A colossal inflatable baby unicorn stands majestically at Burning Man.

#Kokon embodies purity and simplicity, mirroring the direct and focused way children with autism interact with their surroundings. The unicorn, a symbol of grace and uniqueness, celebrates the beauty of seeing the world differently, inviting a deeper appreciation for diverse perspectives.

Always Another Sunrise is a love letter to BRC and new beginnings. This art piece commemorates the euphoric feelings of self-discovery, gratitude, and freedom of expression that the Playa provides through the form of a deconstructed music box.

The music box is a 16′ cylinder that slowly rotates, creating an enclosed secluded space where people can duck up into; inside they’ll hear the sweet sounds of a custom music comb striking, transforming the entire room into a resonance box. In concert with the melody, this rotating disk will mechanically engage eight zoetropes through a geared system. Each zoetrope will feature an animation, evoking the magic of inspiration and gratitude for this shared experience together.

A musical, LED-powered Mad Hatter’s hat that generates music composed of robotic instruments and participant’s yelps.

The philosophy of the Bad Hatter reflects that of Burning Man presenting a shocking experience that can be both challenging and rewarding to participants that make it through the electric impulses and surprises. The piece reflects the theme Curiouser and Curiouser, drawing inspiration from the whimsical, unpredictable world of Alice in Wonderland. This art symbolizes the endless possibilities that emerge from playful, open-minded engagement with the world, acting as a tribute to the childlike wonder within everyone. It encourages participants to embrace the unexpected and have their laughter and screams get sequenced into a sonic symphony on the playa.

Black! Asé 2.0 comes back in new form with Visibility and photography at the forefront but this year Erin’s mission is to create an internal experience that takes the audience on a journey of sound and light. This close to 30 foot high scaffold cube has photographic portraits that adorn the outside walls while inside you’ll find elements that touch most of the senses: imagery on the mesh-lined walls, audio playing recorded stories of burners of color and music that takes you on a journey from African beats to sounds of black culture today, and colorful lights that illuminates this internal space at night. This allows for a magical gathering space for connection with self and others.

The art installation embodies the belief that the unfiltered vulnerability of childhood carries a universal language, one that connects us all. The art seeks to evoke a sense of unity and shared humanity by inviting viewers to witness the collective imagination of children as they explore their own unique personal journeys.

Turns out, dancing is literally the best medicine. This piece responds to a recent peer-reviewed article studying the impact of different treatments for depression. The study (Noetel et. al 2024) found that, compared with active controls, large reductions in depression were found by simply dancing. In fact, dancing was the best thing you could do, leaving pharmaceutical interventions in the “dust”.

This solar-powered LED micro-disco creates a space for the citizens of Black Rock to put these findings into practice. This installation uplifts the power of dance and provides space to experience the impact of spontaneous dance while providing the knowledge that dance will forever be a tool to shape one’s experience in this world.

A Multisensory Art Experience Merging Trauma Recovery, SolarPunk, and Generative Design

Echoes of the Heart is a biomorphic anatomical human heart containing a “neural network” of nearly 100 acoustic LED fibers that carry light and sound throughout the structure. It collects and plays back hundreds of heartfelt audio recordings from participants, symbolic of the memories of pain, grief, trauma, and love that our hearts carry throughout our lives.

What’s the most beautiful, hurtful, or moving thing anyone has ever said to you? Can you still remember the way you felt when you heard it? What is something you’ve always wanted to say to someone but never could? What words has your heart carried for a lifetime?

Viking (v): to go on a sea voyage.

Fable Bound is a 20-foot iconic Viking longship and immersive experience created to honor the importance of our individual and collective storytelling. The ship itself is created out of reclaimed materials and sways as if sailing on the ocean. Through the lens of history and Norse mythology, Fable Bound explores the power in the stories we all tell and create. Whether you find yourself riding in the calm seas or Thor’s stormy weather, it is an opportunity for voyagers to answer the call to adventure. Embarking on a hero’s journey transcends time and space. What one may discover along the way, either by sea or within themselves, only the Gods know!

The Library of Emotion will be a hexagonal space that leverages music as a tool to convey each of Paul Eckman's 5 basic emotions (outlined in the "Atlas of Emotion")  Paul Eckman's "Atlas of Emotion", is a tool supported by the Dalai Lama to bring awareness to humanities 5 basic emotions (anger, fear, disgust, sadness, enjoyment).  The Library of Emotion will be a homage to the atlas, demonstrating the five emotions through music.  Leo Tolstoy once wrote “Music is the shorthand of emotion.”   The library will use the universal language of music to communicate the five basic emotional continents. Each of the hexagon's walls will be dedicated to represent the five unique emotions (the sixth wall being the entrance/exit). Each wall will display a facial representation of the emotion assigned to it. These faces will emit specific musical notes that when combined, with other ambient sources of notes, will form musical chords that inspire the emotion of that wall in the listener. As a listener wanders through the library they will be physically and mentally traversing the spectrum of emotional spaces found in the clouds of music the space contains. 

At its core, this artwork is a colossal, multi-colored puzzle symbolizing life. However, its true significance lies in its portrayal of people coming together to support one another.

Light Curve is a rogue star ball of fire, mounted on a swinging arm, which is moved by participant interaction. Twenty independent flame heads, in synchrony with LEDs, react to participants with exciting dynamics.

The purpose of this sculpture is to give our deepest, youngest selves the chance to communicate whatever we desire. It aims to acknowledge, clear, and honor our deepest, oldest, most authentic hopes, joys, fears, and dreams.

The sculpture itself is constructed of metal bars in the shape of wing, with wires wrapped with lights, surrounding a wooden sculpture of abstracted silhouettes of caring parents.

Nebula Shroom Grove is a creative art installation that tackles the theme of loneliness despite our hyper-connected world. Drawing inspiration from the solitary, yet interconnected life of mushrooms, Nebula uses modular parametric structures to mimic these natural networks. Each module serves as a mini-shelter, complete with a cozy resting area on top, inviting visitors to relax and connect.

Through its design, Nebula cultivates a sense of community, encouraging social interactions, and sparking discussions around the crucial role of our personal networks and the sense of community offered by Burning Man. This installation not only highlights the contrast between isolation and connection but also celebrates the strength found in our communal bonds.

Burning Man in the year 2000.

“The Ogoh Ogoh embodies the essence of karmic belief, serving as a tangible reminder of the power of compassion and empathy. It symbolizes the inner struggles faced when confronted with doing what’s right, even when it seems daunting. Amidst life’s chaos, it serves as a beacon of light, urging the embrace of both light and shadows. The Ogoh Ogoh, rooted in Balinese tradition, takes on a sacred role in cleansing the soul of negativity. It’s a profound reminder that by doing good deeds and embracing self-awareness, one can navigate life’s complexities with curiosity and grace.

The Shakti Chakra Shrine is a puzzle of healing sounds that can be unlocked by several participants working together with the 7 pyramid-headed figures placed in an arc around a central altar.

When we are in a hurry, we tend to make poor decisions for ourselves, for nature.

But if we slow down, are we making better ones?

To test this idea and get a fair answer, we have decided to slow down through the help of handmade embroidery and also learn from our ancestors: by doing handicrafts while meeting with each other.

SLOW contains 24 flags, crafted in communities around the world, 24 flagpoles, and six burnt “Sysimetsä” trees to hold the space and remind us of the need to slow down from nature’s perspective. It also includes benches for contemplation and a maker station: a custom-built frame where new flags will be stitched by the citizens of BRC.

The maker station will be placed on a 256 sq ft platform that is the first phase structure for Ravens Temple (being envisioned and built for Burning Man 2025).

COURTYARD SHRINES

Offers additional space for contemplation, with 4 open-air shrines with additional seating, shade, and offering areas

The installation is a circle of big heads, reminiscent of a blend between Stonehenge and Easter Island. Each head is fixed on an axis and turns 360 degrees. They are likely to be facing different directions, hence having an impossible dialogue.

When someone approaches a head, they hear some gibberish or white noise. When the head is turned on its axis, the sound changes, like when you are searching for a certain frequency on a radio tuner. As you turn the heads toward the center of the circle, the sound becomes a clear note. Similarly, the color of the light inside the head changes and becomes brighter.

Once the heads are all facing each other, a burst of light arises, as well as a magnificent chord composed by the respective notes of each head.

We are creatures of the late night deep playa, but how many times have you found yourself a little cold, a little tired, and desirous of a cozy spot to relax, get warm, and await the sunrise? Every deep desert experience needs an oasis where weary adventurers can recharge and recuperate. The Oasis Lounge is a curious, cozy family room tucked at the far edge of the deep playa. A loungey space with vibey tunes, it’s perfect for late night conversations and pre-sunrise cuddle puddles. 

Burning Man 2024 - Honorarium application. The proposed project aims to be between 20-30ft tall. Filmed by Simon Bellamy, Noah Burrows & Hannah Kelso.

Typha is a series, or grove, of sculptures rising from the ground that reflect the environment around them during the day with their mirrored surfaces. At night, they shine light and cast shadows onto the ground, creating an immersive landscape of color mixing and pattern interference.

A cube made of hundreds of mysterious ceramic tiles glows and hums gently in the night, waiting to be investigated by curious wanderers. 

The Whirl is an 11-foot-diameter merry-go-round built to evoke pure, childlike joy in participants of all ages who get to ride this recreation from times long gone. The center is a colorful abstract representation of the “whirl of art” concept, submerging colors to create a still visual representation of movement through a smooth blending. The outer edges display a phenakistoscope design: a series of pictures showing sequential phases of the animation, creating a fluent optical illusion of motion. The Whirl will foster a sense of whimsy and wonderment among those who engage with it.