 |
|
The Man |
Burning Man – Festival in the desert
Burning Man will be the springboard for our big trip. It is staged every year on Labor Day weekend. Started on a beach in San Francisco, it found its current home in the Nevada desert. The authorities didn’t appreciate people burning an effigy on a public beach.
What is Burning Man? It is what you wish it to be. Superficially, it is a huge community of people gathered to watch a big effigy of The Man burn. But unlike the Indian festival of Dussehra where effigies of the kings Ravana, Kumbhakarna and Meghanath are burned, there are no stories that symbolize anything. It is an experiment in social structure. It is a huge gathering of people (tens of thousands) in a communal effort to create art. A large congregation of digiratti, artists and people like you and me from all over.
No vending, no spectators. Everyone has to participate in some way. Some people give shampoos. Some people hand out thai iced coffee. People drive art cars. Lots of art is centered around water (because of the scarcity of it) and fire (because of the theme). The small roots have grown into a strong, thriving international art event. Amateurs and professionals alike come from all over the world to participate.
The desert is a beautiful place. Burning Man is an ephemeral community. The Post office, cafes, local law enforcement, lamplighters, art installations, bathrooms, people, trailers…all disappear almost overnight. Unlike the self absorbed rulers of the world who build mega structures for their own personal glory, most art pieces here get burned or dismantled after being shown at Burning Man. Not a trace remains. A cosmos compacted into a month.
 |
 |
 |
 |
It should be aptly called “Burning human”.
When burning man is burnt, science seem to make him live by dressing him up. A scientific progress.