The latest edition of Burning Man, which took place from August 25 to September 2 in the Nevada desert, was once again rich in installations mixing materials, tradition and innovation. Here's a closer look at some monumental works.
Every year, Burning Man ("Burning Man") opens the festivities of its huge gathering in the fictional, temporary town of Black Rock City, deep in the arid Nevada landscape, some 150 kilometers northeast of Reno. Burners, as they're called, flock there in droves from the last week of August to the first Monday in September, the Labor Day holiday in the U.S.
For nine days, then, all come together to celebrate art and innovation, self-expression and community spirit through installations (Art Camps) and a musical program that extends the catharsis. A melting pot of creativity and joy, which has generated its share of greatness and controversy over the years.
CONNECTING WITH THE DESERT
Clearly, the first bonfire organized in 1986 by Larry Harvey (1948-2018) on San Francisco's Baker Beach, cradle of the hippie movement, was not destined to become a worldwide phenomenon. In the 1990s, such was the popularity of the event that the founder decided to swap the seaside for the desert of the Silver State.
In 2004, this artistic and musical gathering, increasingly coveted by the stars, took on a new look based on ten commandments, including a commitment to leave no trace of one's passage. Everything must disappear at the end of each edition, at the end of the gigantic closing fire for the wooden statue, the totemic character.
From a neo-Gothic temple to a pavilion bearing the effigy of the Man and a giant traffic cone, the 2024 installations continue to demonstrate the ingenuity of this incandescent event, which in recent years has attracted some 70,000 enthusiasts.
TEMPLE OF TOGETHER
For this latest iteration, organizers have chosen the carbon-negative project of Caroline Ghosn, aka Glitter Kitty, to design the main installation. She is the first artist from the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) community to have this honor. For this monumental work, she drew inspiration from neo-Gothic religious architecture, which she combined with Art Deco styling and Lebanese khaizaran weaving techniques to create a symbol of unity and respect. This approach to materials allows the installation to be easily dismantled by Burning Man volunteers, and the material elements to be reused. The arched structure, 21 metres high and 29 metres in diameter, is a metaphor for the light that emerges when people come together. Two joined hands, sculptural and colossal, serve as entrance doors. Inside, visitors can enjoy the abundance of light and space created by the dome.
THE OTHER
The design of this pavilion, supporting the Man effigy, totem of the event, was conceived by Jen Lewin. Her design won an award. This Brooklyn-based artist-engineer invites participants on a whimsical journey of exploration and play. The interactive installation, with its eight canyon-like tentacles, invites you to meander through a dynamic landscape along ramps and staircases leading to various viewpoints. All these paths, explored individually, encourage connection and discovery. The public can experience an adventure and enjoy the beauty of the spaces in between. A central zone is also designed for gathering and social interaction beneath the structure, adorned with benches and interconnected rest areas.
HÁBITAT
This 4-metre-high sculpture in the shape of a human heart, designed by Puerto Rican artist Mark Rivera, is made up of hundreds of houses forming neighbourhoods. As soon as visitors approach, sensors trigger the lighting. And the more the crowd gathers, the more the neighborhoods light up. Habitát reflects Mark Rivera's vision of living together in harmony. For him, the work is a "call to action", encouraging people to engage with their community and foster a spirit of peace and cooperation. With this work, he testifies to the "power of art to transform spaces and minds", inviting viewers to become active in creating a more harmonious world.
ART CARS
Art Cars, or Mutant Vehicles (MVs), are motorized machines that have been radically modified from their original design or, on the contrary, built from scratch. Burning Man's first Art Car appeared on Baker Beach in the 1990s. Since then, mutant vehicles have become an integral part of Black Rock City. As usual, this year's parade of vehicles showcased the vision of a handful of designers and artists in a mix of engineering marvels and creative genius. A selection managed by the Department of Mutant Vehicles (DMV), which tries to strike a balance between the desire for spectacular machines and respect for the event's community standards, which favor pedestrians and cyclists.
NAGA AND THE CAPTAINESS
"This richly layered scene is a frozen moment in time as a sinking ship dumps its cargo into the sea. Treasures and flaming whisky barrels float in the waves, while a sea serpent, curious and fearsome, approaches the wreck, looking for something. What happened here? [...]" This is the starting point for this interactive installation. But also one of the many questions raised by the trio of artists Cjay Roughgarden, Jacquelyn Scott and Stephanie Shipman. The project is a collaboration between several artisans and designers from the Oakland-based collective Five Ton Crane, who lent a hand in building the metal snake, the wooden ship and the treasures.
CONEY MCCONEFACE: THE LIFE AND DEATH OF A TRAFFIC CONE
The installation is the brainchild of New Zealand artist Chris Hankins, behind several other works already exhibited at Burning Man, including Megatropolis (2010) and Temple of Transition (2011). The sculpture is an 18-metre-high replica of a traffic cone. For its creator, it's a "tribute to this unsung hero" used as a safety measure in cities. It is constructed from plywood-covered wooden sub-frames painted bright orange with reflective silver stripes. Two doors invite visitors inside to discover a jungle-like setting, with videos paying homage to this famous triangular stud. This work was placed at the top of a fissure in the ground from which steam escapes, due to geothermal activity beneath the surface. A pure symbol of safety, it was intended to protect the citizens of Black Rock City from falling into the cavity.
TALL TAILS
This sculpture of a jackalope, created by Clinton Lesh, stands 3 meters tall. It was made from individual stainless steel hairs, heat-treated to color this California jackalope iridescent gold, blue and purple. It was also sculpted in a running position to add dynamism and movement. The Montana-born American artist continues to create positive representations of agriculture and wildlife. The source of his inspiration emanates from the inspired western spirit of his childhood, his upbringing and the profound beauty of his natural, rural Montana.
RADIAL SONIC RUNWAY
This audio-reactive light art installation converts audio signals into patterns of light. The Runway team created 25 horizon-spanning doors, designed to be crossed on foot or by bicycle. They form a corridor of concentric arches, equipped with LEDs that visualize sound waves. Via a microphone, the audio input (sound and music) is analyzed and converted into a variety of complex patterns. No matter where a person is, the sound and light elements are synchronized as they follow their path through the corridor. The Radial Sonic Runway is a new version of the original one-dimensional Sonic Runway, designed in 2003 and first evolved in 2016. With this new piece, audio waves can reshape the space itself.
METAHEART
We end this 2024 selection with a creation by artist Johnny Crash Hamilton. This three-dimensional, mirror-covered sculpture rises 7 meters from the ground, reflecting the people and scenes of life around it. Three arched stainless steel arms form a recognizable heart motif. At its center hangs a rotating structure in the geometric shape of a Metatron cube, a symbol of our life journey. Johnny Crash Hamilton invites the viewer to reflect and expand beyond the limits of the heart. This piece symbolizes the discovery of love, for oneself and for others, in every axis and plane, across time, space and infinity.
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