Have readers been to Nevada’s Burning Man festival? In 2009, the theme just happens to be Evolution:
“In 2009, the Burning Man will rise above a ‘tangled bank’ consisting of irregular wooden triangles. No two elements of this organic composition will be quite the same; together they’ll create what’s best described as a chaotic truss. At night the tangled bank will come alive with luminous life forms scratching, crawling and slithering their way through it. This space will also house a pond known as the Gene Pool. Strange Ur-creatures will peep outward from the surface of this primal soup. The central tree supporting Burning Man, beribboned with a double helix, will exist in flux: switching on and switching off, changing colors unexpectedly.”
The organizers pose three questions:
- What are we as human beings?
- Where have we come from?
- How may we adapt to meet an ever-changing world?
Check out past art installations at Burning Man’s site and here’s a little detail from my hometown.
Is anyone headed to the desert in September?
April 15th, 2009 at 10:37 am
I’ve never been taken by Californian Ideology, technolibertarian rave culture, etc.
April 15th, 2009 at 10:51 am
Now we know what all that nuclear testing did…
April 15th, 2009 at 10:53 am
Sounds interesting. I wish I could make it, maybe next year…
April 16th, 2009 at 9:37 am
Oh man … I’ve got to make it to Burning Man one day (but no drugs for me).
April 25th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
The screening is a benefit for Tom Kennedy’s memorial on May 1st. Please join us! Tom is the narrator of Dust & Illusions.
Dust & Illusions looks at 30 years of history of Burning Man all the way back to the late 1970s deep into the origins of the event. Through 21 interviewees the film presents the philosophies that fueled the creation of the festival, and its evolution from a small gathering of friends to the largest “counter-cultural” event in North America. It offers a new perspective of the meaning of the event, and questions whether its organizers are more concerned about making sure the show is ready when the gate opens or they still truly engage in building a community and fostering art.
May 2nd 2009, 7pm.
Delancey Street Theater, 600 embarcadero St, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Pre-sales: $12.5
Door: $15
http://dustandillusions.com/screenings/special-screening-in-san-francisco-may-2nd-2009
April 25th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
Dear Mad Scientist – You will find plenty of folks not imbibing in intoxicants. There are many very interesting people there who go for all sorts of reasons. You will need to do a little work to find them though – as it has gotten much bigger. Come with an open mind and and active will to PARTICIPATE and you should have a good time.
I REALLY want to go this year but may miss it again, due to money/family stuff – love the theme this year – very timely indeed.
April 25th, 2009 at 2:49 pm
I also meant to say — the intoxicants and nudity are by no means mandatory!