2016’s Burning Man theme, “da Vinci’s Workshop”, offered an opportunity for participants to explore the similarities between the Italian Renaissance centered in Florence, and Burning Man in an “attempt to recreate this potent social alchemy by combining Burning Man art, maker culture and creative philanthropy to make Black Rock City the epicenter of a new renaissance.”
Vitruvian Man stood at 70 feet tall and was surrounded by the Piazza, an Italian Renaissance inspired space of “cunningly-wrought fountains and other public art designed to encourage repose, relaxation, and the meeting of friends.” The Piazza was inhabited by Guild Workshops built by participants from all over the world.
The Temple — no name, just The Temple — was built by David Best and crew. It was his ninth Temple in Black Rock City.
2016 was momentous for Burning Man Project in many ways. We bought Fly Ranch, for one thing. We also launched the Burning Man Journal, a new paper of record for Burning Man Culture. There were many staffing changes to the Burning Man Project — mostly sweet, some bittersweet. Nevada imposed the Live Entertainment Tax on Burning Man participants… but we’ll work that out eventually. We built a city, we burned a Man, it all disappeared into the ether, and then we started all over again — as per usual.