Burning Man Art Theme 2006: Hope and Fear, the Future

[cenacle]

Burning Man Art Theme 2006: Hope and Fear, the Future
http://www.burningman.com/art_of_burnin ... theme.html
(there are some cool illustrations on that page too)

We take comfort in the notion that we have a past to guide us, but we reinterpret history every day according to what happens in the present. The future, too, is a projection of our hopes and fears in what is called the here and now. But even what we term the here and now is largely an imaginary place and time. If we say that now exists exactly now, we already speak of the past. We are caught in a temporal slipstream, a state of perpetual flux. The present really narrows down into the thinnest slice of time. It is no wider than the span of a reflexive arc, that moment when the heart says to the mind: so shall it be. This year's art theme will allow us to explore how we create futurity. Express what you most hope for in the future! Express what you most fear! The Burning Man, as heartbeat of our city, will be made to rise and fall upon this tidal flow of our emotions and imagination.

The centerpiece of Hope and Fear will be a sleek Art Deco palace, the Pavilion of the Future. Art Deco, arising in the 1920's and 30's, became a symbol throughout much of 20th Century for all that was considered modern. Its streamlined and dynamic forms derived from an industrial aesthetic that romanticized progress. They summoned up a sense of power, purpose and velocity. As an art style, Deco stands as the West's last commonly held vision of a utopian future. Today, of course, this art form represents a retro-future: one that never came to be. The principle problems of post-modern life do not concern how we'll employ our endless leisure. Robots do not wait upon us hand and foot, nor do we jet from place to place in private rocket ships. Along the road to a utopia, these science fiction fantasies gave way to traffic jams. The future, it begins to seem, ran out of gas.

Within the Pavilion of the Future, participants will encounter a bewildering array of rooms arranged to form a maze. Each of these rooms will house art installations that are either utopic or dystopic. Utopias are visions of our highest hopes. They paint a picture of a better world. Dystopias are cautionary tales and correspond to fear of what the future has in store. Artists will also be invited to install various kinds of voting devices in the vestibule of the Pavilion. Some of these devices will depend on chance, like slot machines. Others will allow participants to directly express what they immediately feel. All will offer up a stark and simple choice: Will you vote for hope, or will you vote for fear? Further opportunities will be provided by elegant teeter-totters located in the circle that surrounds the Pavilion (a teeter signals green for hope; a totter signals red for fear). Voting booths will also be stationed at locations throughout Black Rock City.

All of these devices will be connected by a closed Wifi network, and linked to a secure computer equipped with a sophisticated software program. This futuristic technology will employ a complex algorithm to determine the statistical mean of our participating community's hopes and fears at any given moment. As a result of these measurements, the Burning Man will either ascend while slowly raising its arms, as if to welcome all our hopes, or descend into a cage of fear located atop the Pavilion's elevated deck. This latter movement will allow participants who win their way up to the deck to witness Burning Man close up through a chrome metal lattice constructed from the gleaming remnants of discarded auto parts. Will the Man remain mired in fear, or will he rise and stretch his arms against the sky? Amid urgent currents of hope and surging riptides of fear, the result is sure to be unpredictable. As with the rotating of the Man of 2005, this daily drama will occur only during evening hours.

Each of us is an emitter of the future, and hope and fear are both legitimate responses to the great unknown. Confronting fear, instead of fleeing it, requires courage and cool reason. This experience can lead to struggle and to change. Expressing what we hope for can inspire faith that opens up a path where none appeared before. In 2006, as the 21st Century rushes forward, the time has come to ask ourselves: Are we merely along for the ride? We encourage all participants to contribute to some aspect of this year's art theme. Create a theme camp that forecasts the future. Imagine alternative pasts which, branching off from what we know, create alternative realities. Immediately confront your own future or the world's future. Plunge into the time stream (and learn how to swim). If you are doing fire art or planning to install a work of art upon the open playa (whether it's related to our theme or not), please see our Art Guidelines for more information. Any art by anyone is always welcome.

[cenacle]

Burning Man 2006 ticket info here:
http://tickets.burningman.com/
 :twisted:

[cenacle]

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/t ... ebcam.html

Live webcam from Gerlach, NV, looking toward the playa on which Burning Man occurs :twisted:

[neonaut]

Looks like me and the misses shall hopefully make out this year.

[Syd]

...Burning Man is.

[cenacle]

Burning Man on for Five More Years
http://www.kolotv.com/home/headlines/3010491.html

The Bureau of Land Management has issued a five-year permit to organizers of the Burning Man festival to hold the annual gathering in the Black Rock Desert.

The approve through 2010 is contingent upon an annual review of
terms and conditions of the permit. The week-long gathering of artists and partygoers concludes with the burning of a wooden man sculpture over Labor Day weekend.

Each year, organizers and attendees erect a temporary community
called Black Rock City in the desert about 100 miles north of Reno.

Festival goers must bring their own survival needs, including
shelter, food and water. About 35-thousand people attended last year's event, and 38-thousand are expected this year.
 :twisted:

[senorsalvia]

I suppose the reason they would not issue a 10 year permit is because of the end of the Mayan calendar says we'll all be outta here by then eh  :lol: ------------  sal

[cenacle]

[one last post, en route to Black Rock City, the following is the Burning Man Newsletter sent by email:]

Subject:       READ ME 8.26.06
Date:       Aug 26, 2006 4:26 PM

Jack Rabbit Speaks, Saturday, August. 26, 2006

READ ME.

This is your last, final post for the Jack Rabbit Speaks before  
Burning Man 2006. Of course, we reserve the right to change our minds  
and send you another one! Here's what it looks like in Gerlach  
right.....NOW: http://www.burningman.com/preparation/travel_info/
gerlach_webcam.html

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
what's here?

- Theme Camp Locator
- Playa Conditions and Weather
- Current TV
- Body/Potty reminder
- Safety and Driving
- Driving through Reno
- Exodus
- Stay Well
- Ticket Info
- Personal Use Agreement Update
- Burning Man Earth â€" Mapping the Cultural Genome
- Internet at Burning Man
- Sugarcube  Project correction

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

THEME CAMP LOCATOR

Burning Man 2006 Theme Camp Locator: Brought to you by: Safe Sex  
Camp, Eager near 6:30. The Theme Camp Locator is an Excel spreadsheet  
that helps burners print out where their friends will be,
or what other theme camps they might be interested in, before they  
head for the playa. Download the Locator here: http://
www.burningmanopera.org/2006/2006_theme ... cater.html

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

PLAYA CONDITIONS AND WEATHER

Playa is flat and dusty. Oh, you want a serious response…
okay….Playa is interesting this year. On one side of the city it’s  
hard packed, and kinda less so on another.  The clay is kinda sharp  
and edgy, not great for bare feet. The surface did not dry until  
AFTER July 4th. This means that people over that holiday weekend  
tried to cross the playa and got stuck. You’ll see and feel the  
evidence of this when you ride your bike in the open areas. There are  
HUGE divots and troughs from cars that drove in the mud. The Support  
Services/ Heavy Equipment Team has been working at night to fix the  
deeper of the scars. However, smaller ones exist and will affect your  
night biking experience. BE CAREFUL, and use a bike light.
Black Rock City dust conditions are married to weather . We’ve not  
had any severe wind yet, but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.  
The city location has moved slightly and is also turned, both may  
help the way dust from Gate road covers the city. (see safety and  
driving below) Weather has been HOT during the day, not much wind,  
and rather chilly at night. You’ll need a warm sleeping bag and lots  
of wraps for the night-time. Those that experienced 1999 might want  
to keep that freezing cold year in mind. It’s NOT that cold yet, but  
ya never know. Remember to bring gloves,  hats, scarves, blankets. ETC.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

CURRENT TV

They’ll be at Burning Man. Look for the “TV Free Burning Man”  
set up behind Media Mecca. They’ll be posting a piece each day from  
the playa, and telecasting the Burn LIVE on Saturday night. Visit:  
TV: http://www.current.tv/burningman/

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

IF IT WASN”T IN YOUR BODY DON”T PUT IT IN THE POTTY

No Trash….Retrain yourself. Most importantly, “wet ones”,  
“handi-wipes”, “baby-wipes” all are forbidden from the  
toilets. They jam the hoses and pumping systems.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-


SAFETY AND DRIVING:

Driving speed through Nixon, Wadsworth and Gerlach should be 25 MPH  
maximum. Slow down near the Empire Store in Empire. Stock up on the  
way in, not the way out when traffic is more congested.

Where is the turn off for Black Rock City? 8 miles from Gerlach,  
EXACTLY where it was last year. Don’t miss the turn off.

Drive 10 MPH down gate road, and 5 mph in Black Rock City. NO DUST.  
See below for more on playa conditions.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

DRIVING THROUGH RENO?

Check out the work your fellow Burners from Reno have done to give  
you information on resources in the “Biggest Little City in The  
World”. THANK YOU to the Burners that put all the work into making  
this happen. http://www.burningman.com/preparation/travel_info/reno/
reno.html

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

EXODUS

Secure your trash. Don’t leave garbage at the road side rest stops.  
Read your survival guide for information about disposing of your  
trash. You’ll have less to take home with you if you separate your  
refuse.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

STAY WELL

Please remember, when we have 36,000+ people together we should take  
precautions to stay well. Washing hands: GOOD THING. Keep yourself  
healthy,  stop the spread of germs with intelligent behavior.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

TICKETS

Tickets can no longer be purchased online, and only at Box Office. Be  
prepared to pay $350 at the event entrance box office. Due to our  
remote location, we cannot guarantee credit card sales - there are no  
local cash machines so please plan ahead if you need to purchase your  
ticket at the Gate.

Avoid Ticket Scalpers And Counterfeit Tickets

For the past several years ticket scalpers in Empire and Gerlach have  
told burners on their way to Black Rock City that Burning Man has  
stopped selling tickets and that the only way to get tickets is to  
buy from them.  Burners have then purchased higher priced tickets  
from scalpers, only to find out later that Burning Man was still  
selling tickets.  Adding insult to injury, some of these burners  
bought counterfeit tickets which were not accepted at the Gate.  
Please note that ticket sales will not stop at the Box Office until  
11 PM on Thursday, August 31, 2006.  Do NOT buy tickets from scalpers  
otherwise you will pay more than you need to, and you run the risk of  
purchasing a counterfeit ticket.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

PERSONAL USE AGREEMENT UPDATE

If you have already printed your personal use agreement for your  
video camera on the playa, please note that there have been some  
changes to the document this summer, so we've updated it before  
printing out our playa copies. For the few of you who print it out  
before you depart, we wanted to make sure you got an updated version.  
The new PDF is on the page at:

http://www.burningman.com/preparation/e ... meras.html

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

BURNING MAN EARTH â€" MAPPING THE CULTURAL GENOME

Ever wonder about the other 95% of Burning Man you didn’t get to  
experience? Want to meet the people, like yourself, who’ve joined  
with others to create it? This year Burning Man, in conjunction with  
Google Earth, is bringing you a virtual Black Rock City through a  
brilliant new initiative â€" Burning Man Earth. Not only will this be  
an interactive resource for participants and organizers; it will also  
serve as a historic record of each year's event, thus mapping the  
Burning Man cultural genome.

You will fly through Black Rock City - in 3D, visiting theme camps,  
artworks and spontaneous events. This environment will also function  
as a comprehensive map of our city, with markers and coordinates.  
Most importantly, this is not envisioned as an enclosed world or as a  
substitute for real participation. Burning Man Earth will be a portal  
that allows you to make contact with thousands of Burners in the  
everyday world. Now you can discover who did what while learning why  
and how they did it. It’s time to talk to one another in a way that  
isn’t possible amid the hectic turbulence of our event.

Here is how it works. First, go to http://bmearth.burningman.com.  
There you will find links to download the Google Earth program, our  
city map, and many associated files such as geomapped events from  
the “What Where When” guide, and art installations for 2006.

Next, locate your campsite, installation, or event on the map (so  
it’s geotagged), and document it with text and a photograph,  
digitized sketch, computer graphic, or 3D model. Email this to us at  
playatech@burningman.com or find us on playa (at the NOC or on the IT  
Channel) so that we can coordinate channels with you.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

SUGARCUBE PROJECT CORRECTION

In JRSV10:#29b, we told you about the SugarCube project...but we  
forgot to give you the URL. For more info, and pictures of what  
they've done so far, please visit <http://www.sugarcube2006.com> For  
specific questions, please contact mailto:sugar@sugarcube2006.com">sugar@sugarcube2006.com. We regret  
the error.



See you all in Black Rock City.

Play safe, be safe.

Have fun.

Marian

[cenacle]

Burning Man festival climaxes in Nevada

By Martin Griffith, AP

Published September 3, 2006 by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/ ... g_Man.html

RENO, Nev. -- Thousands of celebrants danced, hugged and cheered as the annual Burning Man counterculture festival climaxed with the traditional torching of its namesake object on the northern Nevada desert.

Accompanied by a spectacular fireworks show, the 40-foot-tall wooden figure known as "The Man" went up in flames Saturday night and tumbled to the Black Rock Desert, 110 miles north of Reno.

The eclectic art festival was to end its weeklong run Monday after the burning of more artwork Sunday night, including the "Belgian Waffle," the "`Temple of Lights" and the "Temple of Hope."

Organizers bill the festival as "an annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance."

"I like the idea of temporary art," Marissa Long-Peak, 23, of Portland, Ore., told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "There is something a lot more unique about destroying something you create."

No major problems were reported by authorities.

The crowd peaked at 39,100 at midnight Friday, up 6.6 percent over last year, said Jamie Thompson, spokesman for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management. The event is held on public land managed by the agency.

The bureau had issued 64 citations to participants through Sunday afternoon, including 35 for drug violations, he said. Fifteen people were taken to the hospital in Reno for various medical emergencies.

The cause of death of a male participant who went into a seizure Tuesday was listed as cardiac arrest. But the man suffered a head injury in a fall the previous night and an autopsy was planned, Thompson said.

"Everybody involved is in agreement that this is the smoothest Burning Man so far," Thompson said. "As a general rule, it's getting better with every passing year."

The event got its start in 1986 when Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a wooden effigy on San Francisco's Baker Beach. It moved to Nevada's desert in 1990. This year's art theme was "Hope and Fear: The Future."

[Avery L. Breath]

Yeah, how was the burn this year Cen?...... you end up making it?...... perhaps next year for me.  Gosh it's been ages it seems like.  Would have loved to go this year and hang out at the erowid camp with Shulgin , Alex Grey and Pendall and the like.  Hell I remember the first year the erowid folks came down... back then the man was a foot tall and made out of chicken wire and matchsticks!

[cenacle]

It was a lot of fun, lot of work, but full of rewards. I always come back from the desert energized, and have newly added to the Scriptor Press ElectroLounge website the 2006 Burning Man Books. These new titles (and their links) include:

#43-The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus â€" http://scriptorpress.yage.net/BM43_2006_camus.pdf
#44-A Time to Break Silence: Selected Works of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. â€" http://scriptorpress.yage.net/BM44_2006_king.pdf
#45-All Paths Lead Where: Selected Poetry and Artwork of E.E. Cummings â€" http://scriptorpress.yage.net/BM45_2006_cummings.pdf
#46-A Small, Good Thing by Raymond Carver â€" http://scriptorpress.yage.net/BM46_2006_carver.pdf
#47-We Have Drunk the Soma: An Eighth Anthology of Writings about Psychedelics â€" http://scriptorpress.yage.net/BM47_2006_soma.pdf
#48-A Tree · A Rock · A Cloud by Carson McCullers â€" http://scriptorpress.yage.net/BM48_2006_mccullers.pdf

The entire Burning Man Books collection, #1-48 (1999-2006), can also be downloaded as a single zip file at:
http://scriptorpress.yage.net/No_Border ... 9-2006.zip â€" the file is about 12MB.

[judih]

wow, ray.
love e.e.
love this.

a superb collection grows even more magnificent

[cenacle]

it was Kassi's idea to do a Cummings' volume, and his art as well as his poems. We did a lot of reading in his work; I read a memoir by a friend of his too. It was a fun process. Once we had the selected poems, KD had to carefully lay out the poems, especially the ones with unusual appearances...

[judih]

yeah, one of my favourite learning sessions is using first e.e's paintings and have kids make random comments and responses and then looking at his poetry.

e.e. liked his work to be read, not aloud. i guess music wasn't his sphere, but how it works to a musical ear (unintentional rhyme)