In our last segment, we followed our intrepid heroes as they explored politics-not-as-usual at Burning Man.

Today, we follow them as they explore more of the playa at night!

After leaving the installation of political questions, they were drawn to this gigantic ball of ever-changing light:

Like Voice of Fire, experiencing the sheer scale is key. “The Ball”, by L’Enclave:

It’s difficult to express the sheer scale of Burning Man at night. Here’s a selection of art cars around a number of sound camps (at 2:00 and Esplanade, I think), by the Green Castle[1]. You may hear a Benny Benassi drop in the background:

Also striking for its sheer scale is ‘R-Evolution by Marco Cochrane‘. The sculpture was subtly lit, just enough that you could see her breathe:

Some chill music, while Tron suits walk by:

This is one of the more famous (outside the Burn) installations from 2015. Two adults, turned away from each other, but at night, you can see their inner children illuminated, trying to reach out to each other, trying to break through the shells their adult selves have built up around them. I see it as hopeful, that those excited, exploratory children are still alive in all of us, and can be brought out with the right catalyst. ‘Love’, by Alexandr Milov:

Then, it was time to go back to the Charnival, to relieve the volunteers and to close down Mirror Blaze for the night. Here you can see the barrier put up by the lifeguard chair, to block access to backstage and the fuel depot:

On the way back to camp (or on the way to portapotties after getting back to camp), some LED trails, randomly on the wall at the neighbour’s:

Next time, some solo morning exploration!

[1]S reminds me that sometime during Early arrival, we met two women who mentioned that they were working on ‘The Irish Castle’. At that time, we had no idea of its scope.

In our last post, our intrepid heroes visited and surveyed the Charnival on their way back to camp for supper.

On the way back, they had a few random encounters. The first was with a beautiful giant Manta Ray and its keeper. Apparently, the Manta Ray (by Peter Hazel) was painstakingly assembled from individually formed pieces of glass over the course of many months:

S also received an important token as a quest item.

Next, our heroes braved the ‘desert flower assortment’. We shall not share the expressions they were forced to express as they passed:

Next, they spotted someone or something on top of a geodesic dome:

Another friend! He seemed to be enjoying himself up there, and was definitely not an Octopus:

After dinner, our heroes returned to the Charnival, to perform the (almost) daily ritual cleaning of the mirrors, made necessary by the daily application of wind and playa dust. Here you can see S, with her trusty headlamp, using a Mr. Mister:

Then it was time to open again! We were helped by Jack (O’Lantern), Dug, and Joan. Mirror Blaze had been designed to be run by two people (one in the chair, controlling the fire, and one on player entry/exit), but we had asked for three because we suspected the crowds would get huge (which they did), and so that our volunteers could do things like take a washroom break. Here you can see S talking to Dug and Joan (I think), as crowds stream in:

Jack sets off the fire:

And conversation resumes:

Seth brought the coatrack, and modified the control system to hook it up to one of those ‘mind-controlling headbands’, and thus ‘Pyrokinesis‘ was born!:

Lastly, we leave you with an example of what a contact fire spinner (Ben, I think) can do with 2piR (Ardent Heavy Industries):

Tune in next time for zany nightime adventures into the wilds of the Burning Man night!

In our last entry, our heroes had made a new (possibly fire-breathing) friend, and checked in with Mirror Blaze to see what they had wrought, in full daylight. They then turned their gaze to the rest of the Charnival.

An installation at night feels like a totally different place from that installation during the day. The Charnival by night is a flashing, fiery place of awe and wonder. By day, the sun is baking, the space is wide open as far as the eye can see, the installations look dormant, almost waiting for someone to interact with them. Daytime is more subtle, you can see more detail, it feels easier to live in the now, to experience the thing in front of you, rather than being distracted by the shiny thing blinking out of the corner of your eye.

Our heroes start their tour with some shadowplay, the sun delivering very crisp shadows for the effort:

The installations almost seem asleep, resting after their exertions of the night before. Most of the installations on playa are meant to be played with when the operators are not present, but not these, and in general, none of those which involve fire. Even though many people will walk through during the day, it gives a ‘backstage’ feel to the Charnival during the day:

Some of the installations feel like they are watching and waiting…:

Definitely a backstage, with all of the Charnival Grounds signs facing outwards:

The wind baffles setup to protect FaIRE Hockey help it feel like an animal, hiding from the sun and wind during the heat of the day:

Looking at the relative rankings on the high striker here may give you insights into some of the unique culture at Burning Man:

Francis the Fantastic was just that. It was the best integrated of the installations, combining fire, visuals, and sound into a cohesive whole. Here, you can see the trickster god waiting for the next volunteer:

The Last Flamethrower crew were very no-nonsense about safety. Many people joke about ‘safety third’ at the Burn, but when you’re working with gasoline, you really, really can’t do that. Their demeanour and rules reflect that:

Also, their blunt language:

Lastly, Gray had a piece next to Fire Tetris that I never quite learned the name of, but IIRC, the pieces would react to each other by glowing in different ways:

Some links to some of the projects in Charnival:
2piR, by Ardent Heavy Industries
Clown Teabagging Eruption, by Dave McKay and Sir Not Appearing in This Film 🙁
FaIRE Hockey, by Marc Reeve-Newson
Flack in the Box, by Emile Daigle
Flaming Hookers, by TJ Kozma and Deanna Duffey
Francis the Fantastic, by Michael Everson and Trish Lamanna
Hell Blazer, by Kate Tanos
Last Flamethrower, by Matisse Enzer
Mirror Blaze (That’s us!)
Molotov et Immolato: Les Bouffons Brûlant du Ciel, by: Douglas Ruuska
Pyrokinesis, by Seth Hardy (Site 3 Fire Arts)
Riskee Ball (Carrie Smith and Site 3 Fire Arts)
Toxic Bloom, by Ethan Garner
Word of the Burning Bramble, by Michael Dewberry

Next time, our heroes pass by a number of non-biological biological installations, and start night two of Mirror Blaze and the Charnival!

In our last post, our intrepid heroes, true to type, had visited the Man and experienced various other poignant adventures on their way back to the installation. But there were still more adventures to be had!

Off in the distance, our heroine saw something, perhaps a friend?:

After swapping tales of fire with our newfound friend, our heroes resumed their course back towards the Charnival. Here, you can see it in the distance, filling the (slightly canted) horizon:

Just before they got there, they encountered some men in suits making some sort of statement. It was somewhat unclear, although all of the men in suits looked rather warm:

Back home to Mirror Blaze, still proudly flying the flags!:

Our heroine takes a moment to truly enjoy what she hath wrought:

And our heroes take a couple of moments together:

Next time, our heroes survey the rest of the Charnival, and continue their explorations!