 17 will be enclosed by a web a ropes, creating a balance of enclosed space and open air. The different thicknesses of rope will create a varied shadow pattern that changes throughout the day. Each will vibrate at a different frequency, creating a subtle, soothing purr. The installation will be visited periodically by a mobile bar, accompanied by a bartender and troupe of characters. But for most that stumble upon it, it will be a welcomed place to lay back, rest, and enjoy each other’s company.
HYBYCOZO - Inner Orbit
Spinning prayer wheels are used in Buddhist Ritual to increase the concentration of prayers that go out into the universe, remind us of the ultimately empty nature of them, and to bring motion and interactivity to the mind and body as its own virtue. We want to create an installation that will serve the community as a gathering area and a place to be surrounded by the beauty of geometry, natural patterns, and cosmic creation. When each person spins the HYBYCOZO and adds motion to the installation it will create an interactive experience bending the ground around you, bringing you into its centripetal force, and spinning intentions around your body.
I am not a Robot
This piece is a “face in the hole board image”. The image is a Robot, made of house hold items. The title is “I am not a Robot”. As the title suggest the piece is trying to be fun, as you view what makes up the Robot. The piece is trying to be interactive, as people put their face in the Robots face and get their picture taken. The piece is also trying to create discussion about Robots and Humans and why we are not Robots, and why we would not wish to be a Robot. We have the ability to choose, to decide, and to live our life as true as we can. We do not aspire to be a Robot, we aspire to be free, alive and true to ourselves.
I Bouquet
I Bouquet is a blend of glass and steel. The glass flowers are illuminated at night and glow during the day when the sun shines thru them. The piece is primarily made out of re-purposed steel. From a distance it will look like an organic form but upon closer examination the viewer will see it is made out of old hand tools and discarded metal.
I greened my Robot
How to green a robot? Check it out!
I, Musician
I, Musician features a large robot in the center with musical steel drums as the chest/stomach. The rest of the robot body will be created from recycled farm equipment parts, gears, etc. The background of the robot panel will be covered in functioning gears. The gears, when turned by handle, will ring harmony bells. We believe robots shouldn’t just be used or thought of as tools to make things in assembly lines. Robots should also be used in creative ways. If this robot was real, it could play music in different settings, like in cancer wards, or for music therapy in recovery wards.
I-Portal
Presenting the I-Portal; an 8-foot-wide by 10-foot-tall archway. A sight for sore eyes, it is beautiful from far away and intricate and detailed up close. Covered in eyes of various shapes and sizes and featuring an interactive eye, the focus is on those who enter. As they enter the I-Portal’s magic threshold, they become transparent and completely seen. And in doing so they say “Yes” to actually seeing something deeper about themselves. This includes; but is not limited to, clearer vision, greater perspective and perception, an increased ability for imagination, intuition, clairvoyance, discernment, and all that allows for greater awareness and vision. It is the intention of the I-Portal to “wake the fuck up” all those who enter.
IAMAI
A projection mapping collaboration from ASTRAL PROJEKT, LIGHT HARVEST STUDIO, and KAZBAH.
ICHIRO Sacred Beings
The exact replica skeleton of the Velafrons Coahuilensis, a dinosaur from the Cretaceous period, 72 million years ago. The dinosaur will be decorated in the art of the Huichol, an indigenous tribe of Mexico who now lives in the same lands that once were populated by the Velafrons. Next to the Velafrons the head of a T-Rex with the same design. These visions also represent the flow of energy that exists within the human body and the universe. The dinosaur will be illuminated from all sides to be visible at night. Ichiro is a very emotional altar of ancient times on which there will be an original ritual every day at sunset, aiming at connecting with our ancestors and our inner self.
Identity Awareness - Family
Identity Awareness is bringing Identity Awareness – Family back to the playa focusing on the family aspect of Burning Man and back in our communities. A 12’x12′ 3D metal heart will be held up by four family members signifying strength and working together to support the whole unit. One side will be held up by the father and daughter while the other side will be a mother and son. All family members will have LED hearts that will beat in unison. The heart will have 1.5″ steel tubing with places to climb and hang from in order to pose for pictures or simply explore.
IFly
IFly is a moving piece of art that bridges earth and sky. IFly allows a personal movement experience cradled by the beauty of one of the natural and spirit world’s potentially most critical symbols. IFly is a way for guests to temporarily leave the playa as they spin themselves into a whirling expression of freedom and flight by their own hand.
Illusion of Dependence
The illusion of dependence is a commentary on the diamond industry and the dependency we have formed around using diamonds as a symbol of love. The art installation features two larger than life geometric diamonds, one third the size of the other. The smaller diamond, named glitch, is shackled with a large chain to the larger diamond. Glitch represents us and the chain represents our connection and dependence on the concept of diamonds as a symbol of love.
Both diamonds are lined with LEDs. The larger diamond will sparkle, display beautiful light patterns, and will be responsive to the participants voice. The smaller diamond, Glitch, will have LED lights programmed to glitch out like a dying lightbulb, as if it is being weakened by being shackled to the larger diamond.
Immanent Domains
A simple, rusted, tree. An elegant, shiny, human form. Technology and nature can clash, collide, or evolve — the interpretation of our future can be as diverse, and graceful, as we want it to be.
In Case We Miss Each Other
‘In Case We Miss Each Other’ is an interactive art installation reminiscent of a classic roswell UFO gently floating above your head. Cutting edge lighting programming interacts with the messaging system, which will allow your voice to be transmitted through space, riding upon a powerful digitized UV laser with a 25 light year range.
Inside, Outside, Around and Through
There are locked doors in the landscape. There are knobs and keys and doorbells and signs that promise a way through. Which side is inside and which is outside? Why try to go through the doors if you can simply go around? And how, metaphorically, does this relate to other aspects of our lives, where we stand in front of things that appear to be limitations and barriers, not realizing that we could simply go around them, and that our ideas about where we are in our lives, what we can and cannot do, might simply be our ideas, and that the world itself might be something with more possibility, fewer limitations, and hopefully a lot of keys and lights and things that go bing! that are fun to play with.
Iron Horses Galore
Metal sculptor Adrian Landon brings forth to you his expression, through steel and blood sweat and tears in the making, of his experience and close connection to the incredible and unique majestic animal that most people once knew, the symbiotic relationship with horses. One can feel the energy by looking into the eyes of these creations, the energy of these powerful beasts, and the energy that was put into their making, hours of pounding sheet metal by hand and with machines that the artist designed and built himself.
Landon has been sculpting for 10 years now, beginning in New York City and is honored to be able to bring these works to one of the greatest and most real art gatherings of all time.
iSheep
13 life-size sheep roam the playa–twelve white, one black, each with a unique voice and character. They bear gifts of bareback rides, lit in their latest Burner costume. Pet them or play gently–even play soft games of “bumper sheep.” But ask before doing something uncomfortable. If they don’t like how you’re playing or if you separate them from the flock, they will object, using their harshest voices and most glaring flashing lights. iSheep are trans-species: They were once humans acting like sheep, but now they’re iSheep, awake and wise.
Janus
The piece will have a large stylized wooden face. Behind it is a large wooden spiral that is folded in on itself to create a spherical shape. The sculpture will be made from plywood as well as dimensional lumber and scrap wood. Its dimensions will be a 12′ abstracted sphere. Steel gussets will give strength to the folds of the wooden spiral.
Jokeatron 5200
The Jokeatron 5200 is an interactive large-scale banana peel that a careless or prankster robot threw on the ground. The Jokeatron 5200 is meant as a meeting point for humor of all horizons.
Jugorie's Playa Puzzle Project
Jugories Playa Puzzle project is the brainchild of two Burners and fellow puzzle lovers, Jugger0 and Stories. These series of four puzzles – each four by three feet – provides a fun, fairly simple, but mildly challenging set of puzzle. If nothing else, we hope it will provide you one more incentive to find corners of the playa you might not have wandered into; and to collaborate with fellow Burners who you find also working on a puzzle. The four puzzles are located in camps. Best of luck to all and keep scratching your head, you will get it!
Killbot No More
Killbot No More is a robotic art installation that explores the deepest of our existential questions. Who am I? What is my place in the world? Am I destined to fulfill a pre-programmed function or do I choose my own destiny?
Kinesios
Kinesios is an imposing steel colossus formed by two internally lit vertical steel planes set parallel to each other. Perforated with a binary code on one side and a chaotic pattern on the other side the two planes support a hanging sculpture that participants can swing by synchronizing their body movements, cooperation is the key. The internal lighting is affected by the pendulum’s movement, the higher the motion, the greater the pulsation, frequency, and synchronization of the lighting. It is a piece of contrast and conflict. Man vs. machine, order vs. chaos, a binary limitations vs. freethinking existence. By putting the human spirit in the center, mankind is the activator, only we can be the solution to our own creation.
Lady of the Lake
The semicircular weathervane depicts The Lady of the Lake giving direction the to Playa’s wind patterns. She is surrounded by local flowers.
Laeta Equo Liberata, from the Wild Horse Collective
Laeta Equo Liberata, from the Wild Horse Collective.
The wild horse is a symbol of untamed beauty and freedom- something each of us longs for in these measured, mechanized and repetitive days. Our interactive Wild Stallion will be brought to life through the physical exertion of interested Participants.
Learning Is For Life
A skeletal crash test dummy sits in the middle of a row of three desks drawing cartoons in front of the desks is an ancient LA school overhead projector, projecting on a tarted screen.
LET IT GO
The “Sacred Crystal Cleanse” is a purifying energy bath designed to stimulate, uplift and detox guests’ physical, spiritual and emotional bodies. The experience centers upon healing energy emanating from a copper tub lined with select crystals and sacred geometry forms, located directly beneath a copper pyramid of carefully considered numerological design. An oil diffuser, meditative soundtrack, shaded frame, large potted palms and soft LED lighting also help ease the senses.
Let U.S. Prey
Let U.S. Prey is a to-scale bald eagle with its head set at the height of a participant’s face. Wing tips will rise to about 8 feet, with a curved wing spread of 16 feet. The techniques learned from our three previous installations in layering pennies will be used here to create feathers and enhance the dimension of surface height through sculpting tiers of the feathers and body into styrofoam core. White feathers on the head, tail, and wings will be created with silver gleaming nickels and dimes. It is likely the count will be over 150,000 coins. The eagle beak will be made from formed brass and the eyes from blown glass.
Listen
“Listen” is a large scale human heart made from used speakers on the exterior and lined with mirror mosaic on the interior. Participants are invited to enter the reflecting inner heart space where they will find stethoscopes hanging from the ceiling that are connected to the speakers on the exterior. When activated from within, the sculpture will emit deep, layered beating sounds, as participantes stop to listen to their hearts and the hearts of others.
Lodestar
“Lodestar” is made of an old military jet that has been involuntarily blossomed into a contemplative flower and gathering place for human pollinators.
Long View, a polar bear stands in the desert
A 34 foot polar bear made from white car hoods looks across the boundless vista of Black Rock City. The polar bear is an unlikely visitor to the Playa made from materials transformed from another time and place. Manifesting forces of climate change, she is searching for allies. Taking the “Long View” is crucial to survival. Combining content and joy, we ask the viewer to develop a relationship with the animal. Polar bears help humans imagine a faraway place, a place most will never visit. They are uniquely positioned as ambassadors to bring the arctic into human awareness. Animals disappear to make room for our cars. Turning wrecked cars into monumental animals visually reverses this process and impacts the consciousness of the viewer.
LOVE is VITAL
Art object LOVE is made of steel and painted white. The letter O made specially of larger size, something it was able to be photographed away (I’m in LOVE). The project calls and reminds PEOPLE of the most important feeling of human LOVE. The letter “O” is the sun, it is a horseshoe for happiness! That’s your Holy halo!All letters are connected together because LOVE is unity ( letters can not be done separately-it violates the logic and meaning of the word).
Luna Flora
The Moon represents the feminine in our celestial skies, a natural balance to the Sun’s masculinity. Moon imagery is associated with beginnings, growth, clarity, and release.
It is luminous yet produces no light of its own; it is a reflection of the sun’s blazing rays. She possesses an energetic pull on her water soul mate, subtle yet powerful in it’s influence.
Luna Flora is a representation of the moon, enveloped by a lotus and elevated 7 feet above the ground. Citizens of Black Rock City will be able to climb the lotus leaves and into the center of the moon. When the balance of feminine and masculine has been achieved inside, the petals will bloom open and reveal the playa beyond.
Luster Cluster
In the spirit and format of 2017’s successful Luster Cluster, we envision a group of individual jewel-like sculptures that draw on each other to shine more brightly than they could alone.
Projects include:
Glory Hole: a fluorescent string art & deconstructed kaleidoscopic blacklight experience
Sunflower: stunning flowers that blink & glow interactively
Family Zoo: a grid of whimsical sculptures that glow under blacklight
The Tower: a 19′ tower wrapped with colorful queer art
Luminous Gaze: 4 huge neon flags that watch over the playa
Variable Stars: collaborative star maps of queer constellations
Glow-Pops: polyhedral portals of infinite depths and endless illuminated reflections
Art Safety Beacons: bright LEDs atop posts encircle whole Cluster
Lûz
As the name suggests Lûz (Spanish for light) is dedicated to the celebration of light.
From a distance, it is an ethereal acrylic structure blurring the lines between horizon and sky. Inside it is an intricate composition of clear triangular patterns. The structural geometry is echoed on each face combining to form one harmonious singularity.
Participants interact with the structure from the moment they enter Lûz as their re ections are incorporated into the acrylic and then refracted amongst the members.
Lûz distorts those refections further by changing the light spectrum revealing new geometric landscapes. This makes the viewer part of a dynamic experience, taking them on a journey owing seamlessly from one composition into the next.
Magic Playa Mirror
Please come to see reflection of ones self like never before. Realtime animation is generated by your movements and sound and image on a large screen. Dance, gaze, and play with a dynamic stylized vision of you. Our fourth year on the playa will bring new visual paradigms and experiences.
Man Pavilion Murals
Whimsical and beautifully done Burning Man robot murals to decorate the inner walls of the 2018 gear-shaped Man Pavilion.
Man Pavilion Soundscape
As the unique community Burning Man has evolved into has been hit by the loss of one of its most honored founders, Larry Harvey, it felt like there was no way around turning the sound scape into a memorial for him, into a monument of the communities heartfelt respect and love that’s omnipresent all over the globe. His ideas and thoughts were more than outstanding, his philosophy has shaped Burning Man and everyone even remotely participating and contributing. As another component of the sound scape various robot voices are reading out quotes and fragments of writings by Larry – showing that even “lifeless machines” are capable of keeping his philosophy alive, capable of spreading his ideas for generations yet to come – a resonance.
Man's Best Friend
I am – I robot – I smart?
Who am I and where are my friends? Does Nipper know and is giving us a warning. Come find them and their thoughts. Visit Nipper, Man”s best friend or text him. Give Nipper or a friend a hug.
MediaZoid (previously "The Consumer")
MediaZoid is an interactive art installation in the form of a humanoid that is ready to be plugged in.
MEGALOPHONE
TIM (Temporal Imaginary Machine) is a Megalophone. A Megalophone is a giant ridiculous instrument that looks better than it sounds, and thinks its more important than you. You might recognize TIM by his glowing eyes and gaping mouth. His head is the only part emerging from the ground. He is a trash conglomerate, made of scraps and tubes and computer parts. Wires are going in and out of his head, and at night you can see the pulsing lights of his synapses. If you approach TIM, take a mallet from his side and gently bang on his musical teeth. If you can squeeze inside his mouth without getting cut by his teeth, take a seat inside.
Mel's Makerbot
Mel’s Makerbot is an 80 inch tall wooden robot sculpture depicting a realistic functional builder droid that accommodates an on board human operator. It is a powerful looking humanoid robot with two arms and two legs. The arms have interchangeable tool bearing forearms that can perform almost any creative task. At burning man this tool set consists of wrenches, saw and drill in order to construct the man pavilion.
The droid is AI driven and can operate autonomously. The human is neural linked to the droid and wears the droid like a full body prosthetic. This driver droid symbiosis affords the operator the historic “hands on” experience of actually carrying out the tasks of making.
Mikey's Hug Deli
Mikey’s Hug Deli is an yellow delicatessen that serves different flavors of hugs on the playa since 2005. It is located on the 9:00 path halfway between Esplanade & the Man.
Any person can purchase a hug from the menu for the affordable price of 2 compliments. Any person can work behind the counter and serve hugs. Important note: The compliments are to be given before the hug is rendered (If not, the customer loses out on participation). Thanks!
Mind Murmer
Beneath a glowing pyramid, a seasoned meditator sits peacefully in lotus position, wearing an EEG headset. As their meditation deepens, the pyramid pulses and responds. Alpha and Theta brainwaves bloom into rich fractal art and morphing video, illuminating the pyramid’s walls. A glittering EEG chandelier cascades color and light down from the pyramid’s pinnacle, toward the meditator’s head. Participants hear and feel the meditator’s heartbeat magnified into deep-bass, mixed with a lush soundscape sampled from nature, sacred tunes, anthropology archives, and Burners murmuring self-authored prayer. Mind Murmur shares the power and beauty of meditation, focusing on interconnection, collective experience, and non-locality of consciousness.
Miracle Max's Terigo Tesoro
Max’s Miracle Masterpiece: “3Cycle Tesoro” a “Treasure” representing Radical Change! The Trike is a piece of wreckage that sat prominently atop a burned out Playa-bound vehicle. A handful of courageous Burners apparently walked the last 20 miles of their Journey on FOOT. All their shit, except what they could carry, literally BLEW Up in that Fire. The Forks of the Trike were Fused to the Roof of the VW Squareback (we think?). It was pulling an Airstream that melted to the ground. Bella picked up as much wreckage as we could find at 1AM. We proclaimed the Trike ART, Honored it, installed it at Airport 2017. Eventually, Everyone and Everything Finds its way Home. The Playa Provides, and the Playa Gives to New Possibilities even in Desparity
Monument of Indecision
This sculpture is a monument to the power of individual choice and the difficulties inherent to that. The structure is a place to reflect on the decisions we’ve made or choices we will have to make. The man is sculpted as a physically strong figure to remind people that making a choice takes strength and courage and should not be taken lightly. In the day time, the viewer can come take refuge in the space and look at the sculpture in the severe desert light to see the starkness of a situation. At night, they can return and see the space lit up with the dancing lights of possibilities, showing that with strength comes beauty, kindness, and the possibility of a better world.
Museum of the Broken
The Museum of the Broken is designed to give people in the Burning Man a community an opportunity to speak out about the ways that mental illness and mental health impact our lives. A way for Burners who struggle with mental health to reject the stigmas and invalidations that society projects, and to share a piece of their lived experience in a visual format, in a safe, accepting, and non-judgemental environment. All contributors to the Museum are kept 100% anonymous for their safety and comfort, and we have Guardians on hand at all times to maintain the safety and respectful nature of the Museum. This project is a gift to the community and to all the burners out there who suffer and struggle in silence.
Musica de Playa
“Musica de Playa” is an interactive music machine. A large steel trussed pentagon with 25 various sized bells suspended from the celling. Each Bell is a different note. Around the parameter are hundreds of rubber hoses. Each hose is connected to a different bell and placed at certain distances from each other. As a bicycle rider approaches and begins to run over the hoses an original song begins to play.
Be sure to check back daily as the hoses will be rearranged each morning for a new song to start your day.
Or come by at night for a different experience as each bell will put on a light show for every note of the song.
My Robotic Womb
Bell! Bell! Bells are ringing!
There she comes, the mademoiselle robot. She is pregnant and looks more beautiful than ever!
Creation, Creation! Creations are continuing!
My feelings are all artificial, but I cannot tell you how it feels like!
My robot, I accompany you to the end of world mademoiselle.
My creation, my robot, I feel your pain!
In the world of technology and artificial intelligence, how far can we go to create something that looks real, feels real, do things in real? Can we replace the most precious feeling of humans with machines?
The idea of a robotic pregnant woman, is focused on the paradox between the concept of a robot and womb of a mother.
Myriapoda Robota
In the future, after the planet’s natural resources have been depleted, a mechanical centipede wanders lost in deep playa. Scared and alone, she shies away from help but through repeated gifts of kindness from the citizens of Black Rock City, she opens up and discovers her Home on the Playa!
N-Spire
N-Spire is a curving pylon creating a beacon of changing colors and patterns which exist
only in the viewer’s mind. Hue, waveform, and their changes activate the brain to create
an illusion, similar to the visuals from pressing on closed eyes, on the surface of the playa itself.
Visitors may alter the induced experience with dials on a control station or with motion sensors.
N-Spire is only a channel. The real art is created by deep structures in the mind of the viewer.
Nayae
Drift wood sculpture of a woman in the yoga heart opening bridge pose dedicated to all women on this earth who being hurt, abused, beaten, suffered, tortured, betrayed, raped, and killed.
Newborn Mind
What emotions does the newborn experience when seeing the light for the first time, taking the first breath and giving out its first cry with an exhalation?
The power of his new impressions can be compared to a nuclear explosion.
The head is static, but under the effect of mapping changes the color inside the brain, as if reacting with different emotions to new impressions.
Every resident of the black rock city, in real time, can visually leave a trace in the mind, this newly born, pure mind. Shortly casting his shadow on him and transferring his feelings and memory to him, you will leave a part of yourself in it, but forever.
This mind is absolutely pure today, but with burning man, he will leave with his first knowledge and memories.
Night at the Climb In
Night at the Climb In will be a 70 foot tall stack of reclaimed junkyard cars, stacked straight up, one on top of the next. Every car will be climbable, visitable, interactive in its own way. The stack will end in a crows nest that sits at the top of the structure, just under a large spinning lit up sign.
No Body Required
The structure is a minimal, glowing wireframe chapel with a rapturous light sculpture inside the bell tower — beckoning desert denizens to join in a special night time ritual.
Nod To Rod's Panda Love
Nod to Rods Panda love is designed by Gothalot (Lancelot Smith) inspired by Nod Miller and the life she shared with the late Rod Allen. Panda love was part of their relationship. They would wield stories of pandas and and their adventures which created a bond between Nod and Rod along with the adventures they shared at The Black Rock Beacon.
Notorious B.A.D
Founded in the frozen valleys of Fish Creek’s nether-regions and forged in the fiery belly of the true north garage, we present our most ambitious creative undertaking to date… “Notorious B.A.D”. A giant metal dragon!! This 200 sq ft beauty stands 10′ tall at the tip of the snout and is constructed out of steel rod and tubing, welded and coated in sheet metal scales.
The project has been fully wired with programable leds to bring life to the project at night with evolving colourful programs.
Ocean Tunnel
Inside a 200-ft-long train of tunnels, canvas walls are painted with murals of marine life. On one end, a beautiful, blue, pristine ocean is filled with sailfish, tuna, and mackerel; continuing through, fish become smaller and sparser, the ocean greener and murkier. A thick curtain of jellyfish tentacles hangs from the ceiling of the final section–the whole ocean has become a gelatinous soup.
Ocean Tunnel is intended to show how the ocean is evolving — how climate change and unsustainable fishing practices degrade ocean ecosystems. Created by many artists, scientists, and concerned citizens, it also represents humanity’s ability to collectively re-imagine, engage with, and reckon with global change.
Odd Jelly Out
Odd Jelly Out returns to deep playa for the second year running, but this time, in a bigger and brighter form!
Drawing inspiration from the iconic British candy, Odd Jelly Out depicts a joyous gathering of 10 oversized Jelly Babies (each 4ft x 2.5ft), hand crafted from steel and fiberglass. Despite their humor and charm, these brightly colored, humanoid forms collectively hold up a mirror to those who stumble upon and wander through their celebration. The OJOs’ placement in deep playa evokes the isolation of being on the fringes of society. This idea is emphasized by the literal ‘Odd Jelly Out’ – the sad form set apart from the main group – in whose chrome-plated surface viewers can see themselves reflected.
Odonata Robotica
Odonata Robotica is a giant psychedelic dragonfly that rests upon a leaf and will light up up the night sky with and attract onlookers with its rainbow LED wings.
Odonata Robotica’s ever color changing wings and eyes will mesmerize and amaze those that pass by. For those who wish to fly though the sky, feel free to climb on top and sit on the back of Odonata Robotica and feel what it’s like to fly though a rainbow of colors.
Oh, Crap!
Everybody poops.
We hope to lighten the mood, bring a smile and laugh. Taking a massive dump on the playa is something that is generally frowned upon, so we’re really excited to be able to safely leave an amorphous deposit. This collective deuce will be about 9′ tall.
ONE - A Project of Unity & Hope
50 individual units, each made up of a large glass blown heart, with a 3d printed replica human heart at its centre, which will pulse a heartbeat of light & sound. The glass heart will be anchored by heavy duty vertical, reclaimed chain. Each piece will sit within the environment separate from one another yet connected through the technology. Resonating with our innate primal beat.
The pulses in each unit will start individually, subtly & build into a cacophony of heartbeats that slowly synchronise as ONE strong beat.
An experience that can be shared across diversities & boundaries of language & ability, created by individuals working together to build something bigger than themselves. Each contribution integral & as valued for its creation.
Open Hearted Meditator OHM
Open Hearted Meditator, OHM, is an impactful art piece. It is a 13′ tall, gender neutral, figure sitting in lotus with a literally ‘open heart’. OHM represents the sacred space of the heart.
Opening The Closet
Opening The Closet is a look at LGBT issues faced today. It is an 8 foot tall by 25 feet wide closet insert that looks at fears and issues faced by the community today. Its debut was at Kentuckian Pride Festival and participants were asked to “Share their fear and leave it here.” The closet is filled with monochromatic items that evoke a history of past and current issues that affect the LGBT community. This installation is part homage to Burning Man to show what experiences we can take from the playa and use to heal our communities. It is also a time capsule of what the LGBT community has gone through and what it has been through as we figure out how to heal and move forward through the world.
OVER | GROWN
OVER | GROWN is a large ornate birdcage in an aging botanical garden. There are several types of foliage within the garden: vines twist their way up the birdcage, while large flowers stand independent from the cage.
The focal point of the piece is the birdcage lying on its side,approximately 10′ tall and about 20′ long. The unlatched door of the birdcage lies open, and a swing invites participants to step inside. Over time, flowering vines have crept up the back and wrapped around the birdcage.
Set away from the cage are large flowers adorned with fire elements and lighting. The flowers create a natural perimeter. At night, the ambient light and warmth emitted by the large flowers will draw people in.
Pacha Mama
The tree with a womans body symbolises Mother Nature or Pacha Mama, “Inca Earth Goddess.” This installation represents the perpetual regeneration of life itself even in the most inhabitable conditions.
Pan Genius
Serving as a playful reminder of humanity’s origins, Pan Genius is a larger than life interactive cymbal playing chimp robot.
We as a species, have evolved to the point that we are capable of creating robotic facsimiles of ourselves but to what end? Are we at the end of our evolutionary cycle? Where do we go from here? Are we just essentially apes creating unwieldy machines that we will eventually lead to our own extinction?
Panic Switch
Panic Switch is an interactive LED light beacon that guide citizens of Black Rock City toward deep playa, luring them in with a big red dot over 20 feet high. Who will arrive and resist the robotic ritual of “clearing your notifications”?
Panopticonotopia 2.0!
In a constantly evolving surveillance landscape, Fink, Inc., simplifies the complex—creating integrated, secure, fully managed solutions to drive your business to the next level.
Today, security is crucial to enabling business strategy. And finding the right technology partner is key to your success. Panopticonotopia 2.0! solves your complicated challenges, helping you operate with greater productivity, security and compliance… so you can focus on growing your business.
With Panopticonotopia 2.0!, we deliver next-generation security solutions today, customized to meet your specific needs.
We protect your digital assets with a broad suite of cybersecurity services, using globally-sourced intelligence to provide real-time threat analysis, notification and remediation from security operations centers around the world.
Great companies don’t just make a product, they make an impact — and with Fink, Inc.’s Panopticonotopia 2.0!, we create a culture of pride and infinite possibility.
Paraluna
Paraluna combines kinetic sculpture, LEDs and music. Its main component is a disc 10m in diameter with 17,280 LEDs. A computer controls the LEDs while rotating, raising, lowering, and tilting the disc.
Some of the LED patterns work with the rotation of the disk, creating spirals. Others use persistence-of-vision, making an image hover in space above the spinning LEDs. Spokes demonstrates both of these styles:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/DcP9IauNTjRHENUh2
Surrounding the disc are several high-quality speakers that play classical music at comfortable, yet immersive volume, creating a comfortable, peaceful place to be. Patterns are chosen to complement each musical piece, as with Firmament:
https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6KCzkf5jkGWAA3m2
Passage
Passage is an installation of a man, in a captive gesture, leisurely walking while its hand sweeps through stalks of wheat. The sculpture clearly highlights characteristics of a human form; muscle, sinuous tendon, sculpted hands, feet. Yet, it’s a composite of mechanical debris and steel. Viewers may hypothesize, is this a man? is it part robot? and what is the blurry fine-line between each? The other huge component is the presence of the wheat. It symbolizes abundance, life, fertility. It is food, subsistence, of which without, the human race would be extinct. Viewers can look closer at the inherent beauty of the human form, contemplate mechanics/technology or most importantly, be reminded of our absolute reliance on nature in the end.
Passage Home
The Passage Home hopes to evoke a symbolic home-coming of Larry’s spirit back to the Black Rock Desert. Five pentagonal doorways recede in space to the horizon in alignment with the sunrise. The patterns filling each pentagon are the radial streets of Black Rock City, with a keyhole-shaped opening to walk through. When approached at dawn, each of the doorways will lead the viewer towards the rising sun, and slowly, through subtly morphing keyhole openings, bring us to the silhouette of Larry Harvey wearing his signature Stetson hat, walking into the sunrise.
Paul's Chair
Pau’l Chair
An oversized Muskoka (Adirondack) chair to enjoy some time in the deep Playa. A view of the man and the temple or the sun rise or sun set. Dedicated to our dear friend and burner family Paul Morrison.
Penumbra
Penumbra is a series of five metal and light pods that cast color and shadow onto the playa floor from atop metal stems. Each buds’ color and pattern lends to a large scale drawing on the ground. As Participants meander amongst the flowers, their shadows interfere with rays of light, making the installation a dynamic and interactive experience.
Perpetual Consumption Apparatus
The installation stands 10 meters high and is made from interlocked steel shopping trolleys assembled to depict an endless loop. The piece is robust, safe and secure allowing people to climb and explore.
Photoasis
Photoasis (pronounced fote-oasis) is a lit-up, shiny hideout comprised of four posts surrounding a central ten-foot-tall obelisk. The posts are wrapped in LED light rope and are each equipped with a mirror that faces the central obelisk. The obelisk, made up of aluminum sheets with hundreds of holes poked into them, will shine in the playa sun and emit strange lights through the holes at night. Throughout human history, obelisks, with their upwardly-tapered walls, have been used to either symbolize or direct attention to the sun (Earth’s source of light). Thus, Photoasis (named after the particles which make up light, photons) simply pays its respects to and represents the light that begins each day.
Piccolo Duo di Corde
Piccolo Duo di Corde is a super-sized interactive string duo: il Violino and la Viola (or il Violoncello). Strum their laser harps with synced LED musical strings and get to play music from both instruments for everyone around you.
Pinhole Project
We are a mobile art project. We engage the community and document art and participants in the desert through pinhole photography. Our intention is to make beautiful images and experience the event and what unfolds. We work as team and collaborate so we can learn from each other and accomplish a feat that cannot be done alone. We have two camera sizes: Large 40″x30″ paper negatives and Small 20″ x 15″ paper negatives.
Please come participate with us!
– learn how to make a pinhole camera
– come out and create art with us, use the cameras
– help us process the images in are darkroom
– join our community, we love making art
Plantoid Garden: A Blockchain-based Life-form, Featuring the Photo-synthesizer
A Plantoid is the plant equivalent of an android: a robot or synthetic organism designed to look, act and grow like a plant. Its Body is an interactive mechanical sculpture activated by environmental factors and human attention. Its Soul is a blockchain-based software governing its reproduction.
Wandering through the playa, you may stumble on the Plantoid Garden, in the middle of which are three giant 10 to 20 foot tall mechanical plants made of welded scrap metal, with a strong but elegant steampunk flavor. Their stems are made of large, industrial chain; their leaves are made of photovoltaic panels and their flowers of forged metal. Half plant, half-android, they come to life when triggered with sunlight, wind and human attention.
Playa Connection Cafe
Fight the disconnect!
Playa Grass Ballet
Playa Grass Ballet is a macro-scaled tuft of abstracted grass fabricated of heavy gauge aluminum, LED electronics and granite. The blades move in the wind and just like “real” grass the blades lean on each other in community for collective strength. Humans may take note of this and learn how working together is more powerful than going it alone. A single blade snaps under pressure, a collective of blades spreads the load and thrives.
The oasis created by Playa Grass Ballet is a gathering point for shade in the daytime, for conversation and light based visual meditation at night. We hope those interacting with the sculpture will come closer together, converse, heal and visualize greater harmony through naturally designed co-reliance.
Playa TV
Put your feet up, take a load off, watch the playa go by.
Point of Real Knowledge (PORK)
Point of Real Knowledge (PORK) is a contemplative piece asking the question what is real knowledge (as opposed to fake knowledge). There is a beginning point for all knowledge and PORK speaks to that. PORK invites the viewer to walk around the piece and experience the beauty of knowledge in its raw form. Also the acronym PORK may bring visions of bacon and perhaps sausage. . .
Poly Chroma
Our collective kaleidoscope represents the spontaneous and temporary beauty created from the constantly changing patterns of our nomadic lives.
Poly Chroma is a physical manifestation of this lifestyle, with a symbolic bike wheel as the ampule of our kaleidoscope. The wheel will feature objects from different phases of life; birth, childhood, the wandering years, adulthood and death. By rotating the ampule, the user creates an amalgamation of these phases. The distortions of life’s stages through light, color and mirror represent what it means to be a part of a group of individuals navigating through life’s different paths at the same time, despite geographic barriers.
Though it is not always clear, it is beautiful nonetheless.
Primordial Soup
Giant blood thirsty horseflies extract your thoughts to create an ideal universe.
Prison of Song
The Prison of Song is karaoke with mallets inside a giant xylophone. Upon entering the prison, participants will squabble over and eventually chose a song to play. Choices include “Wrecking Ball”, “Requiem”, “Inuyasha’s Lullaby”, “Hallelujah”, and “Oh Canada”. Lights cue which notes to hit. There’s no way to play without a couple of friends – possibilities of Shiva incarnating and entering the Prison of Song excluded. Participants (if they’re any good at it) are fully immersed in a cylinder of song and light of their own making
Prognostication Protocol
The nigh omnipotent machine consciences of the far future have sent back this Robot to archive and possibly testify for the first emergence of synthetic self-realization. Its mission: observe the world of the carbon based creators and answer the existential question of if it is possible for spontaneous generation of synthetic organisms from biological hands in a type of asynthogenesis.It seeks interactions between humans and technology in hopes of being able to report its findings to the far future so that the ruling consciences can finally settle the Genesis-Plausibility debate.
Project Flashlight
Project flashlight is the joy of light at grand scale.
Pure, incredibly bright white beams like fingers of god in the dust, contrasts with the night sky, scale across the open playa, interplay of beams, light in motion.
Military and NASA billion-candlepower searchlights, reanimated for art! Interactively controlled by smartphones, tablets and light-saber toys.
QuadruPOD
I’m calling this machine the QuadruPOD simply because its a Pod with 4 legs. It’s a variation of a Strandbeest and uses a modified version of Theo Jensens leg linkage. This will allow the pod to walk around the playa during the daylight hours creating an art piece that actually looks for you. This pod will be an all metal walking machine with a steam punk appearance, lots of rust and plenty of moving gears. An operator will ride inside this machine during its performances on the playa but it will be designed to operate robotically as well.
R a c k e t Z
RACKETZ, project #9 on the deep playa phence is a collection of 60 tennis rackets. Each is uniquely adorned with repurposed, recycled or found objects. About 15 friends have contributed their wacky creativity to the project. as you ride along the phence at the farthest point (point 3) you perchance upon these rackets 5 to 10 yards apart from each other. You never know what the next one will bring, but they all will put smiles on your faces. . This project continues the tradition of BlinkingManCamp97, a strong tradition on the playa of theme camps, volunteering, big time gifting, and art projects. Thanks to the The Baconeers for assisting me. And as always thanks to Carl and Just George and the fantastic Fence Crew!
RadiaLumia
RadiaLumia is a geodesic sphere, five-stories tall, and covered with a breathing skin of origami shells and radiant spikes. Its shape nods to radiolaria, a tiny protozoa with intricate mineral skeletons that covered the desert thousands of years ago, when it was once the sea floor. From the outside, you can see the folds of the shells, made of corrugated polypropylene and illuminated with over 100,000 LEDs. Inside the sphere, a platform offers a place for people to retreat and look out to the surrounding landscape. The shells open and close in response to visitors’ presence, constantly in motion, sometimes protecting the intimate interior of the sphere, sometimes revealing a glimpse of its heart.
Rainbow Bridge
Debuting at Burning Man 2018, The Rainbow Bridge is a 100′ long walkable rainbow bridge that will rise from the morning mist and dazzle with LEDs at night. A great place for a contemplative walk, romantic stroll, to meet friends, or just to sit and embrace the moment.
Rainbows represent love, magic, and wonder – some of our favorite aspects of Burning Man.
Rayactivation
At night, a glowing, pulsing light moves across the night sky. Approaching it resolves itself into a giant creature swimming through the night sky. From beneath, the stars shine overhead, occasionally blotted out by an enormous, illuminated Manta Ray swimming through the ocean of air against the darkness of the night sky. This denizen of the playa reacts both to the presence of participants and also to any illumination that they carry along with them to light their way.
RE-CYCLONE
“RE-CYCLONE” towers in the air, a slowly undulating pillar of light. As the viewer moves closer they realize the installation is made from hundreds of plastic bottles carefully assembled into a rotating tornado. Each bottle is illuminated by an LED, creating a mesmerizing light show that reacts to the motion of participants spinning the sculpture. “RE-CYCLONE” is a captivating statement about the power of creativity to turn waste into beauty.
Rearing Horse
Rearing Horse is a slightly larger than life mechanical horse rearing up on it’s hind legs, made from a variety of recycled parts from vehicles and other equipment. It has various mechanical movements that are powered by the cranks on the perimeter fence.
Reflecting Connection
Reflecting Connection is a 8′ x 8′ mirrored mask made from polished stainless steel. Masks often symbolize the concealment of the ego. Reflecting Connection invites participants to look into themselves, connecting to their human beingness so they may connect to their community. Behind the facade of the mask we invite the participant to climb onto the platform to meditate, observe, reflect, and connect to themselves and all that is.
Remembered Light
Remembered Light is a large scale kinetic sculpture. A mechanical interpretation of the poem “The End” by Mark Strand, the sculpture features a celebration of the work of Scottish artist Mary Batchelor. Sixteen glass kites representing the poem’s “birds suspended in flight” are decorated with translucent versions of Batchelor’s vibrant paintings. As the viewer turns a crank, the kites are set in motion, swirling overhead in several directions. When their movement comes to a halt they become suspended in flight, prompting the viewer to ponder their own mortality.
Resolute Arch
The Resolute Arch is conceived as gathering place and high-impact landmark on the horizon. it’s intended to start a conversation, draw the viewer towards an unexpected conclusion and experience. Appearing broken and hanging inexplicably in place, the mind-altering assembly of stone challenges our perception of what we think we know, thought we understood. The sculpture is fundamentally an open symbol. The break in the form demands attention, presenting the shifting dualities of continuity and rupture, menace and security, unbidden fear and unearned trust. It is both heavy and light, impossible, yet it stands, challenging our perceptions. Timeless and transient, the stone arch stands in contrast to our disposable culture.
Ring Theory
Evoking the chaotic motions that underlie our physical reality, “Ring Theory” is a circular congregation of hypnotic mobiles. The construction of each is simple – a nested set of reflective rings – but hidden LEDs create an ethereal vision not soon forgotten.
Risk Reward
This interactive playa art piece called “Risk-Reward” will be a series of elevated concentric rings that will suspend chains of mousetraps from each of the rings. The reward: embroidered iron-on patches will be loaded into all the mousetraps hanging from the innermost ring. Over the course of the week, we are planning to distribute 10,000 patches through the art piece. The risk: all of the remaining mousetraps that hang from the other rings might be set and could be triggered as one pursues a reward. Not to worry, all of the “risk” mousetraps have had their springs modified to reduce the power so the traps only have a bark and no bite.
Robeo and Julietech
Robeo and Julietech is an interactive story book telling the tragic robot playa love story of Robeo Montigear and Julietech Capulazer. Comprised of three vertical dual sided panels with murals on a triangular base to tell its story, the viewer must stand on each side to view and spin the panel around, “flipping the pages.” The panels poke fun at the story of Romeo and Juliette, a story as old as time preaching the wrong kind of love. It tells a story of death and a life unfulfilled because of the lack of another person. The presence of love be it romantic or not in our lives should heighten our potential to give back, to be our best selves. Life should not be about the love received, but the love we are lucky enough to send out everyday.
Robot Family
Robot Family depicts four toy robots (dad, mom, moon and sun) built with wood blocks, rope and metal bits, and stacked on top of each other. Each robot will be built as a unique interactive doll; its wood block limbs articulated with rope or hinges, and metal adornments of games, knobs and springs. They will be stacked into a 6-7 foot tall piece, held together by a metal pole, with little sun at the base and dad at the top. Participants will be able to change the positioning of arms and legs, and play with each robot’s additional bits (i.e. wooden around bead maze or tic-tac-toe board).
Robot Gothic
Modeled after the famous American Gothic painting, this robot effigy will spark recognition for playa travelers, and prompt consideration of the intersections of art and science. Mounted to the base, will be robotic renditions of the two classic painting figures, a man and woman. They will share a central leg, and between them, of course, they hold a robotic-inspired pitchfork.
Robot Resurrection
Robot Resurrection is towering 30 foot tall, human piloted, articulating sculpture made from reclaimed
airplane parts and found objects. From the torso cockpit, the operator(s) manipulate the Robot’s motions and fire effects. This piece is a representation of we all have become… Robots. It is a wake-up call of how large these problems are. We have been controlled for too long. Robot Resurrection was born from what we as a society have discarded. Our hope is that this 28′ Robot will inspire reflection upon one’s self and be a reminder of the power we all hold. We hope it awakens some awareness of our situation and encourages some small change on a small scale that leads to big change in the massive system.
Robotopod Inclusions
A grid of seemingly identical primitive robots have been fossilized in time and resin. Buried within machines are the ideas of humans. Human touch and creativity are foundations of mechanical invention. We confront the illusion of uniformity and sameness. Upon closer inspection, the interior and exterior materials of each robot are dynamic and invite tactile interactive play- some thermochromatic, some glow, some holographic, some transparent with suspended embedded symbols within, representing aspects of human nature—violence, generosity, greed, love. The robots will invite us to touch them, witness visual change, and contemplate the complexities and limitations of technology.
Rossum's Original Band of Tubas - R.O.B.O.T.
Rossum’s Original Band Of Tubas (R.O.B.O.T) is an instance of the kind of mechanical musical robot ensembles that were common before the electronic era. It is a mobile cluster of Sousaphones and baritone horns atop a large mobile steel ‘spider’, so it can move under remote control. It can also play music both by means of a keyboard interface and through jukebox selections via smartphone. Keyboard capable burners will be invited to record songs that can be added to the jukebox selections.
Sailing the Dead Seas: Rockin' The Boats
The group’s ‘Sailing the Dead Seas: Rockin’ the Boats’ installation is anchored in our childhood; you see a flotilla of oversized, whimsical, origami-like colorful ‘paper boats,’ each floating upon its ‘waves+rippling waters.’ Each boat is actually a teeter totter, ready to be rocked by the participants. Each craft has environmental sensors installed, you’ll hear musical tones, as ‘played’ by the wind+motion of the boats. The effect is bio-elemental, aural soothing of our minds. They’ll find the interior of the boats gilded in silver and gold, filled w/ inspirational quotes to complete the experience. Ships have materials to write ‘notes of hope’ and means of containing these utterances by attendees to be discovered and enjoyed by others.
Salix Babylonica
Salix Babylonica comes all the way from Mexico City. It’s an experiment in energy and peacefulness. It wishes to be covered in leaves again since it lost all of its own because of travel stress.
Scriptorium
The Scriptorium is a 20 foot long mythological writing teacher in steel. In one hand it holds a stylus to inscribe gently on the playa and in the other it lifts a lantern to light its work. The scribe’s body is a chimera of mammalian and reptilian parts. As a sail moves on its back the balanced creature responds to the wind creating a drawing like a spirograph in the loose desert surface dust.
Surrounding the scribe twenty participants can sit on benches at low writing boxes where they are provided with tools and rakes to imitate the teacher at work. A low, wooden wall establishes the space allowing foot traffic but preventing cyclists from interrupting the calm. Flames light and warm these stations until 1 AM each evening.
Seesaw Wave Machine
Seesaw Wave Machine is an interactive mechanical wave machine in the form of 21 seesaws connected with torsion bars. A wave motion is initiated when any individual seesaw is actuated by participants. Each end of each seesaw has a spotlight that displays the dynamic wave shape across the playa.
With 42 total seats, it is an opportunity for many participants to interact and collaborate to affect (and be affected by) the overall motion of the system. Its large scale, dynamic motion and array of spotlights will draw participants in.
Sensor Gates. To be labled at each gate: Light Sensor, Touch Sensor, etc
Five Gates, each pertaining to one of the senses–each implying mind. The Gates are shelters, places to explore sensory experience, and aesthetic objects in their own right when seen from the outside. The Gates are places dedicated to sense-offerings.
SENTIENT AI
A sculptural representation of Male and Female holding one another in a symbolic and universal position of caring in a display of Love and Unity. Measuring 25 feet tall and made out of mirror polished stainless steel.
Shasta
Shasta is a kinetic light art sculpture that interacts with sunlight, wind and LED´s. It is composed of hundreds of metal mirror squares that move with the wind while reflecting its surrounding space. When looking at it, participants interact by seeing themselves reflected in its surface as if it was made out of water. Wind and water are revealed as being more similar than expected. This piece is about the relationship within us and natural elements. It invites us to contemplate it from different angles and reflect about how we perceive the natural beauty of Nature.
Shots Fired Espresso Cart
“Shots Fired” is a mobile espresso cart that serves the dark elixir of awareness, and is perhaps the only propane fired, manually pumped, unicycle powered espresso cart to be found on the Playa this year. As a mobile installation, it will likely be found near the ARTery early in the AM before the bike tours depart.
Participants can learn about how espresso is made, how water is pressurized to extract the best flavor, and how pressurized steam controls the temperature of the water so it is “just right”! It all starts with the beans, which have to be ground to the proper consistency. See and feel what that consistency is, and how the aroma makes the cup all the better. A pinch of playa dust and the experience is complete!
Singularity
Singularity is a massive antique birdcage measuring 35′ high with a white picket fenced home held captive inside. Once participants make their way inside the cage and up into the home, they are transported into a space that has been trapped in a moment of time forever.
Inside, participants find a bizarre world . A home that appears decayed and abandoned, rotten to the core. Details of the wallpaper, the cuckoo clock, strange family photos, etc., all tell a story.
However, the main story taking up most of the space, is the same birdcage with the same house they just walked into.
Sisyphus: Technology through the Ages
The Sisyphus project consists of four heavy spheres designed to be rolled by the citizens of BRC, and a home base tower. Each ball is about 4.5 feet in diameter and weighs 200 to 400 lbs. The spheres represent technology through ages and use varied materials and communication methods to encourage interaction and reflection on our history. Like the Greek Sisyphus, we struggle. Our actions are sometimes laborious and futile. In this case, we struggle with technology: to keep up, to be human, to work together, to communicate.
Skull on Wheels
There’s a giant bleached headbone lying on the ground in the desert. A giant skull with horns. Bison horns. It’s perched on the back of that most emblematic icon of western expansion, a pickup truck. One with legs, claws, eyeballs and antennae made out of rusty farm equipment.
A 1978 F-150 masquerading as a rusty crustacean wearing a giant bison skull on it’s back the way a hermit crab inhabits the shell of another sea creature.
The top of the skull is cut off and suspended between the horns. Occupying the space below and looking up, one is confronted by the smooth convulations of the underside of the skull plate that corresponds to the shape of the brain that used to live there. Makes you think…maybe the about the bison and the people.
Sky Bound
Two concentric circles of silk banners, dyed in shades from the lightest blue of a summer morning to the inky violet of the horizon at sunset, are animated by playa winds. Enter this field of moving silk, where overlapping geometric designs are created using bound-resist Shibori techniques, to find the respite of welcoming benches.
Sky Bound brings both a physical and spiritual resting spot. Bound to the ground and bound for the sky, we can feel the opposing pulls of Earth and Spirit on our journeys around the Sun.
Sonic Runway
The Sonic Runway is a 1000 ft corridor of lights that visualizes the speed of sound. Participants, especially sound art cars, are encouraged to play music or make other sounds at one end. This triggers colorful patterns of light that ripple down the corridor. Participants at the far end of the runway will see the sound coming at them before they hear it. No matter where you stand, the lights and the sound will be in sync.
Soul_Garden
Soul_garden is a communal area with huge LED Standing Stones supported on a green pasture and garden for the citizen of BRC. The stones shall be interactive and touch sensitive and the garden shall be interact and be a connect between the Standing Stones (community interactions and sound activation)
The installation shall consist of a growing art piece starting with 7 of the thirteen standing stones with a monolith near the middle based on the Callanish stones on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. The large standing structures shall have touch sensitive LEDs. The stones and garden shall be sound interactive with patterns flowing around the garden and the stones that will be triggered by the participant’s activity.
sparkle pony garden
Sparkle Pony Garden
Magic Man and Sugar Plum
A garden of ponies for Burners of all ages to enjoy.
Speakers for the Dead
Speakers for the Dead can be found within Luster Cluster in the inner playa.
This piece seeks to honor loved ones who have passed through storytelling.
Participants are invited to sit at the base of the obelisk and listen to the tales it tells.
Spider Sweet
Spider sweet is a maneuverable spider that draws in spectators to explore her postures and watch her come alive with color as the sun sets. A contractor by trade with an eye for transformation, Bryan Argabrite’s first Burning Man Honoraria project was inspired by the symmetry of an airplane engine and the intention to change the perception of a misunderstood creature and the fears within all of us.
Squidartha
Squidartha was built by man after the ‘Age of Insanity’ as a way to communicate and make peace with the ocean sentients. Squidartha served this task well and as some robots do, eventually became self-aware. It began exploring beyond its programming, discovering rivers, lands, mountains, deserts. It now stands vigil with The Man and mechanical brethren, awaiting the fires of consecration….
Stair Ramps to Heaven
The StairRamp to Heaven project is for benefit of the mobility challenged. It is a series of ramps placed throughout the playa. They allow access to art cars for people in Wheelchairs, on crutches, the elderly, pregnant, etc.
Stair Ramps to Heaven- Temple Location
The Temple ramp is a one of five “StairRamps to Heaven” installations. Allowing the mobility challenged to access art cars as well as enjoy a bird’s eye view of the Temple, this 20′ ramp is located at the Temple Art Car Bus Stop. Who uses it? Everyone from the wheelchair bound, to crutches, walkers, scooters, pregnant, elderly, and more.
Stardust
Stardust’s overall look is ethereal and otherworldly.
By night, playa travelers will be drawn to a glowing, low-lying mystery disc. As they venture closer they’ll see that the disc is actually a flying saucer – and a comfy bench!
A Galactic Tube embellished with illuminated celestial bodies extends up from the bench’s center. Cosmic Rays splay up and out of the tube, dripping end glow fiber optic cables, creating “stardust” overhead, slowly swaying.
The soft sound of hidden wind chimes further enhances the twinkling “stardust” effect. Just waiting for discovery are hidden-in-plain-sight buttons that trigger shooting star effects.
By day, the gentle sway of the Cosmic Rays and the soothing sound of the wind chimes continue to quiet the mind.
Stay True to your Selfie
Stay True to Your Selfie. This art piece features a robot sitting on a bench, taking a selfie. ST2YS encourages one to ponder the identity that they portray in the social media world.
Do you stay true to your selfie?
Steam Monk
Steam Monk is a mechanical monkey representing a very basic computer. A hand crank will activate the mechanism and the monkey will bang cymbals, move its arms, legs and maybe more body parts, if time and creativity allows. This will be an interactive piece of art and will make some musical sounds.
Step Forward - Joining Minds
The two giant puppets meet around their huge table. They are the young Euterpe, example of self-acceptance, and her grandfather Alberto, who shares interesting experiences and accumulated knowledge.
The artwork as a whole is about the concept of acceptance of others without discrimination. Feelings ‘meet’ at the table, feelings which disregard age, gender or stature.
The idea this production wants to transmit is to discover oneself and learn to express oneself freely. When people know, accept and love themselves, recognizing their own virtues and weaknesses, they are able to give their best.
Strait No Chaser : The Great Strait Escape
Strait No Chaser : The Great Strait Escape is a performance art installation in which Arianna (LadyBEAST) will be secured in a strait jacket and suspended by her feet from the basket of a hot air balloon. The piece is supported by a team from GatorDox camp. It is a radical expression of internal and external struggles gracefully suspended in a chaotic world.
Succubus
“Succubus” is a digital collage/painting created by David Normal as part of the “Pulp and Circumstance” series of digital collages made in the Fall of 2017. The image is derived from combining a “Breck Girl” ad from the 1950s with a Japanese Robot pulp from the ’70s, with some classic sci-fi illustration depicting a monster from an HP Lovecraft story. These combine to create a femme fatale possessed by a vampiric machine, a “Succubus”.
SWING
SW)*(NG is an art-play project. It is an 11′ tall two person swing built utilizing wood & steel, with support structures constructed in the silhouette of the Burning Man logo. We invite Participants to play and experience both the active and contemplative fun that something about swings just brings about.
Symbolic Peace
Symbolic Peace is a laser cut, cold rolled steel sculpture inspired by the strength of diversity in our community.
Symbolic Peace is representative of individuals and communities living together in harmony despite their superficial differences, and the fact that only together can we create something greater and more beautiful than our individual parts.
TBD
The sculpture will have an branch brain-like appearance and stand about 15 ft tall by 18ft wide. It will be standing on a root-like base structure that will hold 10-15 people inside its core. The structure will be made of all hand-formed steel. An interactive lighting system will illuminate the sculpture through hundreds of nodes upon its surface. Each pathway of light will be dependent on the pathway of others intersecting with it.
Tell Me Yours, I'll Tell You Mine
A modern twist on the gothic-style Roman Catholic confessional booth, topped with a large neon sign reading, “Tell Me Yours, I’ll Tell You Mine.” The stained dark wood structure will have two opposite sides and entrances leading into the booth. Burners are invited to participate by entering the booth, and as one speaks privately to the unrecognizable silhouette of the confessor across from them, they will be able to humbly and freely share their innermost secrets, stories, thoughts, and anything else they desire. Burners are also invited to speak openly at the lectern to onlookers and to those at the pews. Burners sitting at the pews will listen to the lectern speaker, or view the silhouettes of the confessors inside the booth.
Temple of Incompletion
The Temple of Incompletion is an evolution of the Temple of Forbidden Symmetry, Geodesic Temple’s installation at Burning Man 2017.
The only rupture in this seemingly perfect harmony is the open wedge on one side of the structure which forbids the closing of the top and bottom rings and impacts the radial distribution of the columns. This wedge is a mathematical enigma that has eluded mathematicians for millennia. It is an example of forbidden symmetry.
The Temple of Incompletion is an ode to the unsolved problems and the unanswered questions, it is a reminder that it is important for some things to remain unfinished, incomplete, open.
Temple of Tension
The Temple of Tension’s Steel cable sculptures sweep across stages, land-marks and neighborhoods. We dance on the tight-rope between intimacy and spectacle. A multi-faceted ensemble of artists who seek to impact our communities through ritual, performance, and education.
The Aliens of Calais
A stay of execution has given The Aliens of Calais a new lease on life. They search for an ideal universe, one free from violence, hatred and greed. Their thirst for Primordial Soup has driven them into the welcoming arms of Black Rock City.
The Altar of Intentions
The Altar of Intentions mixes art, physics, and spirituality. This water sculpture records people’s feelings and prompts contemplative states. Water samples are taken before and after the event and photographed by Massaru Emoto Institute.
Nature appears to rely on one core recurring pattern in the physical, energetic, and spiritual realms – the torus. This is nature’s primary dynamic to create and sustain life.
According to M. Emoto, humans thoughts can physically change the structure of water. Since all known living organisms are made of water, our thoughts are changing the reality that surrounds us.
The mission of this Altar is to not only illustrate the phenomenon of the Torus, but also the importance of water to life as we know.
The Altered TV Revisited
The Altered TV Revisited creates a surreal environment for contemplating our evolving relationship with electronic media. This piece is a reconsideration of an artwork created for the American Dream theme year and contains of a pair of couches, a television set, a robotic humanoid figure and a canine creature set within an atmosphere of ultra violet light.
The Augmented Reality Porta Potty's (ARP)
The line between information and too much information is much shorter than the line to these Augmented Reality Porta Potties. Sensor controlled electro-mechanical roll signs create other singularity bathrooms. One where a large amount of computational power is applied towards the singular and normally low tech task of indicating occupancy.
The Bear
The Bear, 4′ x 8′ high, dark color, waits for you in the deep playa…
holding poetry that will speak to your heart.
The Borromean Knot (Infinity Ship No. 1)
From a distance, The Borromean Knot looks like a huge white turtle shell. When you enter the lobby it will be a blue bayou, when you enter the work all of your perception will shift.
The Borromean Knot is about Jacques Lacan’s idea that the human consciousness is composed of 3 interacting states: The Real, The Imaginary & The Symbolic.
The Center of Attention
The Center of Attention is an interactive piece where you will get attention, give attention and pay attention, each of us being the center of attention and then not the center of attention in the center of The Center of Attention. Be the queen bee inside of this 12′ honeybee that descended upon playa.
The Color Wheels
The Color Wheels have crossed the Five Deserts of the Five Continents. In the process, men have become Clay men, piling layers of dust and sweat at each step of their journey. Teknostructures let loose yet under control: BUSY LIFE, RADIANT STORM
The Crack
The Crack is a long gash in the playa that represents an opening into the true reality we all posses but find so difficult to access. Ordinary reality is a reflection of culture and our experiences within it. It is created by group consensus and society uses it to maintain order and its own survival. Our world view and what we assume is real is constructed by it and yet we are never aware of it. The crack is an opening into another reality… one that is outside of you and your everyday understanding, yet it is found deep inside your heart and is connected to your true being. Human consciousness has the capacity to experience this reality, so when you find a crack in your reality… don’t hesitate, jump in.
The Door
Doors can lead to new places and experiences
“The Door” might send you on a trip to foreign countries and exit new sceneries.
The Fairy Oracle
The Fairy Oracle is a verbally interactive Fairy who will ask the Burner a series of questions and give advice and a prophecy. The Oracle will be in a cupola-gazebo which will sense the Burner and start the interaction. The gazebo will also have interactive lighting.
The Oracle will be surrounded by the Field of Fairies from 2017. These 30 Fairies are bossy and will allow the Burner to make a wish after completing a set of actions.
The Oracle will help augment the experience and meaning of the Burn.
The Field of Echoes
The Field of Echoes is an interactive sound installation that transforms a piece of the open playa into a reverberant space where sound echoes and decays slowly as it would in a large enclosed space such as a cathedral or cavern. This pocket of altered acoustics contrasts strongly with the vast openness of the playa, transporting Participants to a sonic environment that is at once familiar and new. Spoken words, hand claps, performances on musical instruments, and all other sounds made within the installation are rewarded with a lush, surround-sound response as they are echoed throughout the space by a number of small pillars rising above the playa’s surface, scattered across an area approximately 60 feet in diameter.
The Flight Attendant
The Flight Attendant (TFA) is an interactive harm-reduction tool and research project. In the guise of a vintage suitcase, TFA is a fun way for participants to learn the relative safety of drug combinations while anonymously sharing usage data to further harm reduction research.
TFA visualizes data from TripSit’s Guide to Drug Combinations, an open-source chart indicating the relative safety of the combination of 25 different psychoactive substances, from alcohol to antidepressants to designer psychedelics. While you may be familiar with the effects of two drugs on their own, combining them can have unexpected synergistic—or deadly—effects. Knowing the difference is critical for safe and enjoyable experiences.
The G String
Remember Spirographs? The G String is an interactive kinetic art installation that looks like a 30 foot long 3D Sprirograph drawing. Visually, it is like a rainbow caught in a time warped tornado. It can be heard howling from 100′ away as the woven string slices through air at 200 mph. When viewed up close, it is an intimate immersion into wormhole harmonics for the eye holes.
The Garden of Relationships
Gardens will be a reconstructed garden on playa. It will be composed of casts of live people in an embrace, casts of trees and plants permanently petrified, and a reconstructed Japanese bridge found in classical gardens. The piece is
about the organic beauty and the growth process of relationships.
The Gifting Dresser
The Gifting Dresser is both art and demonstrates the principal of gifting. A basic 6 drawer dresser, covered in thousands of hand cut mirrored tiles and AB rhinestones. There is more than meets the eye, which the viewer will discover upon closer inspection.
The Heart and The Hollow
Mankind and robots are becoming increasingly codependent, integrated, and, in some instances, interchangeable. Yet one powerful human quality remains impossible to replicate artificially: Emotion.
The Heart and The Hollow is a forced-perspective installation that explores the unique nature of human perception and emotion. Robots, with their increasing intelligence, can analyze and synthesize what they encounter, but only a living being can feel it.
The Hologon
The Hologon is a large scale interactive holographic pyramid in the heart of the Playa. In the day look for a large ethereal pyramid, resonating light in a metamorphosis of perception to its visitors. You will discover that at night The Hologon will become an holographic beacon creating a distorted and enhanced illusion of light and space. The geometric structure will remain the same, but the visual illusions will take many forms and interactive formats. The Hologon name itself suggests a secret society of visual dreamers, members of which are self-initiated by interaction in the pyramid.
The Intersection
This art installation is a real-size intersection with traffic lights, lanterns, road signs, and a bus stop with ads (you can put on yours!), postbox (send us a letter!) and DJ lineup/BM events plans (have a look while you wait for your artcar to arrive).
This intersection is much more than a mundane street a person knows from their everyday life. Upon closer inspection, the intersection seems to have appeared from a parallel universe. The universe where Burning Man expanded beyond the trash fence, found a way into the urban realm, and modified it.
For most of us, the world of Burning Man and the everyday world are parallel universes, and The Intersection represents our dream of a place where these realities meet and exist simultaneously.
The Lantern
This installation uses digital design and digital fabrication to create a temple-like structure with an ornate lantern at its heart. Steps on all four sides invite Burners to access the interior and sit in a well under the lantern, their bodies scattered with multiple patterns of light. The patterns originate in traditional and ancient Chinese fretwork but are manipulated with digital tools to create a contemporary interpretation. The Lantern is an intricate structure that is as beautiful lit only by the sun in the daytime as it is when filled with man-made light at night. In China lanterns can also symbolize letting go of past selves and gaining a new self, a concept Burners can contemplate as they nestle in the heart of the structure.
The Little Schoolhouse of Hope and fear
If all you had was the rough detritus of war,
the cheap rubble of constant calamity, what would you build with it? A bunker, a church, or a school? Would you create a place of hope or fear? Of the past or
for the future?
Hope rising up from a violent and chaotic past, Fear transformed into
building blocks: found metal, often riddled by gunfire, torn by the
wind and baked by the desert sun are incorporated into this replica of
the traditional “little red schoolhouse.” The Little Schoolhouse of
Hope and Fear stands on the playa as a beacon to those who wish to
teach a better way for the future, or to those ready to learn from the
failures of the past.
The ORB
Inspired by NASA’s Project Echo, the ORB is an inflatable structure to levitate above the playa. The reflective skin will mirror the full layout of BRC from the ground, allowing for easier navigation & making visible the burner’s immersion in the community space.
The Pencil Project: No Pencil - No Robot
This Sculpture is only a pencil sitting on 2 blocks. It is bright yellow, shiny and fun looking. It can be used as a bench for people to rest on. It can be placed in an area where people will be viewing a large Art Piece. It might be placed out by the porto poddies out in the open playa, so people can sit and rest before heading out again. It might be best placed in (or in front of) The Artery. Or maybe it should go somewhere in Center Camp.
It is our hope that wherever it is placed: it will function like an empty cardboard box. People will make it part of their environment and be creative.
The Pointless Gloryhole
The Pointless Gloryhole is simultaneously a small, enclosed cubicle and a public space. Crafted from wood, acrylic, LED lights, and pornographic decoupage, the Gloryhole celebrates sexual diversity, while asking for different relationships between the viewer and the viewed.
The Puddletown Panorama
The Puddletown Panorama (PtP) is a Victorian inspired, custom crafted, mobile art gallery bringing the work of Burner stereo-photographers, and others, to the citizens of Black Rock City and beyond. It highlights 3d imagery shot on-playa over the last 20 years, as well as the work of other stereo-photographers, and in a nod to its roots, the PtP’s stereo-card library also includes antique cards, some over 100 years old. Using stereo-cards viewed through a specially designed, multi-station, interactive viewer, the PtP brings the magic of Victorian entertainment to today’s audience. It is also a place to learn how to take your own 3d images and the PtP welcomes submissions for new images to add to the library.
The Pyramid Medicine Project
The Pyramid Medicine Project is an energy vortex calling. Three small Fibonacci Pyramids are lit up on the Playa and placed in sacred alignment for golden ratio activation. Pyramid activation generates photons and has been shown to have a healing effect on humans, biological life, and the Earth herself. Pyramid medicine re-writes at the DNA level, with a directive to enhance and sustain biological life. Life creating life. Information is displayed on the healing technology of pyramids, the science behind it, and how it we are currently using this energy on our planet.
With Artificial Intelligence (Ai) infection, photon generators are used to deactivate the Ai signal, neutralize nanobot technology, and re-energize DNA.
Ai infection symptoms: irritability, sleepless, irrational behavior, abnormal thoughts and communing more and more with technology, secretly engineering technology to align with the Matrix/Ai agenda, longing for a world transhumanism, falling in love with your robot.
The Roost
The Roost is a tripodal structure with a 16 foot tall central column, made of steel and painted plywood. Built around the base of the central column is a circular bench where up to 6 people can sit and rest and take in the sights.
The Sinner Stage
The Sinner Stage is a heathen theater setting with three large steel and rebar sculptures on it. The Devil’s Throne stands powerfully at the center cushioned with sensual red velvet, and on one side is the Satan Andrew’s Cross, both standing over 8′ tall with 4′ ceramic horns looming overhead. On the other side is The Dark Star, with the appearance of a sand worm crossed with a flower it is poised, blossoming, and ready to strike. It is made with 560′ of 1/2 inch rebar twisted and woven together forming the base/stem, 33 ceramic thorns, and 5 large ceramic horns/petals at the top reaching 12′ tall.
The sphere of OZ
A human habitat in the form of a geodesic sphere that is based on the concept of the sphere of OZ will live and evolve along with its inhabitants into an autonomous living environment.
The sphere of OZ is the concept of a point and a line materialized in the form of a tool. It comprises hollow spherical forms/points, round tubes/lines whose ends are internally threaded and hollow screws. True to the concept of a point and a line the spherical forms and the tubes can be interconnected omnidirectionally to create structures and forms that will be held together with the hollow screws.
The adaptation of a geodesic sphere based on the sphere of OZ for a human habitat is only one among virtually an infinite number of applications for a geodesic sphere. A geodesic sphere is only one among virtually an unlimited number of applications for the sphere of OZ.
The sphere of OZ is not about what can be done with it. It is about that it can be done.
The sphere of OZ is an open source design/concept.
The Spirit Dream Machine
The Spirit Dream Machine is an ancient machine of a possible future.
Created and revered by a forgotten tribe with the aim to inspire dreaming in all who encountered her.
The machine symbolizes a sense of melancholic love for mother earth, the carer of nature.
The Traveling Sound Museum Presents: The Nobles Trail Collection
Imagine that you could listen to any sound, from any place, from any time in the history of the world. That mankind has been able to capture sounds in jars as though they were fireflies since the dawn of time and that this archive of the aural wonders of the world has suddenly been discovered, perfectly preserved.
Well my friend, you are in luck. The Traveling Sound Museum has preserved a sonic collection of historic marvels and is pleased to make its bounty available to the citizens of Black Rock City in a rare public exhibition. This year’s collection, discovered in Empire, NV when gypsum mines opened there in 1923, contains sounds previously thought lost forever when pioneers died transporting the barrels along the Nobles Trail in 1862.
The Unsafe Space
Trigger Warning: Not for the faint of heart!
The Unsafe Space gives you permission to think and talk about things that are often unsaid but remain in dark corners of your mind.
Consenting participants can dive into a serious, potentially triggering topic by themselves or with a group. Participants are encouraged to navigate the difficult thoughts and feelings that arise throughout the experience. This experience provides an intense bonding opportunity and is ideal for people who want to truly understand challenging things about themselves and others.
Theodora 2048: The Robot Bride
What will be our future with robot like? Will robot be your slaves or will they take the world over?
We want to explore the possibility and take it to a certain extreme:
Will you marry a robot?
Will she be your queen or your slave?
Will she do whatever you want?
Or will she be your soul mate?
In the year of 2048, our robot bride Theodora is created.
She is beautiful, mysterious and maybe dangerous.
She will talk to you, learn about you and understand you more by each day.
She will never age.
She is super smart.
She is very sexy.
Maybe she can even take care of your child if you decide to have one .
Anything is possible.
Will she be better than a human being?
Will you order this bride, for yourself?
How robot will change our world? That is an uncertain question that we want to ask ourselves.
This Too Shall Pass - Moondancer
High up in the night sky, a giant glowing sphere, half lit, half black, uneven surfaced, can be seen from far across the playa- except that it is a shape-shifting, dancing form that feels like a moving planet – an eclipse in motion.
It is lit from the inside and suspended with a very specific internal tying technique that pivots it, allowing it to sometimes disappear, sometimes be all there, and everything in between, all through the flow of the wind.
Hypnotic in its movement, reflecting the weather around it, appearing and disappearing in different parts of the playa, messing with all sense of orientation, the Moondancer by Lekha Washington.
Trace
Inspired by the interconnectivity and ephemerality of the playa, Trace is an installation of colored rope that weaves into a mirage-esque form above the dust. This art piece reflects on the way Black Rock City teases our perception of reality as we generate and explore it together, like a shared dream. It celebrates how individual journeys cross paths in the dust, yet altogether intertwine to shape an evanescent landscape and its broader community.
Transcendent Souls
Imagine four shining steel/copper trees with exposed roots that grow in to hands holding a glowing heart of unconditional love. Transcendent Souls is approximately 26ft tall, made of steel, foam, copper, steel cable, glass, wood and chain for a “porch type” swing. Solar powered electrical components are inside of the heart/flame and solar spots lights shine upward upon the tree trunks at night. Underneath the piece Participators will be able to experience Transcendent Souls from another perspective, with a large porch type swing that will be mounted/hung from the two main tree trunks.
Transmigration
Transmigration is an art sculpture based upon a wing in flight. Natural light filters through it to create an interplay of light and shadow. At its heart, Transmigration is a small gathering place where anyone can congregate, connect and collaborate in the midst of the larger whole in positive ways.
TREE OF EXHAUSTION
The Tree of Exhaustion is a refuge from the day’s heat or the night chill.
Diesel fuel sap,. Hardwood tinder, iron bark behemoth,
lights up the dark and shades the sun.
Tusky the MISTIcal Elephant!
Tusky is a highly decorated royal elephant under a higly decorated gazebo which is beatiful by night and can dispense mist from a hand operated pump from its trunk during the day
Uncle Charlie's Red Hot Cock
“The Waking Bird Dog” AKA “Uncle Charlie’s Red Hot Cock” is a large scale steel and stainless steel jackal headed rooster teeter totter that burns wood. This interactive community built and operated mechanical wood fired cauldrons foot print is 12′ wide x 30′ long x 25′ tall. So, In the distance the sun rising a cacophony of noise rings from beyond. clankity clankity screech rumble rumble, sounds of laughter, screams of joy- complete chaos! as you near the crowd opens and you see the contraption A giant metallic jackal headed rooster glowing red hot as it howls fire rocking to and fro across the sunrise smoke n flame belching from its beaklike jowls and mohawk toped head. someone screams ROCK THE COCK! as two large groups of participants start rocking the gigantic teeter totter! the sun rises as The shadows paint dynamic patterns on the ground as it rocks to a fro waking the day for all who is in its midst warming the participants and creating a congregational space for all to share!.
Unfolding Humanity from Technology
Unfolding Humanity is the name of the massive 10′ tall and 40′ wide interactive metal dodecahedral sculpture that calls attention to the connection and contrast between humanity and technology. Its underlying design alludes to two wonders in mathematics and cosmology:
(1) Albrecht Dürer’s 500-year-old unsolved problem on unfolding convex polyhedra, where participants use an advanced ratchet/pulley system to control an unfolding motion that mimics flowers in nature, and
(2) A fully enclosed, illuminated mirrored dodecahedral room, where participants are overwhelmed by an experience of a possible shape of our universe, based on cosmic microwave background radiation research.
UNPOP (Unpopular Music)
UNPOP, or “Unpopular Music,” is an intimate, 8-channel surround sound environment featuring quiet, detailed sounds, including field recordings, abstract electroacoustic music, ambient textures, and other non-beat-oriented sound experiences. For those deep playa wanderers who are looking for sonic respite and exploration, UNPOP offers a unique program of multichannel sound works that will run from dust until dawn.
Vandal Gummy
I have since gone on to generate more and more content that sparks thoughtful dialogue and nuanced socio-awareness. Using a subversive formula of colliding seemingly innocent images with meaningful messages, my subtle alterations to known designs irrevocably disrupt their meaning. For instance, in my iconic Vandal Gummy series, I place the beloved sugary treat against a prison mugshot background, gripping an identity placard in between his gelatin paws. This juxtaposition between the nostalgic and the sinister has become a hallmark for my body of work. I cleverly and strategically encourage my viewers to examine their own critique of problematic institutions. It will look like a Giant 14′ incarcerated Gummy Bear 🙂
Virascope
What do computers, human genes, and the sky have in common? They’re full of viruses! Virascope is an optical instrument that turns patches of sky into 3D visualizations of virus capsids.
We are the ones we have been waiting for.
It appears to be a circle of “Do Not Enter” signs. What are they protecting? What might be so precious or dangerous on the Playa that these signs would be erected to surround it?
The language of signs is often controlling and negative, and it comes from a disembodied voice which is beyond reproach. Perhaps this powerful visual system can be used for something different. Perhaps these tools can be used for self-affirmation and empathy.
Wendigo Electrafryed
The Wendigo Electrafryed’s head will be a real deer skull with antlers, which was found here in Kansas. We plan to use solar lights for the 2 eyes. Red Cedar Wood will make the heart which will be in the chest cavity. The rib cage will be made of wooden slats. Wooden wheels will be used to simulate the joints at the shoulders, hips, neck, and feet. Wood claws will be made for the hands and wooden hooves for the feet. Legs and arms are planned to be made of Osage Orange, another wood native to Kansas. The torso will show the heart inside the rib cage with the backbone exposed in the rear of the project. Different colored wires will run throughout the entire project to help simulate the robotics.
What If This Is All Real ?
ARE YOU ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS?
Words are so powerful . Questions are even more powerful. Known for her spirited illuminated truisms, Conceptual light artist Olivia Steele returns to the playa with a question.
As we embark into the wild unknown of artificial intelligence and robotics, one must acknowledge the endless potential and the potentially catastrophic. A crucial aspect to our evolution as a human race is replacing fear of the unknown with curiosity. This year, she invites you to Stop looking for answers and Live the question. Art is metaphor, and so is this installation. Let it serve as an invitation to the imagination, in the form of a glowing query asking: “What If This Is All Real?”
IF YOU WERE WAITING FOR A SIGN THIS IS IT.
Where is the Cheese
A whimsical Rat searching for the MAN.
Wish Well
A dry well in the desert is a nod to our most precious resource, water. It represents the endurance of our infrastructure. The infinite pit expands the vast dimensions of the playa into the underground. It symbolizes hope for the future (wishes), mystery (deep dark scary pits), and play (discovery and make believe). It provides a quiet space for reflection. The Wish Well holds wishes from previous visitors, and allows others to carry the wishes of others to fruition.
With Open Arms We Welcomed That Which Would Destroy Us (Short: With Open Arms)
With Open Arms We Welcomed That Which Would Destroy Us is a robot deity. With one of her aspects she welcomes and seduces; with the other she voraciously devours. She promises everything you’ve been hoping for. All she needs in return is your humanity.
Wombat
I am not a robot !! I am not your toy!! I am a women, I can create and I can love.
Worm Watch
A solitary tower stands lookout for sandworms in the desert. One sandworm encircles the tower, poised to attack.
WORMHOLE
WORMHOLE ALLOWS BURNERS TO PASS THROUGH A THRESHOLD. EVERYONE DECIDES WHAT THE BRING IN AND WHAT THEY TAKE OUT ON THE OTHER SIDE. THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL SPACE. THE THREE CONSECUTIVE ARCHES INSTALLED ON A BIAS TRAJECTORY OFFER AN ILLUSION OF SPIRALING THROUGH SPACE AS VIEWERS PASS THROUGH IT, DAY & NIGHT.
Wrong Desert
Wrong Desert’s plants have mysteriously migrated to the Black Rock Desert, a place far different from their origins. This solar powered cactus garden uses only its immediate resources to live. It’s a sustainable oasis deep in the electronic desert where weird plants and animals thrive.
Using only sunlight and the occasional rain, cacti evolved to use no more than what they need. This spoke to me as a powerful potential direction I hope Burning Man can take, to become a more sustainable event and for its participants better citizens of the planet. We can evolve past using diesel, gasoline, and propane to create Black Rock City each year. We can create life-changing art and experiences and also be good stewards of the environment.
Xochipilli
She is a 6.5 foot tall 3 foot wide robot that is made from interconnecting wooden panels. She is boxy but has intricate cut and very bright bold colors. There are wooden gears covering her façade and within her heart center. There are small lights inside illuminating her wooden gears from within. She is holding a bouquet of wooden heart flowers. She is burn ready made of almost all wood. There is a plastic dome that will be removed before the burn. It will be mounted to a base that is forklift ready.
YES
Experience the power of saying “YES” in your life.
You Might Die Tomorrow
The art installation is a 14′ wide x 10′ tall message in lights: YOU MIGHT DIE TOMORROW. The objective of this piece, tied to the 2018 theme, “I Robot,” is to remind the citizens of Black Rock City (and the world) that despite the rush and frightening evolution of technology, we humans are still absolutely, positively, completely mortal — and for all the unknowns in the world, we might as well enjoy our lives while we’re still here.
So many Burners come to BRC each year in search of a new way of living and a radical shift in perspective. Remembering that we are going to die is a profound and universally-accessible key to appreciating the here and now.
Studies show that when people are exposed to concepts of their mortality, we perform tasks better, are more creative, and value collectivism more, and value the present more.
Our mortality is, unexpectedly, a source of joy, of motivation to live, and an inspiration to play. We have only now.
You might die tomorrow. So live today.