Burning Man takes place in a temporary city in the remote Nevada desert, for eight days leading up to Labor Day. The "Man" is burned on Saturday, reminding participants that nothing is permanent. When the Burners leave, they strive to leave no trace. (Associated Press)
BY ELIZABETH KIESZKOWSKI / ekieszkowski@staradvertiser.com
This is a great year of adventure for me.
In the spring, I went for the first time to SXSW, a festival/conference dedicated to the new in tech, film and music. I blogged from that event (read the archive here), an exercise in adventure and endurance — and got hooked on the adrenaline.
Now, in just under four weeks, I’ll be heading off to Burning Man, the annual do-it-yourself camping fest that is an ode to creative destruction and survival in the Nevada desert.
This year’s Burning Man event goes on in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada from Monday, Aug. 27 through Monday, Sept. 3. The “Man” will be burned on Saturday, Sept. 1.
And O.M.G.: In the last week, with the 30-day countdown starting Sunday, the rush to get my act together has arrived.
Burning Man 2012» Where: Black Rock Desert, Nevada |
Burning Man is unique. It has grown from a gathering on the beach in San Francisco to an annual desert event in a temporary city 100 miles north of Reno. It does not actively publicize itself, but has grown by word of mouth, and especially via the Web.
This year, after tickets sold out almost instantly, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management gave permission to bump up the population. The biggest crowd yet — an estimated 60,900 people, 10,000 more than last year — will be on the “playa,” as Burning Man calls it.
There are aspects of a counter-culture happening: Participants are encouraged to be walking works of art; anything goes in terms of clothing (though boots and dust-protection are the more logical choices); and teams build entire fantasy camps or rolling, sculptured vehicles. With a ticket price of $400 to $600, however, and the requirement that you do everything for yourself — including shelter, feed and water yourself, share, entertain, participate and clean up completely, leaving no trace behind — it has tended to attract professional artists and other competent, gainfully employed folks (who then dress like desert nomads or traveling fools for the duration). People in the computer and tech industries make up a significant segment of the attendees.
I’LL BE ATTENDING to find out why people go to Burning Man, but I theorize that it appeals for the same reasons gardening, sewing your own clothing and other do-it-yourself passions, including steampunk, appeal: It’s an opportunity to work with your hands, fend for yourself, explore your creative abilities and limits, and leave everyday concerns behind.
“Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources,” the website states, laying out the rules of engagement. “Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.”
Members of the media don’t get automatically admitted, and anyone who wants to visit must buy a ticket — or be gifted one. (I bought mine.) Journalists who plan to shoot video must submit plans, and only a portion of those who make requests to shoot video are admitted.
Print journalists must register with Burning Man, and our photos must be approved before we can publish them. As a journalist, I will check in when I arrive; in return, I’ll get access to a shaded daytime location where I can plug in and file my blog (if and when the internet connection is running, that is). The organizers will also help me connect with other Burners from Hawaii and with inventors, artists and volunteers who make the event what it is.
There is no cell phone service here; there is no electricity or pay phone. We’re meant to exist via the principle of “radical self-reliance” as well as “communal effort” — bucking up and pitching in.
Read about Burning Man’s 10 principles here.
I’ve already learned a lot about the principles and possibilities in Burning Man, by studying up on its elaborate website. I’m fortunate that my travel/adventure partner in San Francisco has been willing to do legwork and initial hauling to get us set up with a tow van and trailer (both rather old, but still functionally sturdy), and to accept shipment of my bike and other miscellaneous survival gear.
We still need food, water (lots of water) and perhaps, materials to build a shade structure. But we’re coming along. If you’re coming too, get in touch!
I’ll close by linking to this page from the Burning Man blog, “A month in the life of a big art project,” which describes all of the effort going into one of the art projects brought to the playa. The Flux Foundation, largely populated and organized by women, is building a giant, computer-operated sculpture with elements of fire, which transforms into new shapes and features over its time in the desert. This really helps communicate the cooperative effort, artistic vision, high-tech know-how and idealism of many Burners. Find out more at facebook.com/fluxfoundation (and see video below).
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Elizabeth Kieszkowski is editor of TGIF, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s weekly arts and entertainment section. Reach her via email at ekieszkowski@staradvertiser.com or follow her on Twitter.