The 2022 Man Base was very much a collective effort, in terms of conception, creative execution and build. We received so many brilliant concepts from individual artists and artist teams. We were inspired by all of them, and found that there were ways to incorporate conceptual elements from many of these submissions into the final result.
Was it easy? No. Was it an astounding feat of logistical and cultural prowess? Yes. We’re proud of every human who brought their whole self to the mighty endeavor of building Black Rock City.
Build the City We Did
Chris ‘ChAos’ Neary, Associate Director of Burning Man’s Department of Public Works (DPW) succinctly summed up 2022:
Adaptation is the name of the game when building BRC in an environment like the Black Rock Desert. This year really tested our ability to remain flexible and figure things out on the fly… We just put our heads together and got busy solving problems quickly as they arose. And the amazing members of our DPW crews stepped up over and over again to meet every challenge head on.
To all the teams that worked around the clock under difficult conditions to keep Black Rock City running — from Gate, Perimeter and Exodus (GP&E) to the Black Rock Rangers, DPW to Placement, and so many others.
Art, Diversity and Sustainability
And the playa came alive! More artists registered to bring their art to the Waking Dreams playa than ever before, including a record number of projects that represented diversity and emphasized sustainability. Black Rock City blossomed with 84 art installations supported by Honoraria grants, which include 48 from 2020 and 2021 as part of our Art No Matter What program. In total, Burning Man Project granted more than one million dollars to Honoraria artists and the Temple in 2022.
We leaned into our commitments to advancing Radical Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (R.I.D.E.) and sustainability in our dusty home. Throughout 2021 and 2022 we cultivated new relationships and made it possible for first-time Burners to come to Black Rock City. Honoraria-funded art projects, camp communities and playa events expressed the diversity of the city’s population. Meanwhile, throughout Black Rock City there were noticeably fewer fuel generators, thanks to a proliferation of solar technology and expertise.
Shape and Size of the City
- At its peak, there were 75,069 participants in Black Rock City 2022
- Including the city and playa, Black Rock City was 3,935 acres or 6.14 square miles
- The city grid (without playa) was 1,113.9 acres or 1.74 square miles
- The trash fence, which circled the city, was 9.45 miles long
The Waking Dreams Man
- From toes to the top of head, the Man was 34’ tall
- Including the Man Pavilion, the entire structure was 64’ high
- The Man and Man Pavilion were 100% solar powered
Art and Interactivity at the Man Pavilion
Around and beneath the Man, the community created provocative, immersive experiences incorporating dance, performance art and music — often all at once.
Mexican artists Víctor López, Luis Sánchez and Tania Quezada illuminated the interior of the Man Pavilion with magical realist murals that spoke of allegorical journeys.
Empyrean, Black Rock City’s 2022 Temple
Empyrean by Laurence Renzo Verbeck was selected to be the 2020 Temple. When the 2020 event was paused, the Temple team co-created the virtual Ethereal Empyrean Experience. In 2022 Empyrean rose in its physical form and was released by fire.
Interactivity & Community
Humans are the real marvels of Burning Man. 80,000 Burners converged on Black Rock City to create shared experiences — collisions in the Thunderdome, pranks and shenanigans, dusty orchestral afternoons… and YOU doing whatever you love to do.
Theme camps create the city’s interactivity,
offering everything from snacks and shade, to workshops and dance parties. There were:
- 1,190 placed theme camps
- 67 placed villages
- Many unplaced and impromptu camps
Shape and Size of the City
Black Rock City and beyond happens through Civic Responsibility — individuals stepping up and getting things done. As Burning Man culture grows, Burners are taking their passion for service around the globe.
769 mutant vehicles were invited to Black Rock City. At any moment, you could be picked up by a giant rubber duck, illuminated by a flaming octopus, or conveyed by a ship chased by a luminescent shark.
And FIRE!
In Black Rock City 2022 there were:
- 27 art projects that lit up the playa with fire
- 113 registered fire art features in camps
- 124 mutant vehicles with “poofers” and other flame effects
A Great Circle of Fire Artists
Before the Man burned, 29 fire groups — 1,282 fire performers and crew — encircled the man, lit their props and flowed into the largest convergence of fire performers on Earth.
In 2022 Fire Conclave performers originated from Canada, Costa Rica, Russia, the UK and the US; they represented 19 US states and two Canadian provinces.