Let It Burn
Burning artwork has become a traditional activity, which takes place in the evening on the event’s last day. But the Man is not the only thing that the Burners get to burn. Another common Burning Man sight it the Temple — it is a sacred and contemplative space that holds immense significance for participants of the festival.
Designed as a temporary structure that burns along with the Man, it serves as a place of reflection, healing, and letting go. It’s also become a tradition to inscribe the piece’s surfaces with personal messages that have continued through all of the temple’s iterations.
What to Bring
When one arrives at Burning Man, you are expected to come with absolutely everything that you could possibly need while you’re there and then some for the community. It all depends on what you can gift people and what is required from you based on your camp's needs. Most camps will divide the equipment and workload among their people.
That includes water, shelter, a first aid kit, food, flashlights (the desert is very dark at night), apparel to accommodate extreme and unpredictable weather, batteries, a mask (to protect yourself from breathing too much of that powdery sand), and trash storage.
Daring Costumes
Costumes are encouraged, and the fashion is imaginative, with attendees following trends and lots of colors and creating some of the most daring ensembles ever. This is how you get people like the guy in this picture. He was in the mood for being an alien for a few days and had the kangaroo boots and body paint to execute his wishes.
Good on him! There is no better place than Burning Man to feel like you are on another planet. For many, Burning Man is a way to disconnect from the 'real' world, so when they return to the real world, it can feel like a fresh start.
Mutant Vehicles
Mutant Vehicles are creatively altered motorized vehicles built explicitly for Burning Man. The term "Mutant Vehicle" was coined by Organizers of the Burning Man event to delineate a type of "Art Car" that was more dramatically modified than merely decorating an existing vehicle. Just like the truck in this picture, which boasts a swing as well as a ship's crow's nest, among a bunch of other things.
Vehicles that are minimally modified with the primary function to transport members are discouraged. This is why at Burning Man you would have a better chance of seeing a pickup truck that looks like a pink sea turtle rather than a mini-cooper with eyelashes on the headlights.
The Essence of Burning Man
Have you ever taken a ride in a firefly? Well, the people in this picture have, and now we wish we were there with them. This light-strung vehicle is a mode of transportation that can only be made by a group of dedicated people. This is one of the core qualities of Burning Man culture — coming together to create fantasy just for fantasy's sake.
The growth and infrastructure allow for more creativity from the participants, who then bring back Black Rock City's essence to the “default” world. If nothing else, the pure harshness of the desert will continue to make collective survival a uniting factor for most inhabitants, forcing burners to rely on each other and find commonalities.