Current Events Series #1: The Burning Man — a Movement, a Cultural Phenomenon, and a Tragedy
Photo credit: Duncan Rawlinson — Duncan.co — @thelastminute via Visualhunt / CC BY-NC
Every year, more than 50,000 people join together in the middle of Black Rock Desert located in nearby Reno, Nevada. They come from all over the world, from all different communities, from all different walks of life to celebrate the 32nd global ritual that has come to be known as, The Burning Man. It is a worldwide event filled with breathtaking art installations that are massive in size and in creativity. The nine-day-long festival wraps up with a citywide gathering to join in harmony, while literally burning all, if not most, of the art installations that have been brought to, and created in Black Rock Desert. One of the “ten commandments” that attendees vow to, is to take everything that you came with and leave nothing behind. This is an incentive to ensure the city is environmentally responsible and resemble that only art and humans comprise of the city and that each attendee can take a piece of that home. The Burning Man is a ‘global cultural movement’ and gives the world the most magnificent art for a brief time; some of have been permanently displayed in major cities, such as a 40-foot-tall sculpture in Las Vegas. However, this year, the burning ritual had invited a tragedy that will bring about a lot of changes for the next events to come. Aaron Joel Mitchell, a first time “burner,” traveled to Black Rock Desert with three friends. On September 4, 2017, 41-year-old Aaron Joel Mitchell ended his young life, as he ran into the flames, during one of the burnings.
Life in Black Rock City is like no other city you have ever been to. After grabbing your bike and a couple of friends, “burners”, as the attendee’s have been referred to, explore the temporary city, which is built from only what the burners bring with them. All of the art installations are located in the “the playa”, which is in the center of the stadium-like city architecture. As you explore the mile long “playa”, you can see anything from a 48-foot-tall sculpture of a woman, a 50-foot-tall temple made entirely of salvaged material, or a giant 24:1 scale replica of a 1927 Underwood Portable Typewriter. There is definitely something for everybody, whether it’s hopping onto the art bus shaped like a giant boom box, or gazing under “The Tree of Tenere”, a ‘towering life-like tree’ lit by the 175,000 hidden LEDs in the leaves.
Photo credit: gruntzooki via Visual Hunt / CC BY-SA
The art is not the only thing bringing more than 70,000 burners to gather for the Burning Man (a record number of attendees) for the 32 years it has been alive. People start their experience with their journey to the city, which isn’t an easy task, with it being in the middle of the desert and all. Most people fly into Reno and then travel two hours to get to Black Rock City. Upon arrival, it is a custom ritual for newcomers to roll in the sand and get completely covered before entering the majestic towers leading into the city. Upon entering the temporary city of Black Rock City, you “can’t walk anywhere without being offered various sorts of hospitality,” Tynan, a 2010 burner survivor admits. “Bars are everywhere, and they’re all free. Costumes are given away for free. One lady stopped us and gave us all frozen blueberries. Giant structures are created and you’re invited to climb them and share the view. Monstrous art cars/buses/boats-on-wheels roam around and will give you a ride. People stop and say hi, smile at you, and ask if you need anything,” she continues. It has become a global cultural movement that allows people to leave their work and commitment-ridden lives to explore a utopian society centered on acceptance, sharing, and the building of art together for the soul purpose of passion and love for it.
This year’s ritual, ending on September 4, 2017, represents the end of the festival bringing more than joy and ecstasy to over 70,000 attendees this year. September 4, 2017 marks a day that can drastically change the on-going life of Black Rock City forever. Aaron Joel Mitchel, a 41-year old American citizen and a newcomer to the city, lost his life. He was seen running into the flames of one of the burnings. It took a whole team of firemen to clear the area and retrieve Mitchell from the flames. He was immediately airlifted to the UC Davis Firefighters Burn Institute Regional Burn Center, according to a statement made by officials of the Burning Man event. Upon arriving at the Burn Center, Mitchell passed away.
Photo credit: BLM Nevada via Visualhunt / CC BY
There are always been some concerns about this nine-day-long event in the past 32 years of its life. However, this year’s event has ignited local authorities to take action and plans to put in place stricter rules and regulations when it comes to life on “the playa.” There has been talk about conducting drug screenings to burners, as they arrive at the city. There has also been talk about limiting the burning sites and placing more rules and regulations in terms of its ceremony and production aspect. Another concern centers around the fact that children are common among Black Rock City’s community. With not only the 100° heat, the frequent sand storms, and limited medical attention, children of all ages are exposed to illicit drugs, alcohol, nudity, and illegal behavior. The population of the city involved, represents a good portion of the community. While treating the festival as a vacation and enjoying time with your loved ones is expected, some burners help shape the stereotype that Burning Man has been accused of being. It has been compared to events, such as Electric Forest and Camp Bisco. Burning Man is unique in the way that it creates a separate world pieced together by the creation and sense of joyous unity that can be felt, without the need for an additional high. It was even reported by the FBI, after the 2017 incident, that the festival is a “cultural and artisan event, which promote[s] free expression by the participants.” Immediately after the incident, organizers and couple, Crimson Rose and Will Roger Peterson, made a statement, after officials threatened to cancel the next scheduled burnings for the 2017 event. “Our hearts and prayers go out to Aaron’s family during this unexpected tragedy,” he said, “particularly for juveniles who are allowed to attend the festival and may not have the same coping skills as adults do when they see something this tragic happen before their eyes.” Crimson then chimed in saying, “It is testament to our spirit. We have a ritual to complete.” And that is exactly what happened.
Black Rock City has brought the world some of the most amazing creations and influences, an inspiration to be in a society woven by freedom of expression, unconditional acceptance, and detachment from our lives to live in the present. The 33rd Annual Event for the Burning Man will begin August 26, 2018 and last until flames rise on September 3, 2018. Once again, the desert of Black Rock City will come alive and inspire the world of artistic communities. For more information about the Burning Man and how to experience Black Rock City, yourself, click here.
Sources
Garfield, Leanna. “23 of the most incredible works of Burning Man art ever made.” Tech Insider, BusinessInsider.com, 23 August 2017, http://www.businessinsider.com/best-burning-man-art-2016-8/#temple-of-grace-by-david-best-and-his-crew-2014-10. Accessed 14 September 2017.
Ma, Alexander. “Photos show the fatal moment a man ran into the inferno at Burning Man.” Tech Insider, BusinessInsider.com, 4 September 2017, http://www.businessinsider.com/burning-man-aaron-joel-mitchell-dead-after-running-into-inferno-2017-9. Accessed 14 September 2017.
McAndrew, Siobhan. “Man who died after running into Burning Man fire was from Oklahoma, living in Switzerland.” Reno Gazette-Journal, USA Today Network, 5 September 2017, http://www.rgj.com/story/life/arts/burning-man/2017/09/03/man-runs-flames-during-burning-man-airlifted-burn-treatment-center/629576001/. Accessed 13 September 2017.
Nir, Sarah Maslin. “Burning Man Ends, and an Event for Law Enforcement Begins.” NYtimes, NYtimes.org, 11 September 2015, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/12/us/burning-man-ends-and-an-event-for-law-enforcement-begins.html. Accessed 13 September 2017.
Tynan. “My Experience at Burning Man 2010.” Tynan.com, 2010, http://tynan.com/burningman. Accessed 12 September 2017.
Vibes, John. “Feds Turn Burning Man Into a Police State, Announce Drug Tests for Attendees and Mass Spying.” The Free Thought, thefreethoughtproject.com, 2 July 2017, http://thefreethoughtproject.com/drug-testing-burning-man/. Accessed 13 September 2017.
Will Roger, Peterson. “The Design and Plan of a Temporary City.” Will Roger Peterson, WillRoger.com, 28 January 2017, https://www.willroger.com/featured-art/the-design-and-plan-of-a-temporary-city. Accessed 14 September 2017.