Createquity.: Burning Man is an arts event like no other. During the week prior to Labor Day, thousands of people collectively produce an alternative society in the Nevada desert, one driven by ten principles, such as radical inclusion of all attendees and their lifestyles, anti-corporate decommodification, and participation in cultural production. Thousands of artists spend much of the year producing interactive performances, fire art, and large-scale sculptural projects for their theme camps, the creative communities at the heart of the event.
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I commented on the Burning Man article last week. And again, I am completely blown away by the support and ideals of the people who not only work every year to make it happen, but who go to this thing every year. And I believe this is an amazing opportunity from which sprouts some amazing art and ideas for today's ever changing society. The way the society is structured there is quite amazing and I truly wish it could be incorportated into our real lives. But with people always wanting to take advantage of the system, this will never be an option. I hope that at some point in my life I am able to attend Burning Man, and while I may not take part in some of the more extreme activities there, I think the overall culture and feel of the event makes for an interesting and productive environment for personal grownth.
I think this article brings up some interesting points, but things are not as dire as it makes it out to be. Burning Man is not dead- far from it. I believe they are learning to embrace the culture that has grown up around them- from counter culture comes culture. They may not embrace the corporate power or structure, but they are learning how that informs their art. I heard this year about pieces of art made up completely of advertising materials. That corporate influence is being used as a jumping off point, not really to the advantage of corporate life.
This article was horrible miss titled. I assumed form the title that Burning Man was dead because everyone who used to participate in it decided to go get jobs and use air conditioning. That is not the case. They are just growing. Sure there are some growth pains but it is very encouraging that people are drawn to this concept in such great numbers. Even if it is as Pia said last week. It is just an excuse to do acid in the desert. Avoiding corporate sponsorship through this growth will be a challenge. I am sure Evian would pay a billion dollars for a licensing deal. “Burning Man, Presented by Evian” Of course, it would turn in to the 1999 Woodstock which is what usually happens when someone tries to make money off something that should be free. Final thought about the lottery, there should be system in place where by previous attendees get first dibs.
I wish I didn't, but I agree with this article. Burning Man has done everything it can to 'keep it's values intact', including forbidding anything to be bought or sold other than a central cafe, and maintaining the original rules, including 'leave with everything you came with'. But at this point, with popularity only increasing, Burning Man isn't really in the committee's (or whoever manages it) hands anymore. In the first few years, Burning Man had about 500-3000 people attend (I am too lazy to look up the actual figures, but it's something around that) and now, at 54,000, it's just not manageable in the same way it was. At the risk of sounding ridiculously hipster, a lot of the charm and appeal of Burning Man was the community, and that gets more difficult to keep intact as the attendance rises. Becoming 'popular' kind of did ruin it.
Calling Burning Man an "arts" event at this point is not accurate. While organizers do still make a point to attract artists to the event through their arts funding arm, The Black Rock City Arts Foundation, the focus of the event has shifted in the last ten years towards an all-out rave. Having worked on several projects, for money even, that have gone to the event, I am grateful and supportive of the efforts of BRAF in the arts community, and applaud them as one of the few independent organizations providing real funding for new work from a wide range of disciplines. We could use a whole lot more of that in this country. The best things, in my opinion, that have come out of Burning Man, are "art" or interactive installation pieces that have gone on to have a life outside of the event itself and therefore have reached a wider community that can't or doesn't choose to afford the extravagances of hauling oneself and every modern convenience one can jam into a Cruise America Rental RV out into the Nevada desert. Just imagine if all those resources, not to mention all that cash and energy, went into producing art, living life by the ideals you choose, and investing in our communities every day, right at home in our own neighborhoods, instead of once a year for a week in the middle of nowhere.
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