Burning Man Archives | Moss and Fog

Architecture

2023 Burning Man Features Elegant Temple Design That Resembles Upside Down Flower

August 25, 2023 Architecture

Burning Man has been creating a temporary city in the desert for decades now, bringing together artists, musicians, builders and tinkerers from around the globe.

It’s influential for people due to a combination of its unique principles, transformative experiences, and the profound impact it has on personal growth and community building.

Some people call the one week festival the largest party on the planet, while for others, it’s deeply spiritual and enlightening, a place for them to escape reality of our built society for a few days.

For many years, the festival has featured a large temple structure that is a place of reflection, grieving, remembrance, and meditation. Hand-written notes, photographs, messages and wishes are attached to the interior during the event’s week. At the end of the festival, the entire structure is burned, giving a sense of closure and relief.

The 2023 Temple of Heart is designed by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay, and features a 12-pointed base with intricate, lace-like patterns cut into the structure’s 640 wooden panels using a CNC machine. It will look especially impressive at night, surrounded by the desert landscape.

Resembling an upside-down desert flower, the temple features a large stem that reaches 80 feet into the air.

Made entirely with volunteer labor and donated materials, the structure’s creation is a labor of love and dedication to larger community that makes up Burning Man.

Held Sunday, August 27 – Monday, September 4, the event will feature hundreds of other built creations as well as ‘mutant vehicles’ and an expected 80,000 attendees. Let us know if you attend, and what your impression was.

Architecture

Bjarke Ingels’ Giant Silver Orb Destined for Burning Man

July 10, 2018 Architecture

Burning Man used to be an event for the ‘weirdos’, but over the years, it’s become more and more popular with a global audience. Now bringing nearly 75,000 people to the Black Rock desert in Nevada, Burning Man attracts artists, designers, engineers, and travelers who want to experience a temporary city filled with creativity and free expression. 2018’s festival will feature art of all shapes and sizes, including the ORB, a giant silver sphere created by famous architect Bjarke Ingels.

Created out of welded steel, the orb will be 84 feet in diameter, which is 500,000th the size of the face of the Earth. Meant to reflect the landscape of Burning Man and the desert surroundings, the ORB will be a central landmark, and something to help ground and direct festival-goers. Impressive indeed. Via Curbed:

Architecture

Burning Man Gigapixel Panorama

September 19, 2014 Architecture

As someone who has attended Burning Man for years, you don’t need to tell me how profoundly amazing it is. Describing it to skeptical friends and colleagues has become a rite of passage for new attendees. But often a picture tells a thousand words, and this enormous gigapixel by Michael Holden tells a whole book. Scroll around, and see a full 360°view of the playa at sunrise. Check it out here.

Art

Drone’s Eye View of Burning Man 2013

September 10, 2013 Art

Pretty remarkable aerial footage filmed from a drone at Burning Man 2013. It gives you a great perspective on scale. Via Eddie.com.

Architecture

Syrian Tent City

September 8, 2013 Architecture

Syrian refugees have formed an enormous tent city called Zaartari, in Jordan, with over 144,000 refugees. And unlike the tent city during Burning Man, this one is three times the size, and full of despair and hopelessness. Despite all, the tent city has services just like a real city would, from electricity and hair salons, to medical facilities and markets. Let’s all hope the Syrian civil war ends soon. Via Kinja and El Pais:

Click on the images to see the extent of the enormous tent city.

Devoid of trees and natural shade, the city faces scorching heat and intense winds.

Refugees are resourceful and resilient, though eager to return to their homes.

The cost in human suffering is high.

Animals

Our Love of Anglerfish

September 14, 2012 Animals

When you see how absolutely CRAZY the concept of an Angler Fish is, its inevitable that we as humans would find them fascinating. There are very few predators in the wild that dangle a lamp off of their head in order to lure prey.

Here are a collection of Angler Fish creations.

Burning Man ‘mutant vehicles’

burning-man-cars-01-0512-lgn — photo by Scott London

Angler Fish lamp, via Colossal:
Terrifying Deep Sea Angler Lamp Made from Recycled Objects sculpture recycling lighting fish assemblage

Terrifying Deep Sea Angler Lamp Made from Recycled Objects sculpture recycling lighting fish assemblage

Probably not for the kids room, but I appreciate the effort that went into this wicked assemblage light by Justin La Doux made of bicycle parts, knives, a shovel, and other objects. The piece was entered as part of the 2010 ArtPrize contest. (via my amp goes to 11)

Architecture

The Temple of Juno

September 11, 2012 Architecture

Burning Man 2012 has come to a close, and one of the constants at this incredible festival is The Temple. Every year, a new one is built, and it rests in the same place in the fleeting, desert, Black Rock City. I was fortunate enough to attend for the past two years, and the temple that was constructed this year was a sight to behold. Reminiscent of a pagoda, the structure wasn’t impressive in size, but the eye-warping detail and craftsmanship were truly astounding. The temple was designed by renowned sculptor David Best, and was created with over 300,000 CNC’d wooden panels. The intricacy made people’s jaws drop, myself included. When lit at night, the temple resembled a glowing, luminous piece of honeycomb. It’s the sort of place that pictures will never do justice, but the following images are gathered from Flickr by various, excellent photographers. Click on the photos to see just a bit of the amazing detail.

While known for loud and boisterous celebration, people at Burning Man embrace a reverence and respect while inside the temple. It’s known as a quiet place of reflection and meditation. People scrawl messages on scraps of paper and the temple’s walls that speak to those they have lost, feelings of guilt and sadness, reflections on life, love, the universe.