This article was first published in the September 2015 issue of WIRED magazine. Be the first to read WIRED's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online
A five-storey mesh dancer, a giant game of fire Tetris and -- if rumours are to be believed -- a hacked Boeing 747 are just a few of the oversized artworks on show at Burning Man (August 30 to September 7). But here, such awe-inspiring projects are the norm -- the Nevada desert festival has a reputation as an alt-art showcase. "It's a bit like a laboratory for creativity," says Scott London, a long-time photographer of the event who, with fellow snapper Sidney Erthal and author Jennifer Raiser, has collaborated on Burning Man: Art on Fire (Race Point Publishing). "Many artists who started at Burning Man now show at the most renowned museums," explains Erthal. Although the influx of Silicon Valley money (Larry Page and Elon Musk are playa players) has upped the ante, one thing remains unchanged: the art gets burned. "It adds an extra dimension," says London. "All we have are the memories, and maybe a few good photographs."
As 70,000 people don their dust masks and head to Black Rock City for Burning Man 2015, Erthal and London pick six pieces -- and what to see this year.
1. Fire TetrisThis 8m structure lets you play the classic game -- in flame. Blocks "fall" down a grid made of fire-squirting nozzles.
2. The 747 ProjectSan Francisco-based Big Imagination wants to retool an old Boeing 747 into an open-topped mutant vehicle.
3. The Blunderwood PortableBurners can stand on the keys of this giant-sized 1920s typewriter, and tap out massive messages.http://www.jasonturgeon.net/
4. Serpent MotherLast on the playa in 2006, this 51m robotic snake has been fully revamped by its creators, the Flaming Lotus Girls.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
