Burning Man is beloved by many for its wild nature and mind-bending approach to having fun. The Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man takes place every year, is a two-hour drive up from Reno, Nevada, and the build-up is huge for attendees. As they approach the gates to Burning Man, the anticipation grows. Everyone knows they’re entering a “fertile chaos zone,” as this sign implies.
“Fertile chaos zone” is a perfect description of the famous arts and culture event. There’s dancing, drinks, sun, substances, and so much more. The main point of Burning Man is to get in touch with your radical creativity. Everyone is free to achieve that however they deem fit, within reason. Burning Man is whatever you choose to make it.
Burn Man has a DMV
You can never escape DMV, even at Burning Man, the hub of counter-culture and radical creativity. However, the Burning Man DMV is a little different. First off, “DMV” stands for “Department of Mutant Vehicles” instead of “Department of Motor Vehicles.” So what’s a mutant vehicle, you ask? Well, this traveling tent-slash-car is a perfect example.
Mutant vehicles are basically traveling art pieces on the Playa They’re a big deal. Attendees trick out vehicles to look like giant bunnies, neon sharks, and so much more. Before these cars enter the Playa, they must be inspected and registered by the Burning Man DMV. That means it has to pass a brake and headlight inspection, among other things. Another requirement is that all vehicles at Burning Man have to be sufficiently weird. If you show up with your ‘87 Civic and some fuzzy dice, you’ll probably get turned away.
Recycle, Reuse
Burning Man art installations are famous for using reclaimed materials, recycled scraps, and found objects. Artists often receive grants from Burning Man Arts to create their original sculptures, and they fully embrace the eco-minded ethos of the event. This kinetic sculpture by artist Barry Crawford is one of the most memorable Burning Man sculptures in recent memory.
“Rearing Horse” debuted at the 2018 Burning Man event and turned heads for all the right reasons. This majestic stallion is made with old machinery that Crawford found in trash dumps and salvage yards. The statue has a bunch of moving parts, including the horse’s mane, legs, and tail. The statue was such a hit that it was installed in various other places around Nevada, like a Reno casino and the San Mateo Maker Faire.
Wait Until Sunset
Burning Man is a nine-day-long party that doesn’t stop. However, the scorching late summer sun can be quite the drain. The main trick to surviving Burning Man is being strategic about when you party. There are things going on during the day, but the real party starts when the sun goes down.
Cooler temperatures mean more shenanigans, dance parties, LED light installations, and pyrotechnics. The important thing is to be open to whatever comes your way at Burning Man after dark. Burners often say that every night is different because the event is so huge, and there are so many different camps to explore.
Rising from the Ashes
Black Rock City only exists once a year. After Burning Man is over, the entire city is deconstructed and disappears without a trace. In order to set up infrastructure for such a huge gathering of people, a team of volunteers spends up to a month beforehand setting everything up. A big part of the set-up involves constructing all the large-scale sculptures.
Some artists spend a whole year planning out their art pieces. Then, about two weeks before opening day, they show up to Black Rock City to begin installing their creations. The placement of each sculpture, installation, and camp is carefully plotted out by Burning Man volunteers, making the 9-mile city a teeming center of art and culture for one week a year.