The Hun: Spoilers!

A preview of some of the major art installations on the playa

Yep, the event opens on MONDAY and the art is just about all here. I spent my lunch hour yesterday riding around the playa, visiting some of the biggest art installations. Most of these artists (or art collectives) have been out here for at least a week assembling their pieces; and of course, each of them represents a year-round commitment by the artists and their assistants and volunteers.

All of these pieces are mostly assembled, but none of them is finished. Without any further ado, then, I give you:

Passage

This is a pair of statues made all of scrap metal: a mother, 30 feet high, and a child 20 feet high. Fire will pour from the mother’s hand to the son’s, and a trail of flaming footprints will stretch out behind them.

Dan DasMann and Karen DasWomann came up with the idea for this piece after they realized that Kids Camp is the largest camp on the playa. The statues represent the passing on of Burning Man’s culture from one generation to another.

The Machine

It’s a doozy. A monstrosity of wood and metal, full of cogs and gears and shafts and arms and wings, and constantly emitting strange sounds and smells… It’ll be operated by Burners who stop in and take a few turns at the drive wheel. Each turn of the wheel will raise the Machine’s arms (wings?) a miniscule amount; after about 60 hours of turning, the arms will be fully raised.

Then, on Friday night, a parade will start from the Machine’s camp, weave along the Esplanade, and finish at the Machine. After a ceremony with fire dancers and performance artists, the arms will come crashing down – all 25,000 pounds of them – onto the playa.

So, that’s something not to miss. If you’re interested in more information, you can check out the Machine’s website, or their blog in the Seattle Times.

Life Size Mouse Trap!

Rube Goldberg would be so proud.

The Life Size Mouse Trap is modeled after the board game we all used to play – but it’s much, much better. It’s bigger and noisier, first of all. The entire contraption weighs 25 tons, and uses a bowling ball in metal tracks… and then it drops a real, life-size safe.

Add to that a crew of carnies and performers that will be giving shows throughout the event, and you’ve got yourself a major event. Personally, I’ve been looking forward to seeing this for years. You should be, too.

Dreamer

It sits in the middle of the Promenade that leads from the Man to the Temple: a submerged blue head, surrounded by spires.

photo of dreamer by pepe ozan at burning man 2005

This piece is intended to represent surrealism and its connection with the psyche, and also includes a fire pit so that ceremonies can be conducted here.

…Okay, I know I’m missing a lot of amazing art, including things like the Temple – or Zachary Coffin’s “Colossus”. I can’t do it all, but let me make it up to you:

The Man is up! He’s here, he’s queer, and he’s waiting for you to come and burn him. So, get here as soon as you can. And when you’re here, you can see this year’s art for yourself.

About the author: The Hun

The Hun

The Hun, also known as J.H. Fearless, has been blogging for Burning Man (and many other outlets) since 2005, which is also the year she joined the BRC DPW on a whim that turned out to be a ten-year commitment. Since then she's won some awards for blogging, built her own creative business, and produced some of the Burning Blog's most popular stories and series. She co-created a grant-funded art piece, "Refoliation," in 2007, and stood next to it watching the Man burn on Monday night during a full lunar eclipse. She considers that, in many ways, to have been the symbolic end of Burning Man that was. The Hun lives in Reno with DPW Shade King, Quiet Earp. You may address her as "The Hun" or "Hun". If you call her "Honey" she reserves the right to cut you.

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