After a three-year physical attendance hiatus due to the pandemic, Nevada's annual Burning Man is making a return to the Black Rock Desert. From August 28 until September 5th, this year's festival will welcome thousands of burners to celebrate music and art in a temporary metropolis dedicated to "community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance". Ahead of its 2022 inauguration, we are taking a look at some of the best installations to have been constructed during Burning Man's previous editions.
Under the theme of Waking Dreams, this year's festival will "explore the transformative power of dreams, both literal and figurative, and celebrate the dreamers who channel this potent energy in eye-opening, often surrealistic, sometimes life-changing ways". Similar to every year, the desert will be filled with art installations that represent the festival's theme and showcase dreaming and waking consciousness in their own unique approach.
Below is our selection of 7 installations that were prominent during Burning Man's previous editions.
Arbour / Hylemo LTD
Driven by the study of the geometry of sacred architecture, this artwork was inspired by the dendritic forms of medieval vaulting. As medieval architects used the arched geometry of ribs and vaulted ceilings to achieve a sense of lightness, the Arbour seeks to replicate the same experience. Visitors interacted and responded to the architecture by creating their own unique rituals and personal ceremonies in the shaded heart of this parametric forest.
Bjarke Ingels, Iacob Lange & Laurent de Carniere / ORB
The 1/500,000 scale sphere of the Earth’s surface was designed to conceptually represent earth and human expression by leaving no trace following its deflation. The designers wanted the giant sphere to act as a guiding landmark for burners. In total, the team invested 30 tons of steel, 1,000 welding and sewing hours, and $300,000 of their own funds to make the ORB a reality.
Arthur Mamou-Mani / Galaxia
Designed using 3D parametric software, the pavilion is formed from 20 timber trusses that spiral in toward a central point the reaches toward the sky. Starting on the ground, the triangular trusses span large enough distances to create a series of spiraling paths toward the center of the structure, where a giant 3D-printed mandala will be displayed.
Geordie Van Der Bosch / The Temple of Direction
Inspired by the Torii gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Japan, the Temple submission was chosen for its elegant simplicity. Its design consists of wooden archways that form a linear passageway to a large central hall. The design was made to elicit both a "physical experience and a metaphorical journey" as a space that responds to the openness of the playa by creating a framework that encourages visitors to travel from end to end.
Steam of Life / Sauna on Fire and JKMM Architects
Steam of Life, a circular wooden pavilion revisited the sauna experience, like a deconstructed art installation. The project was co-created by JKMM Architects, a group of architects and designers based in Helsinki, Finland and Sauna on Fire collective, a Helsinki based international platform for participatory culture and civic engagement. The installation is an interpretation of the essence of the Finns in a timber pavilion.
Fragments / Marc Ippon de Ronda
Fragments is an interactive artwork created by Marc Ippon de Ronda and ATO Designs Studio. The project illustrates a mythical tale of the desert and plays with the illusion of appearances and the ever-changing perception of self and surroundings. During the day, visitors see their reflections evolve inside the fragmented mirrors as they move through the sand winds, whereas at sunrise and sunset, the installation invites for meditation as burners ascend and descend the central staircase to experience a golden hue from the sun.
Squidsoup / Desert Wave
The installation suspends 500 LED lights from a metal frame, hanging down at different lengths to form an undulating wave.
