Man and the Souk at Sunrise
The Souk and Burning Man: 360° Panorama by Michael Holden
A Magician Explores the Souk by Caveat Magister
photo Guillermo Velez
In March, The Artichoke Project and David Best, with an international crew, built "Temple" in Northern Ireland. The ethos of the Temples of Burning Man was brought to Derry LondonDerry in a timber frame structure measuring 72 ft tall, clad with intricate panels, some of which had been designed and cut by young people in the Nerve Centre's Fablab. Everyone was invited to leave a memory behind, let go of the past and look to the future. Up to 60,000 people visited over the seven days it was open, covering the inside of the structure and it's pillar with personal messages. On Saturday the 21st March it was set alight at 8pm and 15,000 people watched Temple burn.
In addition to the Global Leadership Conference in San Francisco, more than 100 European regional contacts, community leaders and regional event leads gathered in Berlin with Burning Man staff Feb. 7-9 for the inaugural Burning Man European Leadership Summit. Through three days of presentations, group discussions and networking, participants and staff gained a deeper understanding of the broad range of community initiatives and visions of the future shared by Burners from countries across the continent.
| Homer Simpson and Family took a trip to "Blazing Guy" in the 7th episode of The Simpsons' 26th season, "Blazed and Confused. |
Hello Black Rock City that was! 2014 was another incredible year at Burning Man; once again we all worked together to build it, share it, burn it and leave no trace of our passing.
Burning Man 2014 was marked by superlatives — a massive 105’-tall Man, standing with feet planted firmly on the playa floor; a torrential rainstorm that wreaked minor havoc and shut down Black Rock City for Monday of the event; more art, theme camps and scheduled activities than ever before; and a third consecutive sold-out event, hosting a peak population of 65,922 participants (the widespread reports of Monday’s rainstorm likely responsible for keeping us shy of our population cap of 70,000 participants).
The Caravansary art theme evoked ancient crossroads, where desert-dwelling travelers meet in bustling hubs to share ideas, information and resources. Participants traveled from all points on the playa compass to partake in offerings of the Souk, which encircled the Man. Art groups were invited to set up “shops” in this colorful tented marketplace, offering gifts of invaluable wares, curiosities, performances, and creative interactions.
Burning Man awarded more than $800,000 in honorarium art grants to support creation of 61 art installations in 2014, while more than 250 self-funded artworks were built and displayed in Black Rock City by artists from around the world. Dominating the skyline was “Embrace”, a 72’-tall wooden sculpture depicting two people locked in a hug, by Matt Schultz and the Pier Group. It was set alight in an unusual dawn burn on Friday of the event.
Crowds gather at Embrace, an installation by Matt Schultz and crew
The Souk Map
