BURNING MAN ART

My experience with the Burning Man community has allowed me to experiment with a wide range of interactive art projects which has been a lot of fun.  Interactive and kinetic art is an extreme challenge, since the odds are high that the art will be damaged or destroyed as participants climb it and play roughly with it. Often a project will be designed to resist all possible punishment but in the actual deployment unthought of modes of failure happen as large numbers of excited users attack an installation. 

In 2012 Burning Man event I installed three giant hammocks – 10 meters x 3 meters – fabricated from heavy commercial fishing net in Reverbia camp. The support framework of 12 x 12 inch timbers and heavy steel connectors was dug into the playa. A single hammock could easily handle a dozen people gently rocking and canoodling. However a crew of extreme nutters descended on them one night and tore them out of the ground.

I had a similar experience with my honorarium installation of “Musical Swings” which was anchored in place with eight 6 foot long screw anchors installed with a Bobcat. Within a day I had to beg the Artery to double the number of anchors since enthusiastic swing users were rocking it out of the playa. Then I discovered that my huge LED chandelier over the swings was just within distance of being kicked by people pumping as high as they could who wanted a target to hit. 

Burners enjoy high risk fun so I introduced “BurnerBall” (also known in the USA as “Flaming Tetherball”) to several local unauthorized camp outs   Contestants wear helmets, leather gloves and protective gear to whack a tethered flaming kerosene soaked toilet roll with tennis racquets. Fire extinguishers are at the ready to prevent accidents.

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