HBO Presents

Welcome to Burning Man Sign at the Gate Road – A lit message board greets arriving vehicles on the entry road days before the gates open.

Welcome Home

We Love Bad Ideas – French Maid Brigade – A camp sign propped in the dust between parked vehicles advertises the French Maid Brigade and their motto.

Signs at Retrofrolic

Signs at Retrofrolic

Today’s Drama Danger – Extreme – A camp sandwich board sets the day’s drama level with the needle pegged all the way into the red.

We Are All Going To Hell Haha!

Trust The Journey Sign – A hand painted sign sits over a crowd of parked bikes outside a shade structure on Esplanade.

No Making Out Behind The Bleachers – A hand painted yellow sign hangs on a set of plywood bleachers going up on the open playa.

Where You Hit The Pavement – Cars and work trailers line the dusty exit road out of Black Rock City in the early morning light. If you time it right exodus is smooth. Remember to make an exodus bin with all the things you need.

Sunrise on the Exodus Route – Traffic cones and flag lines mark the lanes out of the city as the sun comes up over the mountains.

Exodus at Sunrise – A loaded pickup waits in the flagged exit lane as the sun comes up over the playa.

Hitchhiking Out at Exodus – A man stands between the cone lines of the exit lanes hoping for a ride off the playa at first light.

DPW Donation Area at Exodus – Departing burners drop off leftover food, water and coolers at the shaded drop point on the way out of the city.

Hahalua by Christopher Schardt from Oakland CA – Hahalua is a 24′ manta ray, hanging overhead, whose wings are made to flap when visitors swing on a wide porch swing below. The bottom of Hahalua is covered with 25,000 LEDs, which display patterns choreographed to classical music and classic rock.

Photographer Shoots The Temple Burn – One of my colleagues up on the scissor lift said his girlfriend wanted more action shots. Here you go!

Looking Back During Temple Burn – Hundreds of people park their lit bikes and art cars on the open playa during the Temple to burn.

Monaco Without Mast During The Temple Burn – Riders in fur coats and parkas crowd the deck of a boat shaped art car, waiting for the Temple to be lit.

Burners Gather for the Temple Burn

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Burners Watch The Temple Burn

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Bikes and Art Cars on the Open Playa – Hundreds of people, lit bicycles and small art cars gather on the open playa after dark, with a giraffe car and a lit dragon head in the middle of the crowd.

Burners Gather for The Temple Burn

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Danee in the Fur Hat – Danee from Tahiti leans on the rail of a scissor lift as the platform rises above the playa as the city lights come up before the Temple burn. Danee is @danee_hazama_photography on instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/danee_hazama_photography

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Lovely Burner

Fur Coats Before the Burn – Two friends bundled in fur coats and a rainbow fleece hood pose while people gather for the Temple burn.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Aikido – The Mothership Connection by Zak Ove from London UK and Canary Islands Spain – Mothership Connection reinterprets old-world artisan traditions, weaving Pacific Northwest totem craft with architectural references to sites built by enslaved and indentured labor, honoring their role in a shared, multi-racial history. The rocket-like form evokes an Afrofuturist vessel informed by Dogon cosmology. Its base recalls the Djenné mud mosque of Mali, rising into a shaft adorned with luminous masks and etched Veve symbols from the Haitian diaspora. Higher sections shift to Masonic columns and triangles, encircled by Cadillac lights referencing Western consumerism, then arches inspired by Washington’s Capitol. The crown is a monumental illuminated Mende female mask, pulsing like a radiant beacon toward the future.

Aikido – The Mothership Connection by Zak Ove from London UK and Canary Islands Spain – Mothership Connection reinterprets old-world artisan traditions, weaving Pacific Northwest totem craft with architectural references to sites built by enslaved and indentured labor, honoring their role in a shared, multi-racial history. The rocket-like form evokes an Afrofuturist vessel informed by Dogon cosmology. Its base recalls the Djenné mud mosque of Mali, rising into a shaft adorned with luminous masks and etched Veve symbols from the Haitian diaspora. Higher sections shift to Masonic columns and triangles, encircled by Cadillac lights referencing Western consumerism, then arches inspired by Washington’s Capitol. The crown is a monumental illuminated Mende female mask, pulsing like a radiant beacon toward the future.

Aikido – The Mothership Connection by Zak Ove from London UK and Canary Islands Spain – Mothership Connection reinterprets old-world artisan traditions, weaving Pacific Northwest totem craft with architectural references to sites built by enslaved and indentured labor, honoring their role in a shared, multi-racial history. The rocket-like form evokes an Afrofuturist vessel informed by Dogon cosmology. Its base recalls the Djenné mud mosque of Mali, rising into a shaft adorned with luminous masks and etched Veve symbols from the Haitian diaspora. Higher sections shift to Masonic columns and triangles, encircled by Cadillac lights referencing Western consumerism, then arches inspired by Washington’s Capitol. The crown is a monumental illuminated Mende female mask, pulsing like a radiant beacon toward the future.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Septima Stella Lux by Dave Ray and Michael Jacob of Lux Productions from Joshua Tree CA and Sebastopol CA – Septima is a 28 foot diameter structural free standing sphere, comprised of the vertical intersection of four 7 pointed septogram or heptagram stars, constructed of large engineered timbers A solid structural platform at nine feet above the playa will provide space to congregate and explore the structure from within. The perimeter face of each timber will be channeled for programmable LED’s that will illuminate the sculpture at night. – From the sacred to the profane the number 7 has woven itself into the DNA of our species, imbedded in our theology, spirituality, numerology and metaphysical realms: – 7 days of creation 7 Chakras 7 planets The number 7 is integral to Muslim and Jewish mysticism. 7 pitches in the heptatonic scale the 7 deadly sins

Septima Stella Lux by Dave Ray and Michael Jacob of Lux Productions from Joshua Tree CA and Sebastopol CA – Septima is a 28 foot diameter structural free standing sphere, comprised of the vertical intersection of four 7 pointed septogram or heptagram stars, constructed of large engineered timbers A solid structural platform at nine feet above the playa will provide space to congregate and explore the structure from within. The perimeter face of each timber will be channeled for programmable LED’s that will illuminate the sculpture at night. – From the sacred to the profane the number 7 has woven itself into the DNA of our species, imbedded in our theology, spirituality, numerology and metaphysical realms: – 7 days of creation 7 Chakras 7 planets The number 7 is integral to Muslim and Jewish mysticism. 7 pitches in the heptatonic scale the 7 deadly sins

Blue Car Mutant Vehicle on the Open Playa – A rider sits beneath a draped canopy on a small homemade blue cart while a cyclist passes in the foreground.

REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

For They Know Not What They Do by Jai Hackl from Martinsville Australia – A steel caduceus rises from the Playa, a sword entwined with twin serpents and crowned with the wings of Hermes and an all-seeing eye. Forged from stainless steel, brass, and mild steel, it bends and scatters desert light, appearing watchful and alive in the dust. The serpents coil through ancient dualities of creation and destruction, obedience and rebellion, and cycles carried through tradition and rarely questioned. The sword forms an axis of power, both guardian and threat. Above, Hermes’ wings speak of transcendence and ascent, while the mirrored eye returns fractured reflections of the viewer, reminding us that perception is always partial, and truth remains just beyond our grasp.

The Golden Rule by Asher Amar from Los Angeles CA – A monumental illuminated sculpture spanning approximately 120 feet in length and 27 feet in height across the open playa. The installation spells the Hebrew phrase “ואהבת לרעך כמוך”, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Constructed from steel and elevated on slender supports, the letters appear to float above the desert horizon. By day the structure reflects sunlight with a shimmering golden presence; by night integrated lighting transforms the words into a radiant beacon, expressing a timeless principle of empathy, reciprocity, and shared humanity.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Heart Remains by Giselle Cisel Cakiroglu from Miami FL and Istanbul Turkey – Heart Remains is a monumental light sculpture rising from the open desert. A suspended heart form is held within rib-like structures that appear both protective and exposed. Subtle movement and shifting light give the piece a quiet sense of breath and presence. At night, illumination reveals the delicate inner geometry of the structure. The work reflects the need for emotional boundaries that people create to remain true to themselves while staying soft at their core. Balancing strength and vulnerability, Heart Remains explores how protection can exist without hardness, and how the heart can remain open while still honoring its soft nature.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire by Sergei Konchekov from New York NY – Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire rises from the desert as a new form of hybrid architecture, neither monument nor machine, but a living signal. Constructed from ascending conical volumes encircled by programmable rings of light, the structure releases phased waves that travel upward like a visible breath. Illumination intensifies, fades, and collapses into silence, transforming the tower into a temporal instrument rather than a static object. Matter and algorithm intertwine; structure becomes frequency; architecture becomes event. In the vast emptiness of the playa, the spire stands as a meditation on resonance, a threshold where technology turns ritual and light becomes the language of presence.

Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire by Sergei Konchekov from New York NY – Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire rises from the desert as a new form of hybrid architecture, neither monument nor machine, but a living signal. Constructed from ascending conical volumes encircled by programmable rings of light, the structure releases phased waves that travel upward like a visible breath. Illumination intensifies, fades, and collapses into silence, transforming the tower into a temporal instrument rather than a static object. Matter and algorithm intertwine; structure becomes frequency; architecture becomes event. In the vast emptiness of the playa, the spire stands as a meditation on resonance, a threshold where technology turns ritual and light becomes the language of presence.

Seven Sisters by Caleb Nederhood and The Seven Sisters Crew from Oakland CA – For millennia, cultures around the world have told strikingly similar stories about a small group of stars in the night sky being seven sisters. Whether known as Pleaides, Subaru, Karatgurk, Dilγéhé, Makali’i, or countless other names, this constellation has held deep spiritual and mythological significance for peoples around the world, with some centering their calendar around its rising. The Seven Sisters is a three-dimensional model of this star cluster, allowing participants to see a familiar constellation from new perspectives and learn about the convergent myths told about it.

Can You Read My Lips? by Will Johansson from Berkeley CA – A 14-foot-wide LED sign on the deep playa. Five lines of light, each reading “CAN YOU READ MY LIPS?”, flicker across its face. First slow and tentative, then chaotic and overwhelming, like the fatigue of trying to keep up with many voices at once. At the peak the whole sign holds bright for one second, then resolves into a sixth line: “CAN YOU READ MY HANDS?” The piece is by a Deaf artist whose first language is American Sign Language. The lipreading the question asks for is the lipreading he does every day; the hands at the end point to a fuller language than mouths alone can carry, and a quieter question about whether better is possible.

Resonance Tree by Resonance Art Collective from Nevada City CA – The Resonance Tree is a large-scale immersive art installation made entirely of bamboo, designed by the Resonance Studio. It responds to sun, shadow, sound, and movement. Rising seven meters above the playa, the Tree invites people to enter through woven roots, climb through the trunk, rest in canopy nets, and gather beneath a living canopy of shadow and sound. – By day, its canopy filters the desert sun, and by night, the trunk glows from within. Hundreds of solar bamboo lights hung from the branches shift with the wind, casting shadows across the cracked playa.

Moop Cleanup and Converted Bus Camper in Deep Playa – A school bus rebuilt with a wooden cabover camper sits parked out past the edge of the city while two people wander the flat.

The Point Being by Jordan Tenney from Salt Lake City UT – A cosmic spire emerges from the playa, encircled by a courtyard and benches, creating a space for reflection and group exchange. The intricately carved etchings on the obelisk’s wooden panels depict celestial and earthly motifs. – By day, the obelisk is a striking silhouette against the desert backdrop, a reminder of our unique place within time and space. As night falls, the installation glows from within, symbolizing enlightenment. – Marked by geometric harmony, it encourages one to consider their journey, to recognize their unique contributions to our collective story. It is a place to ground the self within the wide expanse of existence.

Dust Blowing Across Open Playa – Low sheets of dust drift over the open playa while a few walkers and bikes move through it far below.

Dust Blowing Across The City – An aerial look over the RV rows and shade structures as a dust bank rolls through the city.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR and Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Aikido – The Mothership Connection by Zak Ove from London UK and Canary Islands Spain – Mothership Connection reinterprets old-world artisan traditions, weaving Pacific Northwest totem craft with architectural references to sites built by enslaved and indentured labor, honoring their role in a shared, multi-racial history. The rocket-like form evokes an Afrofuturist vessel informed by Dogon cosmology. Its base recalls the Djenné mud mosque of Mali, rising into a shaft adorned with luminous masks and etched Veve symbols from the Haitian diaspora. Higher sections shift to Masonic columns and triangles, encircled by Cadillac lights referencing Western consumerism, then arches inspired by Washington’s Capitol. The crown is a monumental illuminated Mende female mask, pulsing like a radiant beacon toward the future.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

CORREFOC by Daniel Nebot and Miguel Arraiz from Valencia Spain – Correfoc is a freestanding sculptural installation approximately 26 feet tall, conceived as a stylized human silhouette inspired by Mediterranean fire rituals. Built in wood and finished in a vibrant red tone, the piece stands as a striking landmark in the desert landscape. At night, subtle lighting enhances its silhouette and amplifies the presence of surrounding fire performances. The work explores the human silhouette as an ancestral symbol, where fire, ritual, and collective movement converge into a shared, ephemeral presence. Correfoc is envisioned as a daily gathering point for the fire dancers of Burning Man. During a special event, a traditional fire dance will unfold around the sculpture prior to its burning, linking Mediterranean traditions with the transformative culture of Burning Man. – Update: Correfoc was not burned after all. It was saved from the flames and is going into the Burning Man organizers’ collection. Thank you to Reddit user jokingss for the caption update.

The Solar Library Expansion by Jared Ficklin aka Pearlsnaps from Austin TX – The Solar Library is a rhythmic repetition of triangular yellow huts with bright, sun-orange doors. The steel-framed huts present solar panels at an ideal angle to the sun. At night, they bathe in soft yellow light reminiscent of the sunlight collected all day. Artists apply for a library card so they can build battery-powered art, knowing they have dedicated solar charging capacity reserved to charge their batteries. The mission is to remove the noise and fumes of generators from playa art without the proliferation of panel farms.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Morning Strike Crew – A crew sorts steel and tools on the ground beside shade structures and parked bikes early in the day.

Morning Skate – Black Rock Roller Disco – Skaters in sequins and costumes circle the camp’s portable rink in early morning light.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

Cooking Bacon on the Man Burn Embers – The morning after the Man burn, someone set a grill over the hot coals and started cooking breakfast for whoever was still standing around the ashes.

Roasting Marshmallows in the Man Burn Embers – The morning after the Man burn, people gather at the smoldering timbers to toast marshmallows and drink coffee.

Violin at the Embers – A violinist in a fur coat plays in the early light beside what is left of the Man burn.

Violin for the Sleepers at Sunrise – A violinist plays for friends still asleep on blankets by the embers the morning after the Man burn.

Cooking Bacon on the Man Burn Embers – The morning after the Man burn, a burner lays strips of bacon on a small grill set in the ashes while the remains of the base still flame.

Asleep at the Embers – Wrapped in a crocheted blanket and a knit hat, someone sleeps on a tarp beside the remains of the Man burn while friends stand around in the early light.

Overnight Crew Tending to the Embers – Overnight Crew Burners pose together in the burnt wreckage the morning after the Man burn after tending to the flames all night.

Morning After the Man Burn

Cotton Candy at Sunrise – A couple in gnome hats pose with their cotton candy on the open playa at sunrise.

Cotton Candy at Sunrise – A man in a red hat spins fresh cotton candy from a machine on the open playa and hands it out to passing burners.

Resonance Tree by Resonance Art Collective from Nevada City CA – The Resonance Tree is a large-scale immersive art installation made entirely of bamboo, designed by the Resonance Studio. It responds to sun, shadow, sound, and movement. Rising seven meters above the playa, the Tree invites people to enter through woven roots, climb through the trunk, rest in canopy nets, and gather beneath a living canopy of shadow and sound. – By day, its canopy filters the desert sun, and by night, the trunk glows from within. Hundreds of solar bamboo lights hung from the branches shift with the wind, casting shadows across the cracked playa.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

Deep Playa at Sunrise – Early light hits the open playa, the mountains and the far edge of the city with art and camps scattered across the flat.

Deep Playa Sunrise Gathering – Hundreds of people, bikes and art cars packed together on the open playa as the sun came up over the mountains.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Tommy Champ Pinball Mutant Vehicle – Thank you to Tiffany for the caption update.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire by Sergei Konchekov from New York NY – Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire rises from the desert as a new form of hybrid architecture, neither monument nor machine, but a living signal. Constructed from ascending conical volumes encircled by programmable rings of light, the structure releases phased waves that travel upward like a visible breath. Illumination intensifies, fades, and collapses into silence, transforming the tower into a temporal instrument rather than a static object. Matter and algorithm intertwine; structure becomes frequency; architecture becomes event. In the vast emptiness of the playa, the spire stands as a meditation on resonance, a threshold where technology turns ritual and light becomes the language of presence.

Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire by Sergei Konchekov from New York NY – Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire rises from the desert as a new form of hybrid architecture – neither monument nor machine, but a living signal. Constructed from ascending conical volumes encircled by programmable rings of light, the structure releases phased waves that travel upward like a visible breath. Illumination intensifies, fades, and collapses into silence, transforming the tower into a temporal instrument rather than a static object. Matter and algorithm intertwine; structure becomes frequency; architecture becomes event. In the vast emptiness of the playa, the spire stands as a meditation on resonance – a threshold where technology turns ritual and light becomes the language of presence.

Parabola Mundi by Charlie the French from Saint Denis France – A metallic tree rises from the desert, its tubular branches tracing perfect parabolic curves toward the heavens, each arc a mathematical prayer, each junction a meeting point between earth and cosmos. At its base, an immense mirror parabola spreads across the ground like a liquid portal, reflecting sky, stars, and every soul that approaches. Burners will adorn it with light reflectors, forming a canopy of light, reflections merging between branches and roots, dissolving the illusion of separation to better reveal a communication between earth and sky. By day, the mirrored surface captures clouds and sun; by night, it holds constellations and firelight.

Shred Hard and Prosper by Jammy Shred from Seattle WA – Take shelter and reflection as we evolve into the future. Shred hard and prosper.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Ignore All Previous Prompts – Burners stand in front of two projection screens playing AI generated imagery with a prompt injection line running across the bottom.

Kaleidoscope by Studio Woo Woo from Nevada City and San Francisco CA – Hundreds of fused-glass monarch butterflies cascade in a brilliant murmuration, forming an archway of shifting light. By day, the sun catches the glass and projects colorful shadows. By night, each individually lit butterfly takes part in a prismatic dance. – The piece meditates on inheritance and stewardship, mirroring the monarch’s transgenerational migration. They traverse North America, naturally transcending political borders, relying on subsequent generations to complete a journey no single individual can finish. Kaleidoscope, also the name for a swarm of butterflies, honors this lineage of care, illustrating how human continuity depends on mutual reliance and the collective wisdom passed to those who follow.

Fractured Light by Andrew Ratliff Emily Ratliff Griffin Ratliff from Empire CO – Fractured Light is an attempt at balance. There are two circles of pillars. The outer circle has eight points, like the eight pointed star revered in most cultures throughout history. Each pillar has designs cut into it so colorful light can come out and create fantastic designs all around. In the center stands a white pillar, representing the culmination of all the shapes and colors, coming together to form white light, or balance.

String Band on a Camp Stage – A banjo, fiddles and an upright bass fill a plywood stage decorated with taxidermy heads and string lights.

String Band at Rootpile – A banjo, fiddle, upright bass, mandolin and guitar band plays a late night set on the camp’s shack stage while a crowd watches.

Hot Butts – After they release the perimeter participants race to the flame and circle the fire. Many disrobe. It’s wonderful and chaotic.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Forest House Mutant Vehicle at The Man Burn – Forest House by the Forest House Art Crew from Las Vegas – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Apollonia Mutant Vehicle

Beautiful Burners

Beautiful Burners

Two Burners on Burn Night – A pair of costumed friends stop to pose on the open playa after dark, one in a wide mushroom cap hood and the other in a black hat and white sunglasses.

Ladder Seats at the Man Burn – Two burners sit on a plank laid across a stepladder for a better view of the fire on the open playa.

Ladder Seats at the Man Burn – Two burners sit on a plank laid across a stepladder for a better view of the fire on the open playa.

Axolotl Mutant Vehicle at The Man Burn – AXOLOTL The Earth Guardian by Camp Axolotl from San Miguel de Allende Mexico – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

The Sky Rabbit’s House Mutant Vehicle – The giant rabbit art car by Bunnie Reiss, lit up at night on the playa.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown by Bunnie Reiss

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Regal Eagle Mutant Vehicle by the Sutherland Team and Metal Mimi Camp from Boulder CO – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Golden Mean Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Robot Heart at The Man Burn – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Stargazer Mutant Vehicle

WALL-E mutant vehicle

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Helios Mutant Vehicle

BAAAHS Mutant Vehicle at The Man Burn – BAAAHS by the BAAAHS Crew from San Francisco – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Chairman of the Bored at the Man Burn – Burners in fur coats sit on the upper decks of parked mutant vehicles, with propane lamps burning overhead and the fire lighting up the sky behind them.

Chairman of the Bored and Art Cars at the Man Burn – Mutant vehicles parked shoulder to shoulder with riders bundled in fur coats waiting for the burn.

Tower69 Mutant Vehicle at The Man Burn

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Mutant Vehicles at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026

Sound Cabin Mutant Vehicle

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicles at the Man Burn

Chelonix Mutant Vehicle at The Man Burn – Thank you to Rob B for the caption update.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Fireworks

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Fireworks Over The Man Burning Man 2026 – The fireworks show opens the Burning Man 2026 Man Burn as the Man stands lit on his base with art cars and crowds circled around the perimeter.

Drone Shot Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Drone Fireworks Shot

Fireworks at the Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Fireworks

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Fireworks

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Fireworks

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Fireworks

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Fireworks

Fireworks at the Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Fireballs at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026 – Fireballs erupt from the base of the Man while the Man stands with his arms raised, outlined in colored light above his base.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Fireball at The Man Burn Burning Man 2026 – Fireballs and fireworks go up over the Man Pavilion as the burn begins.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Rand and Jamen Absolutely Locked In

Me And The Boys Flying Drones During Burn Night (with authorization)

Mutant Vehicle at Man Burn

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Night Aerial

Man Burn Night From Above – Thousands of burners, bikes and art cars ring the perimeter as the Man stands lit on his base before the burn.

Man Burn Night Aerial Over Black Rock City – Tens of thousands of lights spread across the open playa and the city on the night of the Man burn.

Fire Conclave at the Man Burn

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Night

Crowd and Fire Spinners at the Man Burn – Tens of thousands of lit-up burners ring the open playa while fire performers spin in the gap between the crowd and the Man on Man burn night.

Fire Conclave at the Burning Man 2026 Man Burn

Fire Spinners at the Man Burn – Fire conclave performers work the open playa in front of the crowd ringing the perimeter on Burning Man 2026 Man Burn night.

Man Burn Night From Above – Tens of thousands of people and hundreds of lit art cars ring the Man on Burning Man 2026 Man Burn night, waiting for the effigy at center to be set alight.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Night Aerial

Man Burn Night From Above – Thousands of people, bikes and lit art cars ring the open playa around the Man before he burns.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Night

Black Rock City on Man Burn Night – An aerial look across the lit city and open playa with the Man standing at center before he burns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Man Burn Night Over Black Rock City Burning Man 2026 – Art cars and lit bikes ring the open playa around the Man and his base on the night of the Man burn.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Night From Above

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Burning Man 2026 Man Burn Night Aerial

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle

Echolalia Mutant Vehicle

The Golden Calf Mutant Vehicle

The Golden Calf Mutant Vehicle

Classic Slide Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Mutant Vehicles Wait for the Man Burn – Art cars park on the open playa at sunset as people gather before the Man burn.

Eleonore Mutant Vehicle

The Golden Calf Mutant Vehicle

The Golden Calf Mutant Vehicle

Playa Mixtape Mutant Vehicle

Echolalia Mutant Vehicle

Echolalia Mutant Vehicle

Group Hug in the Dust – A half dozen dusty friends pull into a tight huddle on the open playa.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Towed Cart at Sunset – A rider perches on a phallus shaped cart being towed across the open playa behind an FJ Cruiser as the sun drops behind the mountains.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Arms Up in the Dust – A woman in a gold robe and goggles throws her arms up and grins as dust blows across the open playa.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Same Family Same Expression One Year Later – I photographed this beautiful family at Burning Man 2025 in front of the Dinosaur and the child made the same who the heck is this guy expression. Then we laughed about it.

Same Family Same Expression One Year Later – I photographed this beautiful family at Burning Man 2025 in front of the Dinosaur and the child made the same who the heck is this guy expression. Then we laughed about it.

Homemade Playa Bikes – Two participants pause on the open playa aboard the custom tracked and fat-tire bikes they built themselves.

Homemade Tracked Ride on the Playa – A participant in a fur-trimmed coat and goggles drives a small tank-tread machine he built across the open playa.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Confessional Alter: Demoop du Soul by Jacob Hanshaw and Looking Up Arts from San Francisco CA – An art nouveau altar-shaped circus wagon containing three confessional booths and a reflection area intended to provide a space for vulnerability, connection, and self-reconciliation outside of any authority structures. Confessors are given the option to speak directly or anonymously through an AI proxy which rephrases (for instance as a pirate or in haiku) and inevitably distorts communication, raising the question of how much is gained and lost in digital encounters. The absurdity or frustration of the AI may drive them to drop the veil of the artificial for a heart-to-heart connection or they may find joy in the play of a pirate haiku telephone game of soul searching in an ornate circus wagon in the middle of a desert.

Mundara by The Art Rising – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Getting The Shot – I find myself doing this all the time. Parking yourself in a weird spot to capture a specific angle. Great to see you!

Lost in the Sauce Mutant Vehicle

Strike Begins at AdramaNation – Duffel bags are packed and tents are coming down as AdramaNation, the camp at C and 7:15, starts tearing down while the city is still going.

Camp Build Crew at Work – Volunteers bolt together steel racking and scaffold towers next to a semi trailer during build week.

Small Gifts – This burner set up a makeshift DJ booth to play music during strike. Small gifts like this keep the show going.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Burning Man Safety Officer Gabe – Some people do such a good job out there that you could not imagine a person doing a better job. Gabe strikes the perfect balance between ensuring everyone is following the safety regulations, professionalism, and fun. Watching him navigate dealing with flaky burners who are doing it wrong, the FAA, and other huge government agencies while keeping it light and professional was remarkable. Great job Gabe!

Antler Costumes on Playa – A couple in leather and fur costumes with antlered headdresses and a carved walking stick stop to pose along a camp road.

Burning Man Volunteer Positions Poster LMAO – A Volunteer Resource Team sign-up poster pairs a list of fake jobs with the real ones, from Arctica and Census to Lamplighters and Temple Guardians.

Nang Du: the nanganing (a trailer trash epic) by Weldboy and Anne-Bonny from Gerlach NV – Nang Du: The Nanganing (a trailer trash epic) suspends six vintage camper trailers from a towering mast, counterbalanced by an opulent chandelier made of welded junk cars. Each trailer opens to reveal illuminated dioramas of burner folklore, desert conspiracies, and other half-truth playa stories. Built almost entirely from reclaimed materials sourced from Burning Man and Gerlach waste streams, the sculpture considers second chances and the strange beauty that emerges when discarded things, objects, stories, and sometimes people can still be transformed into something unexpectedly beautiful.

One-Eyed Monster Mutant Vehicle by Stone Larkin and the OEM Art Car Crew from Inland Empire CA – Thank you to Casey H and Rand L for the caption update.

Bears Down at Strike – Teddies – The camp’s giant teddy bears lie on the ground as the crew starts tearing down the shade structure and packing out.

First Signs of Strike – Campers roll up carpet and pack down a mini golf tent while the city is still going.

First Signs of Strike – Camp crews start tearing down shade structures and packing bins and tarps into trucks while the city is still running.

First Signs of Strike – Campmates pull apart their shade structure and load a box truck while the rest of the city is still going.

Plenty Of Room At The Edge – Go to the edge of the city if you are looking for space.

Expedition Rigs in Camp – A row of overland expedition trucks and a Jeep parked on the dust with a man walking between them at midday. I drove my bike in here to take a glance at these vehicles and immediately fell. It was at that point that I realized I needed to eat something.

Graffiti Airstream in Camp – An old Airstream trailer covered in layers of spray paint tags sits parked beside a pickup truck in camp.

Expedition Rig – A big six wheeled overland truck camper taped up against the dust, with bikes and a trailer parked in its shade.

Atop the Shade Sail Mast – BRTA – A person sits at the top of the truss mast holding up a big shade sail, with the BRTA sign and painted barricades on the sand below.

Trahan Fire Rescue at the Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

King Air Landing at Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Control Tower – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Arrivals at Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock Reservations Payphone – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Slide and Hammocks at the Airport – A two story wooden lounge with a green slide, hammocks and a Black Rock Reservations payphone sits beside the airstrip fence.

Shade Structure at the Airport – People wait and rest on orange playa furniture under a big open shade structure at the edge of the city near the airstrip.

Hooping at the Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Municipal Airport Sign – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Municipal Airport Volunteer Hub – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Scenic Flights at the Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Bike Racks at the Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Waiting at the Black Rock City Airport – Passengers and their bags gather in the shade of the airport shelter while planes come and go on the playa.

Shade Booth at the Airport – A group stands talking in the shade of a mylar covered booth beside the airstrip while small planes sit parked on the playa behind them.

Turboprop at Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Control Tower – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Planes – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Parked Cessna at the Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Cessna N8297S at the Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Planes – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Planes – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Pilot and Cessna 180 at the Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Control Tower – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Parked Planes at Black Rock City Airport – Ground crew in safety vests help passengers off a turboprop behind a parked King Air on the playa airstrip. This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada.

Planes at the Black Rock City Airport – Ground crew in safety vests stand beside a King Air and other parked turboprops on the playa airstrip. This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada.

In the Cockpit Over the Playa – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Hell Station – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Point 1 – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Lone Vehicle Almost Made it – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Gate Road – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Equipment Yard Aerial – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Aerial – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Aerial – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Temple and Deep Playa Art From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Point 3 Trash Fence Corner from the Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Point 1 Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this photo was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Vehicles on the Entrance Road – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Airport Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Helicopters and Fuel Truck on the Playa – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

City Edge and Open Playa from Above – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Aerial View of Black Rock City – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Aerial View of Black Rock City – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Solar Array and Work Trucks – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Aerial View of Black Rock City – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Aerial View of Black Rock City – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Deep Playa Art From Above – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Morning Crowd on the Open Playa – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

City Edge from the Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Burning Man 2026 Black Rock City Aerial Photo – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Playa Fuel Depot Hell Station from the Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Aerial View of Black Rock City – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more earlier. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Esplanade and the Man from the Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this frame was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Gate Road From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City From The Air – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. The city population had already peaked a day or more before this was made. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Parking – Small planes parked on the playa by the Gifting and Transient Parking sign at the Black Rock City Airport, seen from under a wing the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada.

Parked Planes at the Playa Airstrip – Pilots camp beside their tied down planes at the Black Rock City Airport as a jet kicks up dust on the runway. This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada.

Towing a Plane at the Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Waiting at the Black Rock City Airport – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Black Rock City Airport Tower – This photo was taken the morning of September 5 2026 at Black Rock City, Nevada. Thank you to the pilot Cherry for taking me up to shoot these for the community.

Yellow Warbler on Solar Panels – A small yellow bird rests on a coil of clear tubing tucked between dust-covered solar panels.

The Garage by Brendon O’Halloran and the O’Tools from Topanga CA and Reno NV – This is the Temple of the builders. A typical garage full of all the things you’d expect. Tools, storage, memories, seasonal things, equipment, etc. We hang out here and talk, drink, fix, build, jam out, play games, create and tinker. The Garage is the home of the laborers and builders who go unseen but make things happen. The hidden heroes.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Thousands of people and bikes pack the deep playa around the Robot Heart stage as Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set, with art cars parked all around the edges.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A crowd of thousands with bikes and art cars gathers in deep playa for Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart. Thank you Lee and Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Thousands of burners and a ring of art cars gather in deep playa for the sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Thousands of burners pack the deep playa around the Robot Heart bus for Lee Burridge’s traditional sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set on Robot Heart.

Beard and Melodica at Robot Heart – A participant in a pearl-bead face veil and feathered hat carries a melodica through the crowd at Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Red Paint and Beaded Braids – A participant in full red body paint and beaded braids poses for a selfie with me. Interestingly someone from the Robot Heart crew put those sunglasses on me and I gave them to a friend who had been wanting them.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Friends hug in the crowd while dancers climb the rig above the speaker stacks and the Robot Heart flag flies over the party.

Tears of Joy at Robot Heart Sunrise – A participant broke into happy tears in the crowd during the morning set at Robot Heart.

Tears of Joy at Robot Heart – A participant weeps with happiness in the morning crowd at the Robot Heart sunrise set.

Tears of Joy at Robot Heart Sunrise – Other dancers kept poking me to point out this guy, who was crying with happiness during the sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the metal frame above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set for the crowd in deep playa.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in an embroidered robe and headlamp hat sticks around in the morning sun for Lee Burridge’s sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the heart cage above the bus while Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set on the deck below. Thank you Lee and Robot Heart.

Braids and Gold at Robot Heart – A participant in long grey and blond braids and a jeweled collar smiles in the morning sun at Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set at Robot Heart. Thank you Lee and thank you Robot Heart.

The “VIP Section” at Robot Heart – A few friends share tequila inside a triangle of velvet rope barely big enough for three people at the sunrise set.

Robot Heart Mutant Vehicle

Me in the “VIP Section” at Robot Heart LMAO – A roped off triangle barely big enough for three people at the sunrise set. When they invited me in I went to step over the rope and they were like no no no, and they unhooked the velvet rope to let me in. Burning Man is hilarious and participants have a great time making fun of ourselves.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers pack the top deck of Robot Heart in deep playa while Lee Burridge plays his morning set.

Couple at Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Two participants pose in sunglasses and playa layers while the crowd dances in front of the Robot Heart sound system. Thank you Lee Burridge and Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers pack the roof of the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set, a deep playa tradition, so thank you Lee and thank you Robot Heart.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in a helmet and patch covered vest grins in the morning sun during Lee Burridge’s set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the heart sculpture above the speaker stacks while a crowd packs in below for Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart. Thank you Lee and Robot Heart.

Participant at Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A burner in a flight helmet and patch-covered vest poses in front of the Robot Heart speaker stacks while dancers climb the heart sculpture above.

Hug at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Two participants hold onto each other in the crowd during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – The crowd packs in around the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set, with dancers climbing the dome above the speaker stacks.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A crowd of friends in fur hats and sunglasses crowds in for a group shot while people climb the tower behind the speaker stacks. Thank you Lee Burridge and Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the frame on top of the Robot Heart bus while the crowd below faces the speaker stacks at sunrise.

Photograph To Relationship – One of my photographs led to this relationship forming. This is why I post so many images, I cannot possibly predict the ripple effects the images will have. Great to meet you guys and I’m happy the image led to your connection!

A Kiss at Robot Heart Sunrise – Two friends bundled in hats and scarves share a kiss on the cheek during the morning gathering at Robot Heart.

Two Friends at Robot Heart Sunrise – Bundled up in scarves and fur against the morning cold, two friends pose cheek to cheek at the sunrise gathering.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in a dusty felt hat and pink shield sunglasses enjoying Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Morning Crowd at Robot Heart – Two burners in fur coats and hats pose in the crowd while people climb the tower above the speaker stacks at the sunrise party.

Friends at Robot Heart Sunrise – A bundled-up group poses for a portrait in the crowd as the sun comes up at the Robot Heart sound camp in deep playa.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Friends gather in fur coats and sunglasses in front of the Robot Heart speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the morning set. Thank you Lee and Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set from the Robot Heart deck while dancers fill the steel lattice above him.

Lovely Burner – This lovely burner had such a charisma and charm. Her wonderful energy immediately attracted my lens. After I made this photograph she spent several minutes looking after me. She could tell I was destroyed and needed some TLC. Thank you for that.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel dome above the speaker stacks while a Brazilian flag and a paper sunflower wave over the crowd at the morning set.

Legend – Please email me when and if this photo finds you. duncanrawlinson@gmail.com

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the wire heart on top of the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays to the crowd at sunrise in deep playa.

Sunrise Kiss at Robot Heart – Two burners share a kiss in the morning light during Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Lovely Burners at Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Three friends pose in the crowd while dancers climb the sculpture above the speaker stacks.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart above the DJ booth while the crowd packs the deck for the sunrise set in deep playa.

Burners at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Two participants pose together in the early morning sun during Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set in deep playa.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the wire heart on top of the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set in deep playa.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A dancer on a stepladder holds a phone and a plush toy on a pole overhead while bubbles drift across the crowd at sunrise.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers pack the deck of the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays his morning set in deep playa.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in a felt cowboy hat and chain jewelry squints into the early light during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Participant Enjoying Lee Burridge at Robot Heart – A dancer in braids and turquoise jewelry throws an arm up at the Robot Heart sunrise set.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in a painted leather hat and yellow sunglasses takes in Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Robot Heart at Sunrise – Dancers climb the steel heart above the speaker stacks while the sunrise set plays for the crowd below. Thank you Robot Heart.

Sunrise Faces at Robot Heart – Two participants in fur coats and red sunglasses soak up the first sun of the morning during Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel frame above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set at Robot Heart.

A Hug at Robot Heart Sunrise – Two friends hold each other during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers, photographers and a pink parasol crowd the top deck of Robot Heart as Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set in deep playa.

Heart Shades at Robot Heart Sunrise – Two burners and their lizard puppet pose in matching heart sunglasses at Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the wire heart above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set on Robot Heart. Thank you Lee and Robot Heart.

Burners at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Two participants pose together in the crowd during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays his traditional sunrise set at Robot Heart. Thank you Lee and thank you Robot Heart.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant smiles in the early light during Robot Heart at sunrise, with the dancing crowd behind her. Thank you Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart on top of the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays to the crowd below at sunrise. Thank you Lee and thank you Robot Heart.

Smiling Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise – A participant in a studded black hood grins in the first warm light during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the heart cage above the decks while Lee Burridge plays to the crowd at first light in deep playa.

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in a pearl and flower crown smiles in the early light while Lee Burridge plays for the crowd at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Burners in fur coats pack the deep playa at first light, some climbing onto a steel platform to watch the sunrise set.

Burners at the Robot Heart Sunrise – Two participants in fur coats and bright fur hats keep warm in the crowd at Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set

Burner at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant in a red and white knit beanie and blue eyeliner catches the first warm light during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set on Robot Heart.

Friends at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Bundled in fur coats and hats against the cold morning, a group poses in front of the Robot Heart bus during Lee Burridge’s sunrise set, with people climbing the wire heart above the speakers.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the wire heart on top of the Robot Heart bus while a crowd fills the playa for the sunrise set. Thank you to Lee Burridge and Robot Heart.

Burners at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Three friends in fur hats and warm layers pose in the crowd at Lee Burridge’s sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Lee Burridge plays his traditional sunrise set from the deck of Robot Heart in deep playa while dancers fill the truss above him.

Portrait at the Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A participant takes in the first warm light of the morning while Lee Burridge plays his sunrise set at Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart on top of the Robot Heart bus while Lee Burridge plays to the crowd at sunrise. Thank you Lee and thank you Robot Heart.

Horned Helmet at Robot Heart Sunrise – A participant in a dusty horned helmet and beaded earrings grins in the early light at Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Dancers climb the steel heart above the speaker stacks while Lee Burridge plays the sunrise set at Robot Heart in deep playa.

Group Portrait at Sunrise in Black Rock City – Friends in fur and leopard print coats pose with a bottle of bubbly and a mug in the low morning light beside a weathered wooden art car at the Robot Heart sunrise party.

Stroopwafels at Robot Heart Sunrise – A Dutch couple in matching aprons griddle fresh stroopwafels and hand them out to the crowd at Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Friends at Robot Heart at Sunrise – Friends in fur coats and mirrored shades pile in for a photo as the sun comes up at the Robot Heart sunrise party.

Heart Sunglasses at Sunrise – Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Early light catches a grinning dancer in pink heart-shaped sunglasses at the Robot Heart sunrise party.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A couple leans in forehead to forehead in the crowd as the sun comes up behind them.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Friends pile in for a group photo as the sun comes up behind the Robot Heart bus, with dancers climbing the heart frame above the speaker stacks. Thank you Lee Burridge and Robot Heart.

Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Two friends with matching face paint stop for a portrait as the crowd dances on and around the Robot Heart stage at sunrise.

Face Paint at Sunrise – Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – A man in a hat covered in toys and trinkets paints a yellow mark on another man’s forehead as the crowd waits for the sun.

Face Paint at Robot Heart Sunrise – A grinning burner in a decorated top hat holds his paint palette after putting yellow streaks on his face at Lee Burridge’s Robot Heart sunrise set.

Hot Dogs at Sunrise – Lee Burridge Robot Heart Sunrise Set – Burners in cowboy hats and fur coats work the tongs over a table of hot dogs while the sun comes up at Robot Heart.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Sunrise Art Cars on the Deep Playa and The Gothic Folly – Two lit art cars park side by side on the open playa as riders gather on the upper deck and bikes roll past in the early light.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

The Sound of Time by Adrian Landon from Reno NV – The Sound of Time will be a large mechanical clocktower that will tell several different time scales, with gears of various sizes turning at various speeds. The moving mechanics will also be playing sounds, notes, bells, keys, gongs and more.

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

Aetheric Ascension Tower by Andrey Sledkov and ARTsled from Moscow Russia and Salt Lake City UT – An art object shaped as a cone, its sharp tip piercing upward into the sky while its broad base takes root deep in the earth. Carved into its surface are the silhouettes of human figures – souls

Night Light Streaks on the Playa – A long exposure with camera movement pulls the colored lights of a lit object and the deep playa behind it into streaks.

REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Crowd Waiting for the TITANIC Burn From Above – Art cars and burners ring the cleared perimeter around TITANIC in deep playa at night, waiting for the ship to burn, while a blue laser rises into the sky and the city glows beyond.

Crowds Gather Before the Titanic Burn – Work lights and a boom lift surround the sinking ship sculpture while thousands of lit up burners and art cars ring the perimeter waiting for the fire.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Bella Novella Mutant Vehicle from Camp Mouthmosa – Thank you to Pinchy for the caption update.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

One-Eyed Monster Mutant Vehicle by Stone Larkin and the OEM Art Car Crew from Inland Empire CA – Thank you to Casey H and Rand L for the caption update.

Regal Eagle Mutant Vehicle by the Sutherland Team and Metal Mimi Camp from Boulder CO – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Christina Queen of the BRC Mutant Vehicle

Sil-vi Mutant Vehicle by Marco Cochrane and the Bojon Team – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Tower69 Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Playa Mixtape Mutant Vehicle

Playa Mixtape Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

The Bioluminescent Slug Mutant Vehicle

Sky Ting Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Rainbow Laser Beam Over Deep Playa – A high powered multicolor laser fires straight up from a platform out in deep playa behind TITANIC.

Laser Beam in Deep Playa – A crew ran a high powered laser from behind a white fabric enclosure in deep playa, throwing a red green and blue column straight up into the night.

Laser Bar Behind Titanic – A bank of red, green and blue lasers fires into the dusty night air out in deep playa.

RGB Laser Beams in Deep Playa – Red, green and blue laser beams cut through the dust from a high powered projector set up in deep playa.

Laser Beams in Deep Playa – Green, blue and red laser beams cut through the dark out past Titanic, with dust lit up in the beams.

Laser Curtain in the Dust – A bank of red, green and blue lasers throws vertical beams across the deep playa dust.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Tommy Champ Pinball Mutant Vehicle

Tommy Champ Pinball Mutant Vehicle

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Tommy Champ Pinball Mutant Vehicle

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Hey Do You Need Help – I am so often screwing around with getting cameras and tripods and gear off my bike that people often think my bike is broken and they kindly ask for help. These guys stopped to see if I needed help. Thanks guys, I’m good!

Titanic Before The Burn

Let There Be Light by Omri Sasi Liraz Uliel Eran Klein and Sarel Botavia Nova Heaven from Tel Aviv Israel – In 2026, NovaHeaven evolves into a living experience of light, form, and spiritual elevation. This year’s structure is composed of 24 triangles surrounding a central hexagonal platform – 18 smaller triangles carrying the layer of remembrance, and 6 large sanctuaries inviting gathering, presence, and deep human connection. Together, these elements create an immersive field that invites us to pause, dwell, feel, and turn inward. – Light – the energy that reveals, illuminates, and brings the path to life. – Connection – the force that holds community, hearts, and souls within a shared field of presence. – Elevation – the choice to lift our gaze, our energy, and our spirit upward.

Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire by Sergei Konchekov from New York NY – Axis Mundi: Resonant Spire rises from the desert as a new form of hybrid architecture, neither monument nor machine, but a living signal. Constructed from ascending conical volumes encircled by programmable rings of light, the structure releases phased waves that travel upward like a visible breath. Illumination intensifies, fades, and collapses into silence, transforming the tower into a temporal instrument rather than a static object. Matter and algorithm intertwine; structure becomes frequency; architecture becomes event. In the vast emptiness of the playa, the spire stands as a meditation on resonance, a threshold where technology turns ritual and light becomes the language of presence.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

The Patient’s Voice at Night – Concentric rings of fabric panels hung with written testimony, a wooden collection box at the centre and a dome of string lights, standing in the open playa at 12:45 and 2500 feet.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Camps and Open Playa at Dusk – Lights come on across the RV rows and tents while people and art cars move out onto the open playa.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

CORREFOC by Daniel Nebot and Miguel Arraiz from Valencia Spain – Correfoc is a freestanding sculptural installation approximately 26 feet tall, conceived as a stylized human silhouette inspired by Mediterranean fire rituals. Built in wood and finished in a vibrant red tone, the piece stands as a striking landmark in the desert landscape. At night, subtle lighting enhances its silhouette and amplifies the presence of surrounding fire performances. The work explores the human silhouette as an ancestral symbol, where fire, ritual, and collective movement converge into a shared, ephemeral presence. Correfoc is envisioned as a daily gathering point for the fire dancers of Burning Man. During a special event, a traditional fire dance will unfold around the sculpture prior to its burning, linking Mediterranean traditions with the transformative culture of Burning Man. – Update: Correfoc was not burned after all. It was saved from the flames and is going into the Burning Man organizers’ collection. Thank you to Reddit user jokingss for the caption update.

Monaco Mutant Vehicle

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Monaco Mutant Vehicle

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

For They Know Not What They Do by Jai Hackl from Martinsville Australia – A steel caduceus rises from the Playa, a sword entwined with twin serpents and crowned with the wings of Hermes and an all-seeing eye. Forged from stainless steel, brass, and mild steel, it bends and scatters desert light, appearing watchful and alive in the dust. The serpents coil through ancient dualities of creation and destruction, obedience and rebellion, and cycles carried through tradition and rarely questioned. The sword forms an axis of power, both guardian and threat. Above, Hermes’ wings speak of transcendence and ascent, while the mirrored eye returns fractured reflections of the viewer, reminding us that perception is always partial, and truth remains just beyond our grasp.

For They Know Not What They Do by Jai Hackl from Martinsville Australia – A steel caduceus rises from the Playa, a sword entwined with twin serpents and crowned with the wings of Hermes and an all-seeing eye. Forged from stainless steel, brass, and mild steel, it bends and scatters desert light, appearing watchful and alive in the dust. The serpents coil through ancient dualities of creation and destruction, obedience and rebellion, and cycles carried through tradition and rarely questioned. The sword forms an axis of power, both guardian and threat. Above, Hermes’ wings speak of transcendence and ascent, while the mirrored eye returns fractured reflections of the viewer, reminding us that perception is always partial, and truth remains just beyond our grasp.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Sitting on Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty – A participant sits out on the flared steel of one figure while the pair hold hands above the playa, with a third figure below.

A Climber on Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty – A participant clings to the shoulder of one of the two mirror polished figures in the late afternoon light.

Mark Day Getting Interviews for 24 Hours at Burning Man – Watch his excellent films here: https://www.youtube.com/markdaycomedy

Mark Day Getting Interviews for 24 Hours at Burning Man – Watch his excellent films here: https://www.youtube.com/markdaycomedy

Above the Noise by Jason Olsen from Salt Lake City UT – A monumental 13-foot-tall piano bench rises unexpectedly from the open playa, supporting a functioning full size grand piano high above the desert floor. Familiar in form yet impossible in scale, the installation transforms an ordinary object into something surreal, evoking wonder, vulnerability, and perspective. By day, it appears stark against the vastness of Black Rock Desert; by night, LED lighting outlines the structure and softly illuminates the piano above. The work reflects on elevation, both physical and emotional, and the role music plays in grounding, connection, reflection, and shared human experience.

Bar That Never Opened by Daria and Andrei Mikhailov from Chicago IL; Chelyabinsk Russia and Moscow Russia – An interactive installation built as a fragment of a bar interior, a small space where visitors can occasionally drink coffee or tea, watch television, or listen to vinyl records. – The work explores unfinished stories and human presence, where meaning emerges through shared experience rather than consumption. With only two seats, the installation emphasizes intimate encounters between strangers and reflects on memory, connection, and transformation, suggesting that even incomplete beginnings can become something meaningful.

Chiton Chapel by D’Milo Hallerberg from Santa Rosa CA – A unique gathering place for any and all persons to perform or participate in celebrations affirming commitment. It is a 27 foot tall steel frame structure covered in white nylon. It takes its inspiration from the tide pool mollusk of the same name.

Chiton Chapel by D’Milo Hallerberg from Santa Rosa CA – A unique gathering place for any and all persons to perform or participate in celebrations affirming commitment. It is a 27 foot tall steel frame structure covered in white nylon. It takes its inspiration from the tide pool mollusk of the same name.

Chiton Chapel by D’Milo Hallerberg from Santa Rosa CA – A unique gathering place for any and all persons to perform or participate in celebrations affirming commitment. It is a 27 foot tall steel frame structure covered in white nylon. It takes its inspiration from the tide pool mollusk of the same name.

Mango Mutant Vehicle

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Confessional Alter: Demoop du Soul by Jacob Hanshaw and Looking Up Arts from San Francisco CA – An art nouveau altar-shaped circus wagon containing three confessional booths and a reflection area intended to provide a space for vulnerability, connection, and self-reconciliation outside of any authority structures. Confessors are given the option to speak directly or anonymously through an AI proxy which rephrases (for instance as a pirate or in haiku) and inevitably distorts communication, raising the question of how much is gained and lost in digital encounters. The absurdity or frustration of the AI may drive them to drop the veil of the artificial for a heart-to-heart connection or they may find joy in the play of a pirate haiku telephone game of soul searching in an ornate circus wagon in the middle of a desert.

Confessional Alter: Demoop du Soul by Jacob Hanshaw and Looking Up Arts from San Francisco CA – An art nouveau altar-shaped circus wagon containing three confessional booths and a reflection area intended to provide a space for vulnerability, connection, and self-reconciliation outside of any authority structures. Confessors are given the option to speak directly or anonymously through an AI proxy which rephrases (for instance as a pirate or in haiku) and inevitably distorts communication, raising the question of how much is gained and lost in digital encounters. The absurdity or frustration of the AI may drive them to drop the veil of the artificial for a heart-to-heart connection or they may find joy in the play of a pirate haiku telephone game of soul searching in an ornate circus wagon in the middle of a desert.

Nang Du: the nanganing (a trailer trash epic) by Weldboy and Anne-Bonny from Gerlach NV – Nang Du: The Nanganing (a trailer trash epic) suspends six vintage camper trailers from a towering mast, counterbalanced by an opulent chandelier made of welded junk cars. Each trailer opens to reveal illuminated dioramas of burner folklore, desert conspiracies, and other half-truth playa stories. Built almost entirely from reclaimed materials sourced from Burning Man and Gerlach waste streams, the sculpture considers second chances and the strange beauty that emerges when discarded things, objects, stories, and sometimes people can still be transformed into something unexpectedly beautiful.

As Above So Within by Mahshid Moghadasi and Aysan Jafarzadeh in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team from San Francisco CA – As Above, So Within draws inspiration from Attar’s 12th-century Persian poem The Conference of the Birds, in which the birds journey in search of the Simurgh, a mythical Persian bird, only to discover that what they sought was already manifest within themselves. The Mandelbulb was chosen as a fractal form that repeats across scales, suggesting that the same underlying order appears in the cosmos, nature and the self. Through recursive geometry and shifting light, the sculpture evokes a contemplative atmosphere resonant with Persian architecture, where repetition and illumination draw the mind inward. As Above, So Within proposes that the meaning we seek in the universe may also be found within ourselves.

Kaleidoscope by Studio Woo Woo from Nevada City and San Francisco CA – Hundreds of fused-glass monarch butterflies cascade in a brilliant murmuration, forming an archway of shifting light. By day, the sun catches the glass and projects colorful shadows. By night, each individually lit butterfly takes part in a prismatic dance. – The piece meditates on inheritance and stewardship, mirroring the monarch’s transgenerational migration. They traverse North America, naturally transcending political borders, relying on subsequent generations to complete a journey no single individual can finish. Kaleidoscope, also the name for a swarm of butterflies, honors this lineage of care, illustrating how human continuity depends on mutual reliance and the collective wisdom passed to those who follow.

Kaleidoscope by Studio Woo Woo from Nevada City and San Francisco CA – Hundreds of fused-glass monarch butterflies cascade in a brilliant murmuration, forming an archway of shifting light. By day, the sun catches the glass and projects colorful shadows. By night, each individually lit butterfly takes part in a prismatic dance. – The piece meditates on inheritance and stewardship, mirroring the monarch’s transgenerational migration. They traverse North America, naturally transcending political borders, relying on subsequent generations to complete a journey no single individual can finish. Kaleidoscope, also the name for a swarm of butterflies, honors this lineage of care, illustrating how human continuity depends on mutual reliance and the collective wisdom passed to those who follow.

Trash Fence Hat With Bunny

Watching Burning Man From Inside My Tent While At Burning Man

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Mutant Vehicles at Night

Robot Heart in the Dust at Night

Chairman of the Bored Mutant Vehicle

Major Llazer Reggae Party

Fishtank Mutant Vehicle by the Fishtank Art Car Crew from Fernley NV – Thank you to Casey H for the caption update.

Mutant Vehicle Grill

Hot Mess on a Lit Bike – A rider in a tactical vest and mirrored goggles sits on his LED covered bike with a stuffed animal on the handlebars and a heart pattern flag behind him.

Hot Mess Dusty Grin in Goggles – A burner in a patch covered vest and blue mirrored goggles laughs for the camera at dusk beside a lit wooden sculpture.

John Dill Atop His Piece Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H. Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H. Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

John Dill on Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H. Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

Robot Heart Party in the Dust at NIght

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Jan Blomqvist at Maxa in the Dust – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzzVbBO08mo

Dust Blowing Through Center Camp – A woman in a yellow jacket walks across the open floor of the Center Camp pavilion while others wait out the dust on the couches.

Bunny Ears and Brass at Center Camp – A brass band and a crowd in rabbit ears fill the dusty Center Camp pavilion for a bunny themed gathering.

Bunny Pageant Awards Ceremony – A crowd in bunny ears sits under a shade structure in blowing dust to watch the pageant winners announced onstage.

Bunny Pageant Awards Ceremony – Hosts announce winners on a small stage while an audience in rabbit ears watches from picnic tables in blowing dust.

Mirror Tile Bunny at Center Camp – A participant in a mirror covered bunny suit and rabbit mask carries a gift bag through a bunny themed gathering in the dust.

Another Bestest Bunny Ribbon Winner – A burner in pink bunny ears shows off the Bestest Bunny ribbon he won at a costume contest. Thank you for my life!

Bunny Pageant and Awards Ceremony – Burners in rabbit ears and fur coats pack the Center Camp stage area while a brass band plays through the blowing dust.

Bestest Bunny Ribbon – A prize ribbon I received.

$teven Ra$pa – $teven Ra$pa with painted face, round spectacles and a fur-trimmed top hat with floppy rabbit ears grins and hands out Bestest Bunny Ribbons at center camp. What a legend.

Members of the Bunny Civil Liberties Union

Members of the Bunny Civil Liberties Union

Members of the Bunny Civil Liberties Union

On Brand Bongo Jamming Hippies

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

Thank You Lamplighters

Heartstead by Mark Bertrand from Jackson MO – This Installation looks like a very cozy and inviting little Heart Home, it may draw your curiosity as you see the lights shining on the inside as you peer through one of the openings, it might remind you that we all have a heart and each one is special. To me it reminds me that home is where the heart is, and you always have your heart.

Leading Out – A burner leads another out of the dust.

A Play – Adorable impromptu play where different burners were reading their lines in the dust.

A Play – Adorable impromptu play where different burners were reading their lines in the dust.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Solar Prisms by fnnch from San Francisco CA – Solar Prisms is a collection of cuboctahedrons comprised of solar panels and light diffusers. They capture light, store it as energy, and emit it again as a colorful and beautiful light show. They can be placed anywhere the sun shines and operate indefinitely.

Nang Du: the nanganing (a trailer trash epic) by Weldboy and Anne-Bonny from Gerlach NV – Nang Du: The Nanganing (a trailer trash epic) suspends six vintage camper trailers from a towering mast, counterbalanced by an opulent chandelier made of welded junk cars. Each trailer opens to reveal illuminated dioramas of burner folklore, desert conspiracies, and other half-truth playa stories. Built almost entirely from reclaimed materials sourced from Burning Man and Gerlach waste streams, the sculpture considers second chances and the strange beauty that emerges when discarded things, objects, stories, and sometimes people can still be transformed into something unexpectedly beautiful.

The Division by Ross Asselstine from San Anselmo CA – In his poem, Mending the Wall, Robert Frost wrote the lines: “There where it is, we do not need the wall. He only says: ‘Good fences make good neighbors.'”

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Dust Blowing Across Town – Wind pushes a sheet of dust over the RVs and tents while cyclists cross the open playa at the edge of the city.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Dust Wall Over the City – A wall of dust rolls across the open playa toward the camps as storm clouds break over Black Rock City.

Dust Storm Rolling Over the City – A wall of dust sweeps across the camps and streets of Black Rock City as broken clouds open over the mountains.

epod by Michael Christian Dallas Swindle and Auriah Jade from Bay Area CA – A monument to collective motion, EPOD is a rotating steel landscape powered by the most renewable energy source on Earth: people who refuse to sit still. It turns restlessness into art. Capacity: 80 humans. Runtime: indefinite.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Nang Du: the nanganing (a trailer trash epic) by Weldboy and Anne-Bonny from Gerlach NV – Nang Du: The Nanganing (a trailer trash epic) suspends six vintage camper trailers from a towering mast, counterbalanced by an opulent chandelier made of welded junk cars. Each trailer opens to reveal illuminated dioramas of burner folklore, desert conspiracies, and other half-truth playa stories. Built almost entirely from reclaimed materials sourced from Burning Man and Gerlach waste streams, the sculpture considers second chances and the strange beauty that emerges when discarded things, objects, stories, and sometimes people can still be transformed into something unexpectedly beautiful.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

OneWheel Spider – A burner in goggles and a bandana rides a big furry spider on a onewheel.

Scene Around The Back Of Center Camp

Normal Street Scene – Cyclists in costume cross the dusty street as a mutant vehicle rolls by a dome.

Keeping Things Clean – When I told this guy that there was a MarioKart Style Banana just down the street that needed cleaning up, and I kid you not, without skipping a beat, he says “not my department”. I love burners. This kind of silliness taken seriously is so fun. He was stopping people from entering this little area as well. Love it.

Dust Rolls Down the Street – A wall of blowing dust swallows the end of a camp street lined with cars, vans and shade structures.

MarioKart Style Banana Peel on 6

Trailer Full of Mattresses – A dusty pickup hauls a trailer stacked with strapped-down mattresses past a row of RVs in camp.

Pirate Flag Skateboard Trailer – A rider on a motorized skateboard tows a homemade trike and its passenger past parked trucks and RVs.

Cunted Tan Lines – A parody moving-company trailer painted for Tan Lines camp, with people sitting on the scaffold deck built on its roof. Always hide the logos wherever possible.

Census Lab on the Playa – The Black Rock City census crew counts and surveys participants from a shaded container camp on the open playa.

Mobility Camp Tractor and Trailer – A small tractor and its painted passenger trailer sit parked beside the Mobility Camp tent and its Radical Inclusion by Radical Accessibility banner.

Media Mecca 2026

The ARTery 2026

Patchwork Shade Lounge – A camp built its shade out of stitched-together fabric scraps and parked couches and bean bags underneath.

Pay Phone

Smiles Under the Shade

Camp Street at 8:30 and A – Trucks, trailers and shade structures line a rutted dust road on the edge of the city.

NYC Deli – Not sure if closing down or opening up.

Camp Setup Behind the RVs – A camper walks past an orange tent and a row of bikes parked between RVs and a rented generator.

Dragon Wings Solar Array

Dragon Wings Solar Array

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Air Conditioned Dome in Camp – A big white inflatable dome with an industrial AC unit and duct feeding cold air inside, parked among RVs and shipping containers.

A Bed and Some Booze – Just The Essentials

Free BJs

Party at Long Feng Camp – Bikes pile up around the winged dragon stage at Long Feng Camp, 10:00 and K, as a crowd dances through the morning beneath a heavy cloud bank.

Fur Hats at the Long Feng Mutant Vehicle Party – A couple in fur hats and sunglasses pose in the crowd gathered around a dragon mutant vehicle.

Long Feng Mutant Vehicle

Purple Goggles and Tassels – Two burners in matching purple outfits and mirrored goggles pose for the camera at a mutant vehicle party.

Long Feng Mutant Vehicle

Rainbow and Clouds Mutant Vehicle

Two Burners Laughing on Playa – A pair in shaggy white coats, feathered hat and round sunglasses ham it up for the camera in the morning light.

Moment Alone – Sometimes it’s a good idea to take a moment alone out there.

Smallest Mutant Vehicle

Slug Bike!

Maxa

Three Friends in the Deep Playa – Three friends pose together in the morning, one in a cowboy hat and blue suit, one in a rainbow heart cap and one in a suede poncho.

Shooting Back with a Point and Shoot – A woman in a fur coat and fleece bucket hat lines up a shot on a small silver compact camera out on the playa. I saw lots of people shooting these old film cameras. Very cool.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Power Pose – A heavily tattooed burner strikes a pose in dusty shorts and red sneakers.

Maxa Mutant Vehicle

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Neon Braids and Ribbons – A burner poses on the open playa in a red top and colorblock track pants, with ribbon-wrapped braids and pom poms in each hand. This gal stopped me and asked me to make a photograph for her. What a firecracker!

Participants Take Videos From TITANIC of Maxa – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Morning Smoke Bubbles – Two burners blow bubbles with fake cigarettes.

MAXA Mutant Vehicle

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Ocarina Homey Still Vibing – Great to see you.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Legend – Always great to see you!

Skydiver Drops In Over The Playa – A parachutist comes down over a crowd of bikes and onlookers gathered out on the open playa.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

The Sound of Time by Adrian Landon from Reno NV – The Sound of Time will be a large mechanical clocktower that will tell several different time scales, with gears of various sizes turning at various speeds. The moving mechanics will also be playing sounds, notes, bells, keys, gongs and more.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Aikido – The Mothership Connection by Zak Ove from London UK and Canary Islands Spain – Mothership Connection reinterprets old-world artisan traditions, weaving Pacific Northwest totem craft with architectural references to sites built by enslaved and indentured labor, honoring their role in a shared, multi-racial history. The rocket-like form evokes an Afrofuturist vessel informed by Dogon cosmology. Its base recalls the Djenné mud mosque of Mali, rising into a shaft adorned with luminous masks and etched Veve symbols from the Haitian diaspora. Higher sections shift to Masonic columns and triangles, encircled by Cadillac lights referencing Western consumerism, then arches inspired by Washington’s Capitol. The crown is a monumental illuminated Mende female mask, pulsing like a radiant beacon toward the future.

Aikido – The Mothership Connection by Zak Ove from London UK and Canary Islands Spain – Mothership Connection reinterprets old-world artisan traditions, weaving Pacific Northwest totem craft with architectural references to sites built by enslaved and indentured labor, honoring their role in a shared, multi-racial history. The rocket-like form evokes an Afrofuturist vessel informed by Dogon cosmology. Its base recalls the Djenné mud mosque of Mali, rising into a shaft adorned with luminous masks and etched Veve symbols from the Haitian diaspora. Higher sections shift to Masonic columns and triangles, encircled by Cadillac lights referencing Western consumerism, then arches inspired by Washington’s Capitol. The crown is a monumental illuminated Mende female mask, pulsing like a radiant beacon toward the future.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

The Porch and The Temple

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Rainbow Over a Morning Playa Gathering – Hundreds of bikes and people cluster around art cars in deep playa as a rainbow breaks over the hills behind camp.

Rainbow Over a Deep Playa Crowd – A rainbow breaks over deep playa while a crowd in white and fur coats gathers around a green art car topped with crystal spires.

Rainbow Over Deep Playa Art Cars – A line of mutant vehicles and a crowd of bikes gathered in deep playa as a piece of rainbow dropped out of the clouds over the mountains.

Let There Be Light by Omri Sasi Liraz Uliel Eran Klein and Sarel Botavia Nova Heaven from Tel Aviv Israel – In 2026, NovaHeaven evolves into a living experience of light, form, and spiritual elevation. This year’s structure is composed of 24 triangles surrounding a central hexagonal platform – 18 smaller triangles carrying the layer of remembrance, and 6 large sanctuaries inviting gathering, presence, and deep human connection. Together, these elements create an immersive field that invites us to pause, dwell, feel, and turn inward. – Light – the energy that reveals, illuminates, and brings the path to life. – Connection – the force that holds community, hearts, and souls within a shared field of presence. – Elevation – the choice to lift our gaze, our energy, and our spirit upward.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Kickball at Sunrise

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Sunrise Gathering On The Open Playa – costumed burners, a beach ball and a double decker art car on the open playa as first light hits the mountains

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

The Council of Animals What to Do about the Humans by Quill Hyde from Tonasket WA – The Council of Animals (What to do about the Humans) is a piece that explores our relationship with the other members of our animal family, and encourages us to think about what our relations might say to us, if they spoke in words we could understand. The goal of the piece, really, is to shift our perspectives, help us build a better word-castle to live in, that includes the rest of our family. We have the power to change the future. We’ve been in a rush for so long, as a sub-species, racing towards uncertain futures during troubled times. It’s time to pause, stop, think about what we’re doing, have realistic discussions about our choices, our plans, and our collective futures. As one life, on one planet, with nowhere else to go.

Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H. Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H. Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

Keyhole to Other Dimensions by John H. Dill III and Team from San Francisco CA – Keyhole to Other Dimensions is a freestanding wooden installation inspired by Dill’s illustration project Trip Number and more than a decade of photographing Burning Man. Rising about ten feet tall, the sculpture reads as a keyhole from the front and back and a key-like form from the sides. Layered wood ribs, shelves, and hidden compartments create depth throughout the structure. Photographs from the playa and illustrated imagery appear across its surfaces and interior spaces. Benches at the base offer a place to pause and look outward across the playa, while openings and interior spaces invite closer looking and discovery. At night, low amber light beneath the benches and subtle uplighting from the ground reveal the structure’s depth.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Goggles and Fur in a Whiteout – A burner bundled in a fur hat, scarf and dusty goggles smiles during a heavy dust storm.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Drone Pilot in the Dust – A dusty flyer keeps his eyes on his drone while working the controller on open playa.

Parabola Mundi by Charlie the French from Saint Denis France – A metallic tree rises from the desert, its tubular branches tracing perfect parabolic curves toward the heavens, each arc a mathematical prayer, each junction a meeting point between earth and cosmos. At its base, an immense mirror parabola spreads across the ground like a liquid portal, reflecting sky, stars, and every soul that approaches. Burners will adorn it with light reflectors, forming a canopy of light, reflections merging between branches and roots, dissolving the illusion of separation to better reveal a communication between earth and sky. By day, the mirrored surface captures clouds and sun; by night, it holds constellations and firelight.

Dust Blowing Through Camp Lights – Camps along the Esplanade switch on their lights as blowing dust flattens everything into grey, with the round shade canopy and trampoline arena of Entheos Community Village at centre.

Dusty Dusk Over Black Rock City – Blowing dust drifts across the camps and RVs as lights come on along the open playa edge of the city.

Dust Blowing Across the City Edge – Camps, RVs and art cars along the open playa edge of Black Rock City as evening dust rolls through.

Dusty Dusk Over Camp Rows – An aerial look across RVs, shade structures and a pink-lit camp as dust blows through the city at dusk.

Dust Blows Over Camp – A drone view of RVs, shade structures and lit playa installations as dust moves across the edge of the city.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Robot Heart

Robot Heart

Robot Heart

Robot Heart

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Pulling a Wagon Through the Whiteout – This caught my eye and I stopped and turned around and looked. I think this person was dragging a starlink mini terminal in their wagon and livestreaming from their phone.

Monaco Mutant Vehicle

Dust Drifts at a Street Sign Post – The wind has piled playa dust into ripples around the wooden base of a street sign post.

Lenticular Clouds Over the Mountains – Stacked wave clouds pile up over the range at the edge of the playa as the evening light comes in.

Lenticular Clouds Over Deep Playa – Stacked lenticular clouds pile up over the mountains while blowing dust hides the far side of the playa.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

Behind Closed Eyes by Spencer Hansen and Team from Grass Valley CA and Bali and Java Indonesia – Behind Closed Eyes is a 16-foot hollow sculpture hand-carved from retired Indonesian fishing vessels and reclaimed structural timber. Its exterior features repeating, topographic-like ridges that reveal deep texture, visible tool marks, and natural patina. Copper accents suggest eyes and a spine. The crouching figure sits at ground level, with knees drawn in and hands covering its eyes. The posture conveys awareness and quiet presence. At night, a soft glow illuminates the sculpture from within. The interior is smooth, with rounded wooden surfaces and multi-level perimeter benches forming a fort-like chamber where enclosure, scale, and texture evoke shelter, imagination, and the quiet space of inward reflection.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

Resonance Tree by Resonance Art Collective from Nevada City CA – The Resonance Tree is a large-scale immersive art installation made entirely of bamboo, designed by the Resonance Studio. It responds to sun, shadow, sound, and movement. Rising seven meters above the playa, the Tree invites people to enter through woven roots, climb through the trunk, rest in canopy nets, and gather beneath a living canopy of shadow and sound. – By day, its canopy filters the desert sun, and by night, the trunk glows from within. Hundreds of solar bamboo lights hung from the branches shift with the wind, casting shadows across the cracked playa.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Abraxas Mutant Vehicle

Deep Playa Gathering in Dust – Art cars, bikes and a crowd collect around an open steel arch structure in deep playa while dust blows across the desert.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Reactor Wing by Assaf Allouche from El Sitio Playa Venao Panama – The Reactor Project brings this futuristic pyramid altar. Play, hide, swing, react and interact with its beautiful geometry.

The Solar Library Expansion by Jared Ficklin aka Pearlsnaps from Austin TX – The Solar Library is a rhythmic repetition of triangular yellow huts with bright, sun-orange doors. The steel-framed huts present solar panels at an ideal angle to the sun. At night, they bathe in soft yellow light reminiscent of the sunlight collected all day. Artists apply for a library card so they can build battery-powered art, knowing they have dedicated solar charging capacity reserved to charge their batteries. The mission is to remove the noise and fumes of generators from playa art without the proliferation of panel farms.

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

Aetheric Ascension Tower by Andrey Sledkov and ARTsled from Moscow Russia and Salt Lake City UT – An art object shaped as a cone, its sharp tip piercing upward into the sky while its broad base takes root deep in the earth. Carved into its surface are the silhouettes of human figures – souls

Aetheric Ascension Tower by Andrey Sledkov and ARTsled from Moscow Russia and Salt Lake City UT – An art object shaped as a cone, its sharp tip piercing upward into the sky while its broad base takes root deep in the earth. Carved into its surface are the silhouettes of human figures – souls

The Burning Book of Brian by Charlie Blackcat Smith and Team, built at Sparseland Studios – A stylized metallic LPG and wood-fired effigy of an open book, its pages pierced by a large human heart with a pulsing flame at its core. It invites both solitary reflection and festive gathering on the playa, with a Wednesday night procession leading to a one time only burn, equal parts solemn ritual and joyful parade. The piece is a memorial to Brian Doherty, author of This is Burning Man, who died in March 2026.

The Burning Book of Brian by Charlie Blackcat Smith and Team, built at Sparseland Studios – A stylized metallic LPG and wood-fired effigy of an open book, its pages pierced by a large human heart with a pulsing flame at its core. It invites both solitary reflection and festive gathering on the playa, with a Wednesday night procession leading to a one time only burn, equal parts solemn ritual and joyful parade. The piece is a memorial to Brian Doherty, author of This is Burning Man, who died in March 2026.

Excite Trike Mutant Vehicle

Bikes Outside Emergency Services – Bikes and a golf cart crowd the racks at the Emergency Services station on Esplanade, its red cross sign and red flag flying above the shipping containers.

Behind Rampart

HEAT

Jamen – Go and look at all the remarkably beautiful images and videos that Jamen creates. Then consider that he pushes this heavy bike around to do it. No art car, no golf cart, just his sexy self pushing a heavy trike around that is not an e-bike. And he does it with such charm. When Jamen gets an e-bike he will crush us other photographers haha!

Ferment Your Fantasy Glory Hole – Campers kneel at holes cut in a painted plywood wall to receive pickles being served on the other side.

Pickleball in a Dust Storm at Black Rock City Pickleball Club – Players keep a game going on the camp court at 8:00 and B while dust blows through the street.

Altitude Lounge Tower in Dust – A multi level scaffolding tower with couches and flags sits at the edge of camp during a dusty afternoon.

Ski Lift Chair in Camp – A camp shade structure with hammocks, a bar and hand painted signs, with an old chairlift chair set up out front in the dust.

House of Pacha in Blowing Dust – Wind pushes dust past a camp’s flagged shade structure while a burner walks a bike through the gap.

Fringed Camp Shrine During Build Week – A small wooden pavilion wrapped in green, pink and orange fabric strips and hanging beads takes shape between camp tents in the dust.

Dusty Playa Mini Golf – A camp built putting course with picket fencing and hole markers keeps going while dust blows through.

Mini Golf in a Dust Storm – A camp built a full mini golf course on the open sand, and a few players kept putting while the dust blew through.

Is Tennis Tuesday The New Tutu Tuesday? – A giant inflatable tennis ball marks the Tennis Tuesday camp while dust blows through.

Swing Ride in a Dust Storm – TOT – The big swing at TOT camp in the 9:00 B Plaza keeps turning as a whiteout crosses Black Rock City.

Dunk-A-Roo in the Dust – Pranksters in the Pines – A dunk tank, two wooden lifeguard towers and plywood pine trees sit empty as dust blows through camp.

Bloom Portal

Bloom Camp Sound Stage in the Dust – A painted stretch canopy shades a sound system, road cases and floor cushions at Bloom Camp on the Esplanade as the dust blows through.

Bloom Portal Plaque – Gregg Fleishman – The artist plaque leans against plywood pieces on the dust beside the installation.

Bloom Portal

Hauling a Percussion Cart – Three costumed burners drag a trailer hung with hubcaps, lids and metal bowls across the open playa in a dust storm.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Towing a Mutant Vehicle Through Whiteout – A military truck tows a large wheeled platform with a steel truss tower across the open playa while a dust storm blows through.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Acinonyx by Liminal Collective from Seattle WA – This is a work about speeding up and slowing down. It offers comfort and shelter in acceptance of mortality. – A larger-than-life cheetah automaton features articulated joints and sprinting legs. Each limb includes multiple pivot points, allowing for fluid, lifelike motion. A large hand crank activates the mechanism, propelling the cheetah into a simulated full-speed sprint. – The den is an enclosed organic shape, casting dappled shadows. Inside, cheetah cubs lounge on beanbags, accompanied by a soft ambient audio track featuring a recording of a real cheetah purring and a contemplative meditation.

Playa Swirls by Jeff Tangen from Port Townsend WA – Playa Swirl is a colorful sculpture made with 300 paper lanterns that have been coated with epoxy resin. They are suspended overhead and create a calming and relaxing place to enjoy the playa. During the day the lanterns are lit by the sun and during the night each lantern will be illuminated by LEDs.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Julian Making Images in the Dust – Julian keeps shooting with a camera in hand while a dust storm blows through the open playa. View more of Julian’s work here: https://julianwalter.com

Glass Hearts on a Chain Belt – A burner wearing a white lace corset with stained glass hearts strung from her belt, handing them out to passersby in the dust.

Glass Hearts in the Dust – A burner in goggles, a face mask and a fur coat hands out small stained glass hearts to passing strangers while a dust storm blows across the open playa.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Dreamweaver Labyrinth by Ron Bearden and Dreamweaver Team from Portland OR – The Dreamweaver Labyrinth Project is a classical seven-circuit Cretan labyrinth on the playa. Four-foot-wide paths spiral inward to a sixteen-foot open center, all ground-level. Solid blue LED rope lights the way at night, powered off-grid by solar panels, batteries, and low-voltage wiring, dust-proof and wind-anchored. Participants enter freely, walk the meditative turns, pause in the center for reflection or sharing. It welcomes everyone: wheelchair-accessible, multilingual signs, no barriers. Built for wonder amid chaos, proof that quiet space exists even here.

Hortus Lux by Eric Sagotsky from Los Angeles CA – Inspired by succulents in the arid desert, Hortus Lux is a restful oasis by day and an invitation to play by night. Each of the five woven hammock leaves accommodates two. Seated burners listen to guided meditations synced to light and haptic vibrations.

Teapot and EMO and A Cat’s Dream by Ke Ming Edmund Mathews Gan Wang Kaifang Zhu Tuhao Wang Hanle and others from Wuhan Hubei – This matrix-style artwork is a collaborative creation by multiple artists. It constitutes a space for dialogue and communication, peace and friendship – a golden dream we collectively weave and safeguard. Visitors are invited to take photos amid the pink floral elements; sit inside the teapot tracked vehicle for tea-drinking, meditation, drawing, and leaving personal blessings; and behold reflections of themselves and their surroundings upon the giant golden bricks.

Fingerbang Party at epod – A crowd dressed in red gathers around the art cars and the big steel sphere, some of them on rollerblades.

Fingerbang Party at epod – A crowd dressed head to toe in red packs the dust between art cars, one of them skating through on rollerblades.

The Most Functional Footwear On Playa: Rollerblades

Fingerbang Dance Party in a Whiteout – Costumed burners dance between art cars on the open playa as a dust storm cuts visibility to a few hundred feet.

Duende by Valerie Mallory from Oakland CA – Duende is drawn from Spanish folklore which refers to the mysterious force that evokes awe and emotional intensity. Duende represents that sudden joy of recognition, the moment when authentic beauty becomes suddenly apparent; the spark of wonder that cannot be manufactured or denied. – Valerie Mallory has been exhibiting work at Burning Man for 10 years and has been participating at Burning Man as a volunteer for 20 years.

Beetle by Barry Crawford from Silver Springs NV – Beetle is a giant mechanical hercules beetle with opening wing covers and other moving parts.

Elemental Dragon by Arterra Techtonics from Brasov Romania – We try to imitate and follow this sacred flow of natural rhythm, and work with the environment, looking for forms that will combine together without the need for too much human intervention. – Nothing is needed except cleaning, and ensuring the balanced connection between the pieces, with screws that give the structure durability, and prolong the magical life of a creature like this. – Working intuitively, and using all imaginable perspectives, without disturbing the obvious form that defines the dragon, we always offer the observer the opportunity to go further in the dimension of imagination, adding their creativity to the fractal, which we are able to co-create. – We invite you to the incredible sensory experience of meeting a dragon in person.

Broken Down Mutant Vehicle

Bikes Parked in a Whiteout – A dust storm rolls through the Esplanade while rows of bikes sit parked outside camp.

Bubbles and Bass and Blowing Dust – Burners gather under a camp’s stretched canopies while dust blows across Esplanade.

Motorized Skate Rig and Trailer – A gas engine mounted on a mountainboard tows a welded bike trailer with a reclining seat, parked in the dust behind the work yard.

SubLime Mutant Vehicle

Darkwad Patrol Sign – Don’t darkshame me bro!

RV Service in the Dust – A rider pedals past parked RVs and a pump truck advertising RV service while dust blows through camp.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

Bicycle Flag Creation Station – Soon to be Infamous – Burners decorate bicycle flags with their playa names and addresses so no bike is abandoned on the playa.

The Capsule Hotel – No Vacancy – A camp sign hangs over a scaffold rigged with rope hammocks, with RVs and shade structures behind it.

Doodled Camp Hut at 7:45 and C – Campers covered their insulated shade hut in marker drawings of mushrooms, flowers and faces, with shoes lined up outside the door.

Fun With Real Fake Boobs

Signs at Retrofrolic

Dusty Afternoons

Prayer Wheel at Water Temple – A painted Tibetan prayer wheel spins between two hand-lettered signs outside the camp’s tipi tents.

Painted Trailer at Water Temple – Water Temple’s semi trailer covered in a mural of rows of eyes, fish and a figure with flowers in her hair, parked in the dust during build week.

Orgy Dome Entrance in Dust – Yes this is real. Burning Man as a city is a playground for adults so it has everything you could imagine. The Orgy Dome is more sterile and regimented than the writhing mass of bodies you would think. It takes courage to go in there. I don’t have that level of courage!

Dusty Afternoon Open Camping – Wind pushes dust past an RV, trailers and tents while a cyclist and a rider on a mobility scooter head down the street.

Yellow Duck Car and Showers On Shipping Container – A big yellow duck art car sits parked beside a shipping container and solar array as the camp goes up during build week.

Firefly Camp Sign – Painted block letters spelling FIREFLY sit in the dust in front of the camp’s big canvas tent, shipping containers and solar array.

Camp Solar Array – 1AP – A field of tilted solar panels powers a camp next to a blue shipping container marked 1AP, with RVs parked along the street behind it.

Lots of Room – If you look around the edge of the city there is lots of room for open camping. You don’t have to be part of a placed camp you can just show up and check with your neighbors to see if the space is occupied.

Lots of Room – If you look around the edge of the city there is lots of room for open camping. You don’t have to be part of a placed camp you can just show up and check with your neighbors to see if the space is occupied.

Creative Mutant Vehicle or Bike

Creative Mutant Vehicle or Bike

Future Turtles Cafe – A camp bar and cafe built from shipping containers and shade structures, with bikes parked out front and people gathered in the shade.

Dusty Delight Ice Cream Gifting – Campers scoop cones and hand them out to passersby under a shade structure on a dusty afternoon.

Ice Cream Bar – Dusty Delight – A volunteer hands out ice cream cones from a pastel plank bar while people wait in fur coats.

Fashion Police – Reno Housewives Biggest Little Boutique – Two camp members in pink vests and caps hold STOP and FASHION POLICE paddles outside the camp’s clothing tent.

Fashion Police – Reno Housewives Biggest Little Boutique – A camper in a pink vest and beret works the clothing racks at the camp’s boutique while people browse for outfits.

Fashion Juice – A camp serves a pink drink from a dispenser labeled by hand on a red draped table.

Shopping at the Biggest Little Boutique – Burners browse racks of dresses and tops at a camp giving away clothes on a dusty afternoon.

Reno Housewives Biggest Little Boutique – Burners browse racks of donated clothes in a shaded camp tent that takes donations and gives them away.

Pink Flags at Awesomesauce – A camp frontage hung with pink fabric, feather flags and a peace sign banner along the open playa edge.

Pink Heart Camp on the Playa – The all pink camp with its heart sign and heart archway faces the open playa under a grey morning sky.

Bikes Parked at the Shade Sails – A crowd gathers under a run of tan shade sails while dozens of bikes line up out front on the open playa.

Suburbia Camp Front Row – A row of little painted houses with flags, bikes and a lookout tower faces the open playa with the mountains behind.

The Garage by Brendon O’Halloran and the O’Tools from Topanga CA and Reno NV – This is the Temple of the builders. A typical garage full of all the things you’d expect. Tools, storage, memories, seasonal things, equipment, etc. We hang out here and talk, drink, fix, build, jam out, play games, create and tinker. The Garage is the home of the laborers and builders who go unseen but make things happen. The hidden heroes.

StreetLight by Woj in collaboration with Glass House Arts from Escondido CA – It’s an ordinary streetlight.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Do What You Love – I ran into Sergey by pure chance this year. Sergey had the pleasure of seeing one of my photographs of him last year go around and spread out. The photograph featured Sergey walking in front of the temple and he told me it was a real joy for him. I cannot predict how my photographs will help other people, and this is why I post so many images every year. Also it’s great that Sergey got to see what it’s like for me to see my photographs fan out across the world and take on a life of their own. Sergey now uses that photo on his website here https://dowhatyoulove.art/

Do What You Love – I ran into Sergey by pure chance this year. Sergey had the pleasure of seeing one of my photographs of him last year go around and spread out. The photograph featured Sergey walking in front of the temple and he told me it was a real joy for him. I cannot predict how my photographs will help other people, and this is why I post so many images every year. Also it’s great that Sergey got to see what it’s like for me to see my photographs fan out across the world and take on a life of their own. Sergey now uses that photo on his website here https://dowhatyoulove.art/

I saw people literally cry tears of joy twice on playa this year. This person may have shed a tear seeing how happy his friend was.

Sunrise Burgers Drive Thru – Two cooks in chef hats griddle burgers behind a hand painted cardboard sign while a group in onesies and fur coats stops by for breakfast in deep playa.

Legendary Burner John Dill – I had been listening to John’s sets for years so it was nice to meet him. Follow John here: https://www.instagram.com/sliceofdill

Family Portrait in the Crowd – A dad in a purple tutu carries a toddler on his shoulders while a friend leans in laughing, surrounded by bundled-up burners on a cold morning.

Two Burners at Morning Light – A pair pose close together in a fur hat, sunglasses on chains, and a crochet tank top out on the open playa.

Goggles in the Morning Light – A burner in a dusty gray hooded jacket and rounded twin-lens goggles looks off toward the open playa.

Two Burners in Deep Playa – Two friends lean in together for a portrait on the open playa, one in a fur-collared coat.

Five Friends in Deep Playa Dust – A group of dusty burners in goggles, fur and tattoos stop to pose together on the open playa.

I’m Not On Drugs – A burner in a white fur coat and a black cap with the line “I’m not on drugs,” stitched across the front.

Four Friends in Fur Hats – A group of burners in fur hats and coats crowd in for a portrait in front of a deep playa stage.

Four Friends in Deep Playa – Four burners in sunglasses, a black fur hat and matching pale blue jackets squeeze in for a morning group shot.

Horned Headdress Portrait – A burner in a horned headdress and fur costume smiles during a morning on the playa.

Morning Crew in Furs – A bundled-up group in fur coats and antlers crowds together for a photo on the deep playa as a Brazilian flag flies behind them.

Fur Coats and Gold Goggles – Two burners in heavy fur coats and mirrored gold goggles pose shoulder to shoulder on a cold morning in deep playa.

Three Burners in Fur Hats – Three friends in fur hats, mirrored wraparound shades and fur coats pose together on a cold dusty morning.

Fur Coats at Sunrise – A group of burners in fur coats and hats link arms and pose during a chilly morning gathering on the open playa.

Portrait of a Tattooed Burner – A man in a fur collared jacket, cap and chained sunglasses looks up on the open playa.

Camera Operator Shooting Super8 in a Fur Coat – A burner in a white fur coat and dust goggles pauses on a metal stairway with his cinema camera rig and radio.

Fur Hood and Goggles – This burner asked me to make his photograph and he smiled for the camera in a fur-lined hood, goggles pushed up on his forehead and a patterned coat open over white pants.

Cuddle Pile at Robot Heart – A group of friends sprawl across inflatable cushions in the dust while the crowd keeps dancing in front of the speaker stacks of Robot Heart behind them.

Maxa

Law Enforcement and Friends in Deep Playa – Three law enforcement officers pose with a pair of burners in fur coats while a chicken art car waits behind them.

Jamen At Work

Two Law Enforcement Officers – A pair of officers stop for a portrait while a crowd gathers around the art cars behind them. People often think I look like a cop when I’m out making photographs so it really trips them out when they see me talking to law enforcement guys.

Braids and Bandana Portrait – A burner with long blonde and pink braids and a black paisley bandana around her neck stops to smile for the camera.

Fur Hat and Braids – A burner bundled in a fur trapper hat and parka against the cold morning playa air.

Tattooed Burner Portrait – Full body blackwork tattoos, a beaded headpiece and a fringed macrame outfit in the morning light out in deep playa.

Macrame and Gold Portrait – Two burners in fringed macrame garments, gold chains and headpieces pose in the morning light on the open playa.

Heart Flag and Leopard Print – A burner in a leopard and tiger print coat holds up an American flag with hearts in place of the stars.

Party at Maxa

Party at Maxa

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Two Friends at Sunrise – Two guys grinning for the camera in the early morning light with a crowd gathered behind them.

Filming the Crowd at Sunrise – A videographer in dust goggles holds a gimbal rig overhead to shoot above the morning crowd.

Morning Crew at a Deep Playa Party – Four friends stop to pose in front of the speaker stacks while the sunrise party keeps going behind them.

Forehead to Forehead in Deep Playa – Two friends hold each other close, one in a pink fur hat and black fur coat, in a crowd out on the open playa.

Two Friends at Robot Heart Sunrise – A pair of dancers, one wearing a clown nose and beanie, pause for a portrait in the first warm light of the morning.

Red Hat and Red Lenses at Sunrise – A participant in a wide brimmed red hat and white framed red lens sunglasses at the Robot Heart sunrise party in deep playa.

Hat and Orange Sunglasses at Sunrise – A participant at the Robot Heart sunrise, with the crowd reflected in his lenses.

Red Lenses at Robot Heart Sunrise – A burner in a wide brim hat, scarf and rose tinted sunglasses at the morning gathering out in deep playa.

Finally Normal People at Robot Heart – These legends built Vessels of Love in 2025 and were absolutely fabulous to meet. They were effusive with praise and had enjoyed my photographs of their piece last year and gave me an ego boost. Thank you for that and great to meet you all. Vessels of Love immediately became one of the all time great works of art on playa last year. Legendary crew! Thank you for your art!

Sunrise Hug at Robot Heart – A couple in matching red hats holds each other in the crowd while people climb the heart frame on the bus behind them.

Matching Hats at Robot Heart Sunrise – A couple in red felt hats and heart shaped sunglasses pose together as the sun comes up in deep playa.

Sam – So great to see you again Sam!

Sunrise Crowd at Robot Heart – Two men look out from the bus cab as the crowd packs in below for the morning set.

Sunrise Crowd at Robot Heart – Dancers pack the front of the Robot Heart bus at sunrise while a few climb the heart frame above the speaker stacks.

Smiley Face Cap at Sunrise – A mustachioed burner grins through wide blue shades in the crowd at the Robot Heart sunrise set.

Sunrise Portrait in Fur and Shades – Two participants bundled in fur coats and sunglasses pose close together in the early morning light at a sunrise dance party.

Sunrise Climbers at Robot Heart – Participants in fur coats climb the steel heart frame above the speakers as the morning sun hits deep playa.

Robot Heart Mutant Vehicle

Sunrise Kiss at Robot Heart – Two participants in dusty goggles and fur coats share a kiss as the sun comes up over the deep playa.

Photographers Looking at Each Other Above the Crowd 2 of 2

Photographers Looking at Each Other Above the Crowd 1 of 2

Robot Heart Mutant Vehicle

Sunrise Climbers at Robot Heart – Participants in fur coats climb the heart-shaped steel frame above the bus while the DJ plays below.

Everyone Is Always On Their Cell Phones at Burning Man

Haircut On Brand

Robot Heart Mutant Vehicle

Sunrise Dancers on Robot Heart – Participants in fur coats and feathered costumes climb the wire heart and dance on the roof of the bus as the sun comes up in deep playa.

Sunrise Crowd at Robot Heart – People climb the speaker stacks and the wire heart on the bus while a big crowd dances in the early light out in deep playa.

Robot Heart Mutant Vehicle

Bikes and Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Dawn Crowd in Deep Playa – Hundreds of bikes are parked around a crowd gathered at a sound camp far out on the open playa at first light.

Deep Playa Sunrise Party – Hundreds of people, bikes and art cars cluster together in deep playa as the sun comes up on the mountains.

Sunrise Gathering at the Trash Fence – People and an art car cluster along the orange trash fence out in deep playa as the sun comes up over the mountains.

Sunrise Crowd in Deep Playa – Thousands of people and a huge pile of bikes packed around a sound stage far out on the open playa as the sun comes up behind the city.

school by peter markel from Santa Cruz CA – A school of over 450 green transparent fish contructed of recycled 2 liter soda bottles swimming in three 15 foot repurposed trampoline hoops. Individual movements build a constantly changing whole, illustrating the importance as us individually as we strengthen our community.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Freedom Dancers by Ashley Bennett-Stoddard – Freedom Dancers is a circle of seven monumental, tree-like human figures rising approximately 10-13 feet tall from the desert floor. Constructed from steel armatures with textured papercrete surfaces, the sculptures combine the human form with branching limbs and open negative space that allows light and shadow to move through the work. Each figure represents a stage in the transformation of grief into compassion. Arranged in a circle, the dancers create a quiet visual dialogue about resilience, healing, and the shared emotional experiences that connect humanity.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR and Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle Flames in the Wind

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle and Octopolis

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle Flames in the Wind and Dust

Jamen Flying Drone at REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

The Children Are Thrilled By El Pulpo – This is not a great photograph but it was a great moment. I don’t know if Duane was onboard or not but this was a special moment. El Pulpo was cruising past the Monaco and a long line of mutant vehicles that appeared to be full of kids. Each time they went past another mutant vehicle El Pulpo would blast the flames and the kids absolutely loved it. So much joy. Thank you Duane.

Light Grinder by Adam Frey from San Diego CA – Light Grinder is a suspended kinetic mirrored helix flooded by an abundance of light. A continuation of Adam Frey’s Grinder series, the piece builds on the spinning mirror forms of Space Grinder and Grinder Garden, shifting the focus from clustered reflection to illuminated motion. As the central helix spins, its mirrored surfaces fracture, scatter, and recombine the world around it into a twisting kaleidoscope of color, image, and spectacle. Playful, dazzling, and delightfully absurd, Light Grinder invites participants to circle, touch, look longer, and share in the strange pleasure of seeing the familiar world broken open and made new.

Towing a Wagon on a Onewheel – A rider hauls a wagon stacked with boxes, a mattress pad and gear across the open playa in blowing dust.

Art Cars in the Dusk Dust – Riders in safety vests stop their bikes between three art cars on the open playa as a headlight burns through the haze.

Camp Living Room at Dusk – A shade tent set up with a couch, floor cushions, houseplants and glowing lamps as an open-air lounge.

Solar Trailers at Sunset – Folding solar arrays on flatbed trailers power a camp as the sun drops behind the mountains.

Evening Ride – Riders in coats and dust masks pedal past parked RVs and trucks as the light fades.

Daytime Dance Party – Pink Mammoth – A DJ works the decks behind a pink LED rail while a dusty crowd packs in with hands up.

Afternoon Dance Party – Pink Mammoth – A packed crowd dances under the pink shade structure while dancers climb the speaker stacks and the stage.

Bike Parking at Pink Mammoth – Hundreds of bikes pile up outside the Pink Mammoth banner as people arrive for the party at dusk.

Snow Koan Solar Charging Station – A big ground mounted solar array powers a public charging station for batteries, lights, phones, cameras and ebikes.

Burners at Play

Police Stop on E Street – Police and a ranger talk with people beside a pickup and a Burner Express shuttle bus while cyclists roll past.

Hotel Lobby Camp

Camp Rooftop View at Dusk – Looking out over canvas tents, RVs and parked bikes from a raised lounge deck as dust drifts across the city toward the mountains.

Stilt Walker in Red and White – A masked performer on stilts balances with arms out on the open playa, seen from a raised deck above.

Dusty RV Camp View from Altitude Lounge – A view down over the RVs, U-Hauls, shade structures and solar panels of a camp on B street as dust hangs in the air.

Syd Gris DJ Set at Altitude Lounge – Syd Gris works the Pioneer decks on the upper scaffold deck as camp mates watch the dust blow across the street.

Greg at Altitude Lounge – Greg, one of the camp leads at Altitude Lounge, and overall badass.

Greg at Altitude Lounge – Greg, one of the camp leads at Altitude Lounge, and overall badass.

Altitude Lounge at Sunset – Burners climb the scaffold tower for a view over the city while a galaxy-painted dragon puppet floats past below.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Heavy Petting Zoo Mutant Vehicle

Sapta Dvara (The 7th Gate) by Darrell E. Ansted from Boulder CO – Sapta Dvara (The 7th Gate) explores the intersection of light, passage, and transformation. Inspired by the mythic act of walking through light to awaken inner truth, the installation symbolizes courage, renewal, and impermanence. A sequence of aligned gates forms a luminous corridor that shifts from quiet presence by day to radiant color by night. Motion-triggered light flows through the structure, creating a responsive environment animated by human presence.

Septima Stella Lux by Dave Ray and Michael Jacob of Lux Productions from Joshua Tree CA and Sebastopol CA – Septima is a 28 foot diameter structural free standing sphere, comprised of the vertical intersection of four 7 pointed septogram or heptagram stars, constructed of large engineered timbers A solid structural platform at nine feet above the playa will provide space to congregate and explore the structure from within. The perimeter face of each timber will be channeled for programmable LED’s that will illuminate the sculpture at night. – From the sacred to the profane the number 7 has woven itself into the DNA of our species, imbedded in our theology, spirituality, numerology and metaphysical realms: – 7 days of creation 7 Chakras 7 planets The number 7 is integral to Muslim and Jewish mysticism. 7 pitches in the heptatonic scale the 7 deadly sins

Teapot and EMO and A Cat’s Dream by Ke Ming Edmund Mathews Gan Wang Kaifang Zhu Tuhao Wang Hanle and others from Wuhan Hubei – This matrix-style artwork is a collaborative creation by multiple artists. It constitutes a space for dialogue and communication, peace and friendship – a golden dream we collectively weave and safeguard. Visitors are invited to take photos amid the pink floral elements; sit inside the teapot tracked vehicle for tea-drinking, meditation, drawing, and leaving personal blessings; and behold reflections of themselves and their surroundings upon the giant golden bricks.

Climbing the Tower Seats – Two burners climbed up to the seats welded on top of a scrap metal pole and struck a pose in the blowing dust.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Fjörgyn Mutant Vehicle

Mail Call at BRC3PO – Burners line up at the windows of the BRC3PO post office to send playa mail, with a hand-painted sign reading Neither Heat Nor Dust Can Deter Us.

Whiteout at the 3:00 Plaza – Burners crowd into a small shade bar with their bikes while a dust storm blows through the plaza flags.

Yellow Submarine in the Dust – A yellow submarine art car rolls down a camp street while riders push through blowing dust.

Fuel Totes

Giant Hammock

Pickleback Oasis Where Are You From Map

It has been a great honor for me to collaborate with these playa legends over the years. Thank you Dustin and Vav!

Getting Social – I went to this social event and my friend told me my quota was interacting with 5 strangers because he knows how bad I am at being social. I met some cool new people!

Getting Social – I went to this social event and my friend told me my quota was interacting with 5 strangers because he knows how bad I am at being social. I met some cool new people!

Mutant Vehicles

Abstininthe Bar Facade – An Art Nouveau style front on a camp bar, with a clock, a hand lettered hours board and a couple of teddy bears parked by the door.

Truck Camp Under a Shade Arch – A pickup with a rooftop tent parked inside an arched shade shelter, surrounded by coolers, bins and a swamp cooler.

SideQuest SideShow Stage – A camp stage with a red netted shade canopy, an armchair and a folding chair waiting for the next act.

Playa Based 3D Printer

Playa Based 3D Printer

Alma Borekas Camp Sign – The cut metal sign hangs over the camp while a party gets going behind it.

DJs at Alma Borekas – Two DJs work the decks in front of a red sequin backdrop at a daytime camp party.

Bartenders at Alma Borekas – Two guys ham it up behind the bar in a red tent hung with fabric, tequila bottles and a foil tray in front of them.

Afternoon Dance Party – Alma Borekas – Dancers pack the rug-covered floor of a red draped tent while dust hangs in the air.

DIY Pants Cannon – Stewards of the Black Rock Desert – Metric aims his homemade compressed air pants cannon down a camp road between the trailers.

DIY Pants Cannon – Stewards of the Black Rock Desert – Campmates load a homemade compressed air pants cannon built from a length of green pipe beside an RV.

DIY Pants Cannon – Stewards of the Black Rock Desert – Metric shows off a KBRU 92.5 FM sticker beside his homemade pants cannon outside the camp trailer.

DIY Pants Cannon – Stewards of the Black Rock Desert – Campers gather around a yellow air cannon rigged up between the trailers to fire pants across the playa.

DIY Pants Cannon – Stewards of the Black Rock Desert – Metric aims a homemade compressed air cannon built from PVC pipe and an air hose between the trailers in camp.

Barbie Dream Shredder – Barbie Death Village – A pink and blue wood chipper feeds hundreds of stripped Barbies into a fenced pile at the camp.

Be Brave Stay Kind Make Art – Painted signs and mileage arrows to other burns hang on a plywood wall beside a shipping container.

Family Ride in the Dust – A couple pushes two goggled kids in a bike trailer down a dusty street past a shipping container.

Mary Ellen’s Lavender Hand Wash – A camp offering hand washing in the shade of a tent hung with pale purple fabric.

Mary Ellen’s Lavender Hand Wash – Campers take turns getting their hands scrubbed with lavender soap at a shaded row of purple tables.

Mary Ellen’s Lavender Hand Wash – Burners take turns getting their dusty hands washed with lavender soap at a shaded camp table.

Mary Ellen’s Lavender Hand Wash – Campmates in tutus and dust goggles wash up at a shaded table of soap bottles and paper towels.

White Dome on a Dusty Afternoon – A fabric-covered geodesic dome with a bike parked against it, shipping containers and cabling off to the side.

Containers and Tents Camp Setup – Shipping containers, ladders and a pair of tents make up a camp’s work area on the open dust.

Lining Up for Ofosho Ramen – Burners queue at the Ofosho Ramen stand at 5:00 and D for bowls served under the shade tents.

O Fo Sho Camp Letters – Big lightbox letters spell out the camp name in the dust while people lounge in hammocks under the shade net behind them.

Ofosho Ramen Booth – Two servers dish out bowls of ramen from a red booth in camp on a dusty afternoon.

Steam Spa Shuttle – Bro was ripping through here.

HEPA Filter Mutant Vehicle

Tetherball at Flat Tire Cafe – A midday tetherball game in front of the camp’s shade structure and cat logo banner.

Checking the Plaza Bulletin Board – Two riders stop to read the notices, including a poster for a Tour de Chance bike race, on a board at the edge of a plaza.

Don’t Fuckin Care Bear Mutant Vehicle

Serendeep Mutant Vehicle

Broken Down Mutant Vehicle

Yggdrasil by Morten Ørtenblad from San Juan del Sur Nicaragua and Roskilde Denmark – Yggdrasil rises from the dust as an echo of the ancient Tree of Life from Norse mythology, the living bridge between the spiritual and the physical worlds. – Reaching 22 ft into the desert sky and spreading 33 ft in diameter, its circular crown is woven with bamboo mandalas that breathe with wind, light, and human presence. – Built from laminated bamboo, Yggdrasil is both myth and experiment, a sustainable pilot exploring how bamboo lives on the playa and how it transforms in fire. – At its final moment, the tree returns to flame, completing the cycle between earth, spirit, and ash.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

The Mud and LOOKOUT by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Mother II: More love inside by Weld Queen and Oleksandr Hanskyi from Reno – This sculpture captures the eternal bond between mother and child, celebrating the strength, tenderness, and unwavering support of motherhood. It stands as a monument to the foundational role of care in our society. Everything begins inside.

Fire Gnome by Fire Gnome Collective from Northampton MA Emeryville CA Los Angeles CA and Seattle WA – The Fire Gnome Collective is thrilled to bring this 30-foot timber and steel installation to Black Rock City. We are ready to build a space for the community to play and explore on the playa. We can’t wait to share the Fire Gnome’s communal burn and the secrets revealed!

oVo from Seattle WA

Kids on Chairy Go Round by Johny Utah – Chairy Go Round is a primitive steel beefcake of a playground ride for those seeking the nostalgic feeling of a smooth, rotating carousel of sorts. Pull-rope powered by your fellow burner, this ride will certainly scratch a long-forgotten itch for playground freedom, camaraderie, and giddy, childish giggles as the 8-seat rotating swing provides connection and joy.

Chairy Go Round by Johny Utah from ChâteauDome UT – Chairy Go Round is a primitive steel beefcake of a playground ride for those seeking the nostalgic feeling of a smooth, rotating carousel of sorts. Pull-rope powered by your fellow burner, this ride will certainly scratch a long-forgotten itch for playground freedom, camaraderie, and giddy, childish giggles as the 8-seat rotating swing provides connection and joy.

Chairy Go Round by Johny Utah from ChâteauDome UT – Chairy Go Round is a primitive steel beefcake of a playground ride for those seeking the nostalgic feeling of a smooth, rotating carousel of sorts. Pull-rope powered by your fellow burner, this ride will certainly scratch a long-forgotten itch for playground freedom, camaraderie, and giddy, childish giggles as the 8-seat rotating swing provides connection and joy.

Participants Send Postcards at The Post Office – Burners line up at the service windows to send postcards from Black Rock City.

Black Rock City Post Office – 830 and A – A burner in a bandana and open floral shirt leans through a camp service window with laminated game cards spread on the counter.

Black Rock City Post Office – 8:30 and A

Black Rock City Post Office – 8:30 and A – Burners line up at the windows to mail postcards while a dust haze hangs over the street.

Waffles and House Camp Entrance – A morning waffle line forms under the shade structure while the DJ schedule is posted out front.

Waffle Line – Waffles and House – Cooks work a long row of griddles and waffle irons under the shade structure while campers line up for breakfast.

Waffle Duty – Waffles and House – A camp cook ladles batter into the waffle iron in the shade of the kitchen tent.

Waffle Kitchen – Waffles and House – Camp cooks work a long line of griddles and prep tables under the shade structure, serving waffles to anyone who wanders in.

Waffles and House Sign – The yellow block-letter sign over the camp’s shade structure, with disco balls hanging from the tent below.

I’Eggo My Ego – Waffles and House – The camp’s waffle counter is painted as a giant Eggo box with a joke nutrition label listing zero calories and one ego loss per waffle.

Fuel Truck and Generator in Camp – A fuel truck and a rented generator keep an RV camp running through a dusty morning.

Trailer Mural by Art of July – A box trailer parked in camp is painted end to end with faces, eyes, hands and blocks of color, signed Art of July in the lower right corner.

Pancake Line at Karma Love Camp – Burners queue up under the shade structure for pancakes while dust blows across the open playa behind camp.

Pancakes This Way – Karma Love Camp – A camper points the way to the pancake line with a hand painted arrow sign while a crowd gathers under the shade structure.

Event Schedule – Karma Love Camp – A pallet cart holds the camp’s week of yoga, breathwork and pancake parties while burners gather with their bikes behind it.

Pancake Breakfast – Karma Love Camp – A camp cook flips pancakes on a propane griddle in the shade tent.

Pancake Crew – Karma Love Camp – The kitchen crew flips pancakes on camp stoves and mixes batter under the shade tent for a morning giveaway.

Pancake Crew – Karma Love Camp – Two friends mug for the camera in the shade tent while pancakes are served.

Pancake Line – Karma Love Camp – A crowd lines up under the shade structure and prayer flags for pancakes while the dust blows through.

Riding Through a Whiteout – Two cyclists push down a camp street as blowing dust swallows the RVs and tents on either side.

Time Drop by Jordan MacHardy, Sonia Aggarwal, Scott MacHardy, Wes MacHardy and Kasey Boekholt from Albuquerque NM – Time Drop gives you the ability to control the rate and direction of time in an infinite rain storm…and uses time travel to help people solve minor plumbing issues.

Silk Panels in the Morning Wind – A camp shade structure hung all around with colored fabric panels lifting in the breeze, with a chalkboard event list out front.

Bikes in a Morning Whiteout – Dust rolls through a line of parked bikes along the Esplanade while people wait it out by the shade structures.

Morning Crowd at Bubbles and Bass – A crowd packs in beneath a big tan stretch tent on Esplanade while a red heart flag flies overhead.

Bike Pile on the Esplanade – Dozens of bikes parked on the open playa as people gather around an art car in the morning.

Luciano at Work – My friend Luciano is a very talented photographer and a great campmate. Follow his work here: https://www.instagram.com/lulejt/

The Lust Stop by Lust for Dust from Sunnyvale CA – The Lust Stop is the playa mutant bus stop. From its location in the deep playa, it offers BRC citizens an opportunity to board rides that might stop by and pick them up. We provide a route map of different bus and mutant vehicle services that might be in service with tentative schedules. As citizens wait for the ride, they can enjoy the comfort of a fur-covered bench and have shade over their heads as they enjoy bike-spotting in the deep playa day and night. – The lusty part kicks in at night where once getting closer to the bus stop Barry White and Co. tunes will greet you and make it a perfect sound track for a prolonged wait in a super comfy bus stop! Enjoy the wait!

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty – Two polished stainless steel figures hold hands on the open playa while a single passerby stops to look, the pair casting long shadows in the morning haze.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty – Two polished stainless steel figures hold hands in the dust of deep playa, with a third mirrored sculpture standing farther out and a lone walker passing by in the morning haze.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty – Two polished stainless steel figures stand holding hands in the open playa, their backs and hair breaking apart into long flame-like ribbons of mirrored metal against a clear morning sky.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Build Better Ruins by Alex McLean from Bellingham WA – “Build Better Ruins” is a phrase from the ‘doomster’ author Dougald Hine. Paraphrasing his work: If we find we are living in a time of endings, and the narratives of modernity no longer speak to our future realities, how then would we want to re-imagine our world? What would “better” ruins look like? This bio-punk sculpture, using common street infrastructure widgets, is my effort to answer Hines’ timely provocation.

Dodecahedron in the Dust – A wooden dodecahedron on a plank base with a second wooden structure behind it, barely visible in a deep playa dust storm.

Resonance Tree by Resonance Art Collective from Nevada City CA – The Resonance Tree is a large-scale immersive art installation made entirely of bamboo, designed by the Resonance Studio. It responds to sun, shadow, sound, and movement. Rising seven meters above the playa, the Tree invites people to enter through woven roots, climb through the trunk, rest in canopy nets, and gather beneath a living canopy of shadow and sound. – By day, its canopy filters the desert sun, and by night, the trunk glows from within. Hundreds of solar bamboo lights hung from the branches shift with the wind, casting shadows across the cracked playa.

Morning Ultramarathon on the Playa – Runners spread out along the trash fence.

Solar Array at the Edge of the City – Rows of solar panels sit at 2:00 and K on the outer edge of Black Rock City, powering camps and art without generators.

Maxa Mutant Vehicle

Solar Array and Morning Crowd – A megawatt scale solar field sits at the edge of the city while a crowd gathers around a sound camp on the open playa at sunrise. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Solar Powered Sunrise Party – SOLARPUNKS Array – A crowd gathers around a sound stage next to Black Rock City’s megawatt solar array and battery storage at 2:00 and K, with climbers up on the open steel sphere above the speakers. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Sunrise Set – SOLARPUNKS Solar Array – Rows of solar panels feed the sound stage while a crowd dances in the morning dust and art cars park up to charge. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Robot Heart Sunrise at the Solar Array – A morning crowd dances in front of the Robot Heart bus parked beside the megawatt solar array and battery bank at 2:00 and K. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Robot Heart and the Solar Array – A crowd dances at a Robot Heart set beside the SOLARPUNKS solar field at 2:00 and K, which powered camps and art across the city. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Discow Mutant Vehicle

Solar Powered Sunrise Set – SOLARPUNKS Array – A morning crowd dances at the Robot Heart bus next to the solar panel field and battery containers that powered the set. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Morning Party at SolarPunks – Bikes and small art carts pile up around the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station while people gather on a pink carpeted platform.

Morning Party at the Solar Array – A crowd dances beside the SOLARPUNKS solar field at 2:00 and K while art cars and bikes park up to charge off the microgrid. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Robot Heart Mutant Vehicle – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Solar Power Cable Across the Playa – A heavy feeder cable runs across the dust from the solar microgrid at 2:00 and K to the camps and vehicles it is powering.

Solar Microgrid Output Panel – SOLARPUNKS – Color coded power connectors plug into the distribution panel feeding theme camps and art from the camp’s battery and solar array.

Morning DJ Set at Robot Heart – Dancers and DJs crowd the top deck as bubbles drift past during a sunrise party at the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station. – Video of OMRI’s solar-powered sunrise set at Robot Heart that morning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCFxonAcN9I

Morning Portrait at Robot Heart – Two friends pose cheek to cheek in the early light at the Robot Heart party held at the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station.

Lovely Burner – Great to see you again!

Lovely Burner – Great to see you again!

Lovely Burner – A morning portrait at the Robot Heart party at the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station.

Morning Portrait at Robot Heart – Three friends in dusty scarves and leather pose together after a long night of dancing.

Morning Portrait at Robot Heart – Two friends in dusty playa layers and head wraps pose together at the sunrise party.

Joie de Vivre Sign at Robot Heart – A smiling dancer in a leopard print bucket hat holds up a lit Joie de Vivre sign at the morning party.

Robot Heart Charging Cables at SolarPunks – Dusty coiled power cables hang on a sticker covered vehicle at the SolarPunks solar array where mutant vehicles plug in to charge.

Morning DJ Set at Robot Heart – DJs and dancers pack the truss stage at the Robot Heart party held at the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station.

Sunflower Hats on the Open Playa – Two friends in matching floral jackets sit out on the open playa with their backpacks and boots, taking a picture of the mountains.

Morning DJ Set at Robot Heart – A crowd packs the deck around the DJ as the sun comes up at the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station.

Robot Heart Morning

Burners Atop Mutant Vehicle

Sunrise Dance at Robot Heart – Dancers climb the wire heart above the DJ booth while the crowd keeps going at the morning party.

Sunrise DJ Set at Robot Heart At SolarPunks – Dancers in fur coats crowd the truss stage behind the DJ as the morning set runs on at the SolarPunks solar array.

Sunrise DJ Set at Robot Heart At SolarPunks – A DJ works the decks on a steel truss stage while a bundled up crowd dances at the SolarPunks solar array and mutant vehicle charging station.

Solar Array and Sunrise Crowd – The SOLARPUNKS megawatt solar field sits at the edge of camp while a sunrise crowd and a ring of mutant vehicles gather on the open playa.

Sunrise Set at the Solar Array – A crowd gathers around sound camps and art cars next to the rows of solar panels at 2:00 and K that powered the party.

Sunrise Crowd at the Solar Array – Dancers gather around the sound camp and mutant vehicles next to the SOLARPUNKS solar panel field at 2:00 and K, which powered the party and charged e-bikes and art cars.

Maxa Mutant Vehicle Sunrise Deep Playa

Maxa Mutant Vehicle Sunrise Deep Playa

Eleonore Mutant Vehicle

Portrait in a Gold Braided Jacket – A burner in a wide brim hat with welding goggles, green sunglasses and a heavily embroidered jacket at first light in deep playa.

Pink Fur at Sunrise – A deep playa morning portrait in a bright pink fur coat and gold hoop earrings.

Three Friends at Dawn Light – Three friends lean in together for a portrait in the early morning light out in deep playa.

Two Burners at Sunrise – A pair of friends pose cheek to cheek in the early morning light out in deep playa.

Black and White Playa Portrait – A burner in checkered sunglasses, beaded earrings and a gold grill smiles into the early morning light.

Helmets and LED Bodysuits at Sunrise – Two burners in mirrored visors, fur coats and light-up outfits pose together in a morning crowd on the playa.

Morning Portrait in a Floral Shirt – A burner in gold wire glasses, silver chains and a red and blue floral shirt looks off into the early light in deep playa.

Sunrise Set on the Deck – A DJ works the deck of Maxa in deep playa while the crowd around him cheers and films at sunrise.

Maxa Mutant Vehicle

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

The Sound of Time by Adrian Landon from Reno NV – The Sound of Time will be a large mechanical clocktower that will tell several different time scales, with gears of various sizes turning at various speeds. The moving mechanics will also be playing sounds, notes, bells, keys, gongs and more.

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

Mangrovito by Frances Schwiep and Pablo Gonzalez from Mexico City Mexico – An interactive sculpture that lets you experience how the energy of love and human consciousness are deeply intertwined with nature through one of the world’s most environmentally important and diverse ecosystems, the mangrove forest. The tree’s roots come to life, illuminated by hidden LEDs that trace the textures and forms of the roots, branches, and leaves. A 20-minute sound composition is synchronized with the light, unfolding as a subtle, harmonious narrative within the sculpture. At the center, two human forms, intertwined with the roots, symbolize the inseparable bond between humanity and nature.

REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

QUEEN: Quantum Universal Epic Era Now! by Sophi Kravitz and Ollie Tanner from Kingston NY – QUEEN is a sculpture of a reclining woman in midlife. A pinwheel emerges from her head, its blades carrying phrases: I am 50 plus, I’m in my Power, I am Invisible, I give no Effs, I am Wise, I am Aging, Freedom from the Gaze, I am Becoming, I am You. QUEEN confronts the cultural erasure of aging women, rendered invisible right when they become most powerful. The sculpture’s name transforms it all into power: Quantum Universal Epic Era Now!

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

Beetle by Barry Crawford from Silver Springs NV – Beetle is a giant mechanical hercules beetle with opening wing covers and other moving parts.

Penny the Goose by Mr and Mrs Ferguson from Alameda CA – An exalted, shining, copper goose that seen from distance will draw observers to discover that this goose’s feathers are made up from layered penny coins from Canada and the United States. This is the return of a much loved art installation from 2015 that is completely rebuilt with the concrete skin method we use with our penny bears. The penny feather pattern will give tribute to the better relationship Canada and the United States have long known. This is a return of a much loved art installation from 2015 but completely rebuilt with concrete as we have had with our penny bears.

Buho by Nicholas Palmer from South Lake Tahoe CA – Buho is a mixed metal, 8 foot tall owl created out of a used, deconstructed trailer axle. Effectively, its head and body can rotate a full 360 degrees in either direction, mimicking an owl in the wild. The feet are made of rebar, connected to old flywheels and brake rotors, which gives stability and support to the piece. Body and head are comprised of copper and steel with the eyes being from old bike gear and dyed acrylic. Owls represent wisdom and inner knowing in ancient cultures. Buho, with its ever spinning gaze, encourages us to use our intuition to bring light to some situation in our lives that may need guidance.

Moroccan ParTea by Hind Baghdadi from Kenitra Marrakech – My installation art is to honor my fellow Moroccans and Moroccan hospitality; to honor their generosity and their beautiful hearts. A Moroccan citizen welcomes everyone with open arms and open hearts no matter their age, gender, religion, race, color – none of that matters, a mint tea is always offered from the heart and with pure love.

Fireworks Over the Open Playa – Two rockets go up over the open playa while people watch from their lit up bikes.

Fireworks Launch on the Open Playa – A small crowd with lit bikes stops to watch fireworks shoot up from a truck parked out on the open playa.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Apotheneum by Anthony Fieldman and Mark Slee from New York NY – Apotheneum (place of divine elevation) is a visual, sonic, and haptic instrument intended to “transport” visitors through participatory immersion. Comprised of two nested chambers made of back-to-back LED nets, Apotheneum presents multiple canvases and an immersive sound system for collaborating visual and sound artists. Apotheneum’s cubic antechamber envelops a cylindrical “inner sanctum” that opens to the sky. Within this chamber, a pressure-sensing “bed” offers multiple vantage points for the three primary senses to be engaged. – Intended as a “slow” space, the light and sound art that Apotheneum will feature are designed to encourage pause and contemplation.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Headwaters by MSALIGNED CREATIVE LTD. from Wellington New Zealand and Denver Colorado – Headwaters is inspired by the spiritual symbolism of Mount Kailash, long regarded as the Axis Mundi. The installation draws from this idea of a central source, with gradually rising bamboo poles creating a landscape of ascension and carving out a journey defined by detours, uncertainty, and gradual revelation. The work explores themes of origin, convergence, and inner alignment, offering a space for reflection, manifestation, and meeting oneself in a moment of stillness.

Aztec Dancer at the Temple Blessing – Earth Guardians – A dancer in a full feather headdress circles a burning fire bowl while drummers and a seated crowd watch in the blowing dust.

Aztec Dancer at the Temple Blessing – Earth Guardians – A dancer in a full feather headdress circles a fire bowl as drummers and a seated crowd look on during the blessing of the Temple.

Aztec Dancer at the Temple Blessing – Earth Guardians – A dancer in a full feather headdress and embroidered regalia moves past the fire bowl during the blessing ceremony at dusk.

Aztec Dancers Bless the Temple – Earth Guardians – Dancers in full feather headdresses circle a fire bowl at dusk while drummers play and a seated crowd watches the blessing in deep playa.

Hands Raised at the Temple Blessing – Earth Guardians – The circle raises their hands at dusk as the blessing ceremony closes out in deep playa.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Let There Be Light by Omri Sasi Liraz Uliel Eran Klein and Sarel Botavia Nova Heaven from Tel Aviv Israel – In 2026, NovaHeaven evolves into a living experience of light, form, and spiritual elevation. This year’s structure is composed of 24 triangles surrounding a central hexagonal platform – 18 smaller triangles carrying the layer of remembrance, and 6 large sanctuaries inviting gathering, presence, and deep human connection. Together, these elements create an immersive field that invites us to pause, dwell, feel, and turn inward. – Light – the energy that reveals, illuminates, and brings the path to life. – Connection – the force that holds community, hearts, and souls within a shared field of presence. – Elevation – the choice to lift our gaze, our energy, and our spirit upward.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Above the Noise by Jason Olsen from Salt Lake City UT – A monumental 13-foot-tall piano bench rises unexpectedly from the open playa, supporting a functioning full size grand piano high above the desert floor. Familiar in form yet impossible in scale, the installation transforms an ordinary object into something surreal, evoking wonder, vulnerability, and perspective. By day, it appears stark against the vastness of Black Rock Desert; by night, LED lighting outlines the structure and softly illuminates the piano above. The work reflects on elevation, both physical and emotional, and the role music plays in grounding, connection, reflection, and shared human experience.

Jason Blanda out at his piece in deep playa at sunset. It is called BYTE – BYTE: Chip and Terra by Jason Blanda and Andrew Lazorchak from Kinnelon NJ – Chip and Terra are big cuddle bugs with bulbous mirrored eyeballs that emit dancing beams of light at night. Chip’s underbelly gives life to a hanging wisteria garden where adventurous humans may find hidden gifts hanging among the flowered vines or wedged in the graffitied rafters, alongside beautiful messages of appreciation and art from past BRC citizens. You may even find a serene chill space with a giant hammock and big fluffy pillows for some “me” time! Terra piggybacks Chip creating another snuggly hideout, enveloped in fur, for escaping the harsh elements and meeting new fuzzy friends.

BYTE: Chip and Terra by Jason Blanda and Andrew Lazorchak from Kinnelon NJ – Chip and Terra are big cuddle bugs with bulbous mirrored eyeballs that emit dancing beams of light at night. Chip’s underbelly gives life to a hanging wisteria garden where adventurous humans may find hidden gifts hanging among the flowered vines or wedged in the graffitied rafters, alongside beautiful messages of appreciation and art from past BRC citizens. You may even find a serene chill space with a giant hammock and big fluffy pillows for some “me” time! Terra piggybacks Chip creating another snuggly hideout, enveloped in fur, for escaping the harsh elements and meeting new fuzzy friends.

Michael Benisty Portrait at Sunset – Great to see you as always Michael!

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Steve Benisty Portrait at Sunset – Great to see you as always Steve!

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

The Golden Rule by Asher Amar from Los Angeles CA – A monumental illuminated sculpture spanning approximately 120 feet in length and 27 feet in height across the open playa. The installation spells the Hebrew phrase “ואהבת לרעך כמוך”, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Constructed from steel and elevated on slender supports, the letters appear to float above the desert horizon. By day the structure reflects sunlight with a shimmering golden presence; by night integrated lighting transforms the words into a radiant beacon, expressing a timeless principle of empathy, reciprocity, and shared humanity.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Fire Gnome by Fire Gnome Collective from Northampton MA Emeryville CA Los Angeles CA and Seattle WA – The Fire Gnome Collective is thrilled to bring this 30-foot timber and steel installation to Black Rock City. We are ready to build a space for the community to play and explore on the playa. We can’t wait to share the Fire Gnome’s communal burn and the secrets revealed!

Camps Against the Black Rock Range – An aerial look across rows of RVs, trucks and shade structures at the city’s playa edge with the mountains behind.

Camps and Razorback Mountain Above – RVs, shade structures and a white pyramid tent fill the camping rows while bikes roll down the dusty street toward open playa.

Dust Drifting Past The Camps – A wall of dust rolls along the mountains behind rows of RVs, shade structures and a wooden shade camp full of bikes.

The Golden Calf Mutant Vehicle

epod by Michael Christian Dallas Swindle and Auriah Jade from Bay Area CA – A monument to collective motion, EPOD is a rotating steel landscape powered by the most renewable energy source on Earth: people who refuse to sit still. It turns restlessness into art. Capacity: 80 humans. Runtime: indefinite.

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

Favela Culture Mutant Vehicle – The skull art car of Camp Favela, a camp of Brazilian burners that brings many first-time burners to the playa and guides them to respect the 10 Principles. – Thank you to Shane S for the caption update.

Phantasmagoria Camp

Fake Jungle – Kaleidoscope Collective – The camp built its whole frontage out of artificial palms and banana leaves since live plants are not allowed on the playa.

Fake Plants Everywhere – Kaleidoscope Collective – The camp built its shade out of camo netting, white fabric and artificial vines and flowers, since live plants are not allowed on playa.

Fake Plants Everywhere – Kaleidoscope Collective – The camp built its walls and garden entirely from artificial ivy and silk flowers since live plants are not allowed on playa.

Kaleidoscope Collective Camp Sign – The camp went all in on fake plants, since real plants are not allowed on the playa.

Playa Pool Table – A camp built an oversized pool table on the open dust using red painted beams and tires for pockets.

Building the Camp Tower – A crew bolts plywood decks onto a yellow steel frame and passes ratchet straps up to the top while the rest of camp watches from the ground.

Woman in Pink Tulle – A burner in a pink flower headpiece and layers of pink tulle smiles for a portrait in late afternoon light.

Preparing the Flame at El Diabla by Iron Monkeys from Seattle WA and Reno NV – On the first Monday of the event, Crimson Rose extracts a flame from the sun to light a fire in El Diabla, a special cauldron located in Center Camp. For the flame to continue burning it must be stoked, disturbed, and kept alive throughout the entire week. We encourage all those that encounter El Diabla to help keep this flame alive.

Acrobat on the Wheel – Vitruvian – A performer stretches out inside a big steel spinning wheel while onlookers watch from the shade of the camp.

The V Spot Volunteer Resource Team – Burners stop by the volunteer kiosk to sign up for shifts, with the sign up board and multilingual signs out front.

Joyism Mutant Vehicle

Salsa Class Under the Shade Sails – A crowd of dancers raise their arms together during an afternoon salsa lesson beneath a flame painted canopy.

Salsa Lesson at the Octo Bar – An instructor with a headset mic leads a crowd through salsa steps under a flame-painted shade dome with a disco ball hanging from the peak.

Salsa on the Playa Sign – A chalkboard sign outside a camp announces a salsa dance lesson at 4:30, no experience or partner required.

Happy Couple at Atlantis Camp – Two burners lean in together for a portrait on the carpets and cushions in the shade at camp.

Afternoon Drinks at Atlantis Camp – Two burners lounge on cushions with drinks in the shade of the camp’s draped tent.

DJ Set at Atlantis Camp – A shirtless DJ in headphones throws his arms up behind the decks at a daytime camp party.

Afternoon Dance Party – Atlantis Camp – Burners pack the shade tent for an afternoon dance party, drinks in hand.

Atlantis Camp Sign – A painted plywood sign with a cut-out sunken city skyline leans against a shipping container at the camp.

Afternoon Music at the Jelly Stage – A camp band plays to a few dancers on a plywood dance floor between the RVs.

Inflatable Muse Camp Tent – A cyclist rides past a white inflatable tent with plywood letters spelling MUSE leaning against it.

Years of Vehicle Passes – A dusty windshield still carries a stack of Black Rock City vehicle passes from past years, including a blue cat.

Mural Trailer Work Station – A painted 40 foot semi trailer parked on the playa with ladders, tool tables and supply totes lined up along its side during setup.

Arriving on the Burner Express – Passengers load luggage onto a shuttle bus at the edge of the city.

Arriving on the Burner Express – Passengers pull their luggage off the shuttle bus and step out into the dust.

Arriving on the Burner Express – Passengers load their packs onto the dusty shuttle bus at the edge of camp.

Burner Express Shuttle Arrives – The shuttle bus pulls in through the dust as people unload gear and bikes roll past.

Happiness and Joy Tour Massage Camp at 4:30 and C. – For the first time in all my years shooting on the playa, I took a break here. Since my first burn in 2012, every moment out there had been spent making photographs, or in meetings, or surviving, or eating. My friend Jane had just told me to chill out a little. Then I walked past this camp, saw people getting massages, and stopped. – While I was waiting my turn, an actual physician who was also waiting overheard me complaining about a knot in my shoulder, and I ended up getting two massages in about 40 minutes. The knot had gotten bad enough that it was stopping me from working properly, which is the funny part, because that is exactly how I justified the break to myself. – Thank you to the people who run this camp. Thank you for the shade, the table, the hands, and the patience. You gave me something I had not given myself since 2012, and I am still grateful for it. The Happiness and Joy Tour says the message is massage, and they mean it. – I would have made better photographs here, but people were undressed for their massages and it would not have been right to point a camera at them. So this is the banners, and the rest stays where it happened.

Umbrella Portrait at Spin Your ASS! Fun With Angular Momentum! by Craig Weltha from Ames Iowa and New York New York – Experience speed without distance through revolutionary angular momentum. At the center of the merry-go-round, stand straight and tall and feel your shifting weight translate into revolutionary motion. Become the axis and have a look around! Eyes on the horizon, and remember to BREATHE!

Cool Photographer

Mark Day Wrangling People

SkyDeck at Ebb and Glow – A theme camp built from shipping containers with a shaded upper deck, painted panels, and big letters spelling out the camp name in the sand.

Camp Shade Tents at 4:30 and A – White stretch tents shelter a camp kitchen, couches and dining tables while dust blows past the RVs behind.

Dust Devil Behind Esplanade – Cyclists stop along Esplanade as a thin dust devil lifts off the open playa behind them.

Hey Do You Want A Pickle

Wall-E Mutant Vehicle

Wall-E Mutant Vehicle

Dust at Playa Info – A pink art car kicks up dust rolling past the Playa Info, Oracle and Lost and Found booths while people sort out bikes and questions.

Playa Info and Volunteer Resource Team – Burners stop by the Playa Info, Lost and Found and Volunteer sign-up counters while bikes and an art car pass through the dust out front.

Placement 2026 – Bikes pile up outside the Placement office while camp leads wait their turn at the counter.

The Golden Calf Mutant Vehicle

Mobility Camp Tractor Shuttle – A Ford tractor tows a shaded trailer of riders past Mobility Camp, with a banner reading Radical Inclusion by Radical Accessibility.

As Above So Within by Mahshid Moghadasi and Aysan Jafarzadeh in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team from San Francisco CA – As Above, So Within draws inspiration from Attar’s 12th-century Persian poem The Conference of the Birds, in which the birds journey in search of the Simurgh, a mythical Persian bird, only to discover that what they sought was already manifest within themselves. The Mandelbulb was chosen as a fractal form that repeats across scales, suggesting that the same underlying order appears in the cosmos, nature and the self. Through recursive geometry and shifting light, the sculpture evokes a contemplative atmosphere resonant with Persian architecture, where repetition and illumination draw the mind inward. As Above, So Within proposes that the meaning we seek in the universe may also be found within ourselves.

As Above So Within by Mahshid Moghadasi and Aysan Jafarzadeh in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team from San Francisco CA – As Above, So Within draws inspiration from Attar’s 12th-century Persian poem The Conference of the Birds, in which the birds journey in search of the Simurgh, a mythical Persian bird, only to discover that what they sought was already manifest within themselves. The Mandelbulb was chosen as a fractal form that repeats across scales, suggesting that the same underlying order appears in the cosmos, nature and the self. Through recursive geometry and shifting light, the sculpture evokes a contemplative atmosphere resonant with Persian architecture, where repetition and illumination draw the mind inward. As Above, So Within proposes that the meaning we seek in the universe may also be found within ourselves.

Iguana-na by Julia Alora from Portland OR – A larger than life lounging lizard jam packed with musical elements. Remniscent of childhood toys, this iguana brings out the inner child in burners of all ages.

Buho by Nicholas Palmer from South Lake Tahoe CA – Buho is a mixed metal, 8 foot tall owl created out of a used, deconstructed trailer axle. Effectively, its head and body can rotate a full 360 degrees in either direction, mimicking an owl in the wild. The feet are made of rebar, connected to old flywheels and brake rotors, which gives stability and support to the piece. Body and head are comprised of copper and steel with the eyes being from old bike gear and dyed acrylic. Owls represent wisdom and inner knowing in ancient cultures. Buho, with its ever spinning gaze, encourages us to use our intuition to bring light to some situation in our lives that may need guidance.

Buho by Nicholas Palmer from South Lake Tahoe CA – Buho is a mixed metal, 8 foot tall owl created out of a used, deconstructed trailer axle. Effectively, its head and body can rotate a full 360 degrees in either direction, mimicking an owl in the wild. The feet are made of rebar, connected to old flywheels and brake rotors, which gives stability and support to the piece. Body and head are comprised of copper and steel with the eyes being from old bike gear and dyed acrylic. Owls represent wisdom and inner knowing in ancient cultures. Buho, with its ever spinning gaze, encourages us to use our intuition to bring light to some situation in our lives that may need guidance.

Buho by Nicholas Palmer from South Lake Tahoe CA – Buho is a mixed metal, 8 foot tall owl created out of a used, deconstructed trailer axle. Effectively, its head and body can rotate a full 360 degrees in either direction, mimicking an owl in the wild. The feet are made of rebar, connected to old flywheels and brake rotors, which gives stability and support to the piece. Body and head are comprised of copper and steel with the eyes being from old bike gear and dyed acrylic. Owls represent wisdom and inner knowing in ancient cultures. Buho, with its ever spinning gaze, encourages us to use our intuition to bring light to some situation in our lives that may need guidance.

As Above So Within by Mahshid Moghadasi and Aysan Jafarzadeh in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team from San Francisco CA – As Above, So Within draws inspiration from Attar’s 12th-century Persian poem The Conference of the Birds, in which the birds journey in search of the Simurgh, a mythical Persian bird, only to discover that what they sought was already manifest within themselves. The Mandelbulb was chosen as a fractal form that repeats across scales, suggesting that the same underlying order appears in the cosmos, nature and the self. Through recursive geometry and shifting light, the sculpture evokes a contemplative atmosphere resonant with Persian architecture, where repetition and illumination draw the mind inward. As Above, So Within proposes that the meaning we seek in the universe may also be found within ourselves.

The Division by Ross Asselstine from San Anselmo CA – In his poem, Mending the Wall, Robert Frost wrote the lines: “There where it is, we do not need the wall. He only says: ‘Good fences make good neighbors.'”

Parachute Shade Lounge – A camp lounge deck piled with mattresses and cushions sits in the morning sun with bikes parked out front.

Titty Twister Sign – Very Inappropriate People – A painted game board with a red button sits beside a FREE BIKES sign at the camp.

Ring Toss Game – Very Inappropriate People – A hand painted carnival style toss board set up beside a semi trailer, with rings hanging on a few of the pegs.

VIP – Very Inappropriate People – The camp entrance sign spells out what VIP really stands for here.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Honey by Elizabeth Laul Healey and Duffy Healey from Wilson NC and Escondido CA – Honey, is a Positivity Watchdog, spreading good energy, warmth, and joy wherever she goes. The watch on her collar is set to 11:11 because she is all about celebrating oneness, and making wishes come true. The circular motifs on her body represent our journey within the circles of life, and each piece is chosen to reflect the beauty of the world around us. The circles are designed with gemstones, geodes and various rocks representing mother nature’s gifts from the past, today and future. Thousands of hand cut, gold-colored mirrors are strategically applied which create a beautiful light that constantly shifts in color and reflections throughout the day. So let’s embrace positivity and manifest good things together!

Plywood Bleachers on the Open Playa – A tiny four row grandstand topped with a painted flaming face, with a green cruiser bike parked against it.

DPW 4:20 Spire Final Form

Phantasmagoria Camp

CosmicKorQ by Bolston Andrew Jones from San Francisco CA – The CosmicKorQ transcends mere wood and bolts; it represents that fleeting second when a participant leaves the ground and gravity ceases to matter. Built with a deliberate cosmic glow, the installation serves as a defiance of the limits that hold an individual back. It embodies the grit required to fall and the resilient spirit necessary to rise again. Whether someone is a skater or a participant, the ramp offers a space where physical boundaries blur. Every shred breaks the status quo, transforming a simple movement into a personal victory. Within this wooden arena, the participant does not merely move; they transcend. The piece stands as a testament to human persistence, proving that the act of rising is just as vital as the ride itself.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Standing on the Death Wagon – A camper in a green wig strikes a pose on the roof of a painted station wagon next to his trailer and couch.

Spose Camp Sign at Morning – A corrugated camp sign sits in the sand outside a pink and yellow stretch tent early in the day.

DIY Repair 24-7 – A camp set up a red shade structure with a pegboard of loaner tools for anyone who needs to fix a bike or gear.

Mighty Misfits Dome – 2:30 and Delphi – A yellow geodesic dome goes up on the corner during build week as a cyclist rolls past.

Pilon Camp Sign – A carved plywood sign hangs from the frame of a red draped shade structure in morning light.

Small Man

Truck Camper – A sticker covered RossMonster truck camper sits parked beside an Airstream and a shade tent in the morning light.

Flag Waving Above Don’t Panic – A camper in a green dinosaur onesie waves a big flame-colored flag from the top deck of a camp structure while someone else works on the lights below.

Morning Banners and a Trampoline – Campers wave long fish banners from a platform on a military truck while someone bounces on a trampoline below.

Dichroic Scales in Morning Sun – Rows of overlapping oval dichroic panels shift from blue to magenta in the early light.

Plug and Play Tents at 2:30 and F – Rows of matching insulated tents and rental trailers line a camp still waking up in the early morning sun.

No jokes allowed! by Dank Trilliams from Austin NV – Requiem for a joke…Deep thinkers go to deep playa…to think deep! ABSOLUTELY NO JOKES ALLOWED!!! RIP Steve.

Chiton Chapel by D’Milo Hallerberg from Santa Rosa CA – A unique gathering place for any and all persons to perform or participate in celebrations affirming commitment. It is a 27 foot tall steel frame structure covered in white nylon. It takes its inspiration from the tide pool mollusk of the same name.

The Front Porch Mutant Vehicle by Zac Carroll

Solar Array at 2:00 and K – The SOLARPUNKS collective built Black Rock City’s first megawatt-scale solar array and battery storage system at the edge of the city, replacing fossil fuel generators for theme camps and art installations.

Solar Array at the City Edge – The SOLARPUNKS megawatt-scale solar field and battery storage sit at the outer edge of the city at 2:00 and K, powering theme camps and art instead of fuel generators.

Solar Array at 2:00 and K – The SOLARPUNKS megawatt-scale solar field and battery storage sit on the open ground beside the camps, replacing fossil-fuel generators for the city.

Small Device Charging – Solarpunks – A plywood charging station with USB cables and a power strip, part of the solar microgrid at 2:00 and K.

Abundance Is The Alternative Banner – A stitched fabric banner showing suns, solar panels and masked figures hangs on a plywood wall at camp.

Charging Cable Check-Out – SOLARPUNKS – The solar collective’s shaded charging station at 2:00 and K gave burners free power for devices and e-bikes off a megawatt-scale playa solar array.

E-Bike Charging – SOLARPUNKS – Charging lockers and bike baskets sit along the wooden rail of the SOLARPUNKS station at 2:00 and K, where the camp gave away solar power to the city.

Welcome to Solar Station – SOLARPUNKS – Rows of solar panels behind a fence at 2:00 and K make up Black Rock City’s first megawatt-scale solar array and battery storage system.

Solar Array Powering the City – Rows of solar panels sit on concrete ballast blocks next to the containers and trailers of the work yard.

Welcome to Solar Station – SOLARPUNKS – A hand-lettered plywood sign explains the solar array and battery storage system behind it, which supplied clean power to camps and art across the city.

Solar Station – Solarpunks – A slatted wood pavilion on the open playa where art cars and batteries get charged from solar panels.

Water Totes and Camp Shower – A camper walks past stacked IBC water tanks and a plywood shower frame between RVs during build week.

RV Row at Morning Light – Trailers, box trucks and a van line a camp street with a dusty bike parked against one of them.

Bird Mural on a Shipping Container – A painted bird in flight covers the side of a container next to a camp ops whiteboard and a couple of folding chairs.

Christina Queen of the BRC Mutant Vehicle

Center Camp From Above – Early light rakes across the big central tent, the plaza ring road and the camps packed in around it.

Morning Light And Gate Road – Early sun hits the RVs and camps at the edge of the city with the curve of the outer road and the mountains behind.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Septima Stella Lux by Dave Ray and Michael Jacob of Lux Productions from Joshua Tree CA and Sebastopol CA – Septima is a 28 foot diameter structural free standing sphere, comprised of the vertical intersection of four 7 pointed septogram or heptagram stars, constructed of large engineered timbers A solid structural platform at nine feet above the playa will provide space to congregate and explore the structure from within. The perimeter face of each timber will be channeled for programmable LED’s that will illuminate the sculpture at night. – From the sacred to the profane the number 7 has woven itself into the DNA of our species, imbedded in our theology, spirituality, numerology and metaphysical realms: – 7 days of creation 7 Chakras 7 planets The number 7 is integral to Muslim and Jewish mysticism. 7 pitches in the heptatonic scale the 7 deadly sins

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Moroccan ParTea by Hind Baghdadi from Kenitra Marrakech – My installation art is to honor my fellow Moroccans and Moroccan hospitality; to honor their generosity and their beautiful hearts. A Moroccan citizen welcomes everyone with open arms and open hearts no matter their age, gender, religion, race, color – none of that matters, a mint tea is always offered from the heart and with pure love.

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Moroccan ParTea by Hind Baghdadi from Kenitra Marrakech – My installation art is to honor my fellow Moroccans and Moroccan hospitality; to honor their generosity and their beautiful hearts. A Moroccan citizen welcomes everyone with open arms and open hearts no matter their age, gender, religion, race, color – none of that matters, a mint tea is always offered from the heart and with pure love.

Electric Wrecker Mutant Vehicle by Keith Johnson and Merrilee Proffitt

The Golden Mean Mutant Vehicle by Jon Sarriugarte

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

Judgment Island Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

The Lookout Mutant Vehicle by Bunnie Reiss https://www.instagram.com/bunnieluvrocks/

TOWER69 Mutant Vehicle

Mutant Vehicle Name Unknown

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

Navagunjara Reborn: The Phoenix of Odisha by Jnaneshwar Das from Tempe AZ – Navagunjara Reborn: The Phoenix of Odisha is an 18-foot sculptural installation that fuses two mythical archetypes from distant traditions – Odisha’s nine-animal Navagunjara, an avatar of Vishnu in which truth is multifaceted, and the Phoenix, the universal emblem of rebirth through fire. Nine creatures rise from a single base into one vertical Axis Mundi: a dragon-headed, scale-armored body whose seams between animals remain visible as structure. Each section is rendered with heritage crafts such as Dhokra lost-wax casting, Pattachitra painting, Pipli appliqué, on canewood, aluminum, and bronze. Propane flame effects animate the form at night. The sculpture stands as a beacon of resilience, and unity in diversity.

Art Cars Lined Up at the DMV – Mutant vehicles wait in a coned off line for inspection and licensing at the Department of Mutant Vehicles on the open playa.

Mutant Vehicles Lined Up at the DMV – Art cars wait in the coned-off lane to be inspected and licensed at the Black Rock City DMV.

Mutant Vehicles at the DMV – Art cars line up in the coned-off lanes at the Black Rock City DMV to get licensed for the playa.

Art Cars Waiting at the DMV – Mutant vehicles line up on the open playa for inspection at the Department of Mutant Vehicles, with the Man and the city behind them.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Kokomotive Alien Abduction Mutant Vehicle

Sick Puppy, Chairman of the Bored and Automan Mutant Vehicles

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Chairman of the Bored Mutant Vehicles

Chairman of the Bored Mutant Vehicle

Chairman of the Bored Mutant Vehicles

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Danee Points Back in the Dust – Danee is a great photographer you can follow him here: https://www.instagram.com/danee_hazama_photography/

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Aunisoma by Dave Clay from Seattle WA – Our perception of reality is colored not only by our own emotions but through others and by the external world. How we understand something at one moment may not be the same in the next moment. We all live together in a multi-colored world that is often out of our control. This piece aims to embrace all that beautiful chaos of all these beautiful people into something to be celebrated, allowing ourselves to be curious, explore, and adapt to the ever-changing internal and external realities.

Beetle by Barry Crawford from Silver Springs NV – Beetle is a giant mechanical hercules beetle with opening wing covers and other moving parts.

Lamplighters at Burning Man 2026 Man Base – Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Towing a Homemade Rig – Two riders haul a welded steel cart with a flag strung between their bikes across the open playa.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Loading Out in the Dust – A crew wrestles a water tank, rolls of orange fencing and lumber onto a flatbed trailer as dust blows across the open playa.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

The Race of Hearts by Ali Argus Ardie and Nina B. Paul PhD from Deeth NV and San Francisco CA – Your heart is racing, your head is spinning. The Race of Hearts presents a physical interpretation of falling in love and the swirl of emotions it brings. Part steampunk automaton, part 1930s amusement ride, this heart-themed merry-go-round was conceived from Playa love and as a love letter to the Playa. BRC citizens ride the spinning sculpture on heart-shaped bicycle seats and arms engraved with emotion words. At its center, an armored heart opens to reveal two cartoon-style hearts dancing together. The armored shell symbolizes self-protection, while the dancing hearts represent acceptance, trust, and safety. On solar panels heart frames, BRC citizens write their Playa love names. The entire structure resembles an ace of hearts from above.

The Race of Hearts by Ali Argus Ardie and Nina B. Paul PhD from Deeth NV and San Francisco CA – Your heart is racing, your head is spinning. The Race of Hearts presents a physical interpretation of falling in love and the swirl of emotions it brings. Part steampunk automaton, part 1930s amusement ride, this heart-themed merry-go-round was conceived from Playa love and as a love letter to the Playa. BRC citizens ride the spinning sculpture on heart-shaped bicycle seats and arms engraved with emotion words. At its center, an armored heart opens to reveal two cartoon-style hearts dancing together. The armored shell symbolizes self-protection, while the dancing hearts represent acceptance, trust, and safety. On solar panels heart frames, BRC citizens write their Playa love names. The entire structure resembles an ace of hearts from above.

Axolotl Mutant Vehicle

The Race of Hearts by Ali Argus Ardie and Nina B. Paul PhD from Deeth NV and San Francisco CA – Your heart is racing, your head is spinning. The Race of Hearts presents a physical interpretation of falling in love and the swirl of emotions it brings. Part steampunk automaton, part 1930s amusement ride, this heart-themed merry-go-round was conceived from Playa love and as a love letter to the Playa. BRC citizens ride the spinning sculpture on heart-shaped bicycle seats and arms engraved with emotion words. At its center, an armored heart opens to reveal two cartoon-style hearts dancing together. The armored shell symbolizes self-protection, while the dancing hearts represent acceptance, trust, and safety. On solar panels heart frames, BRC citizens write their Playa love names. The entire structure resembles an ace of hearts from above.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Red Hot Beverly – The Fire Extinguisher Mutant Vehicle

Dusty City Edge From Above – Blowing dust rolls across rows of RVs, shade structures and camps at the outer edge of the city.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

Only Love Will Remain by Michael Benisty

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC (build week) by Titanics End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Reactor Wing by Assaf Allouche from El Sitio Playa Venao Panama – The Reactor Project brings this futuristic pyramid altar. Play, hide, swing, react and interact with its beautiful geometry.

Canis Minor by OctoEyes from Seattle WA – Canis Minor, the Lesser Dog, the dog that goes before. A shiny dog’s head sparkling day and night. Dedicated to all the small dogs with big personalities who left us too soon. They wait in the sky to guide us onward.

The Sound of Time by Adrian Landon from Reno NV – A crew works from a scissor lift to bolt together the steel gears and arches of the sculpture on open playa. – The Sound of Time will be a large mechanical clocktower that will tell several different time scales, with gears of various sizes turning at various speeds. The moving mechanics will also be playing sounds, notes, bells, keys, gongs and more.

BURNSTREAM POINT LIGHTHOUSE Mutant Vehicle

Petaled Portal by David Oliver from Ventura CA and Gualala CA – Petaled Portal is Portal now petaled. Possible of transformation to that which is here, brought to life through… C.R.E.A.T.I.V.I.T.Y. Capturing Reality Endlessly And Timelessly- Idealized Vitally Into Techniques Yieldable

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Please My Son, He Is Very Sick

Septima Stella Lux by Dave Ray and Michael Jacob of Lux Productions from Joshua Tree CA and Sebastopol CA – Septima is a 28 foot diameter structural free standing sphere, comprised of the vertical intersection of four 7 pointed septogram or heptagram stars, constructed of large engineered timbers A solid structural platform at nine feet above the playa will provide space to congregate and explore the structure from within. The perimeter face of each timber will be channeled for programmable LED’s that will illuminate the sculpture at night. – From the sacred to the profane the number 7 has woven itself into the DNA of our species, imbedded in our theology, spirituality, numerology and metaphysical realms: – 7 days of creation 7 Chakras 7 planets The number 7 is integral to Muslim and Jewish mysticism. 7 pitches in the heptatonic scale the 7 deadly sins

Apollonia Mutant Vehicle

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

The Things You See

Fringe Shade and Dance Blocks – A camp dance floor sits empty in the afternoon, with painted plywood blocks for seats and rag fringe hanging off the truss canopy.

Innovative Dome Shade Structure Hybrid – I have never seen a structure like this before.

Gilded Sofa Set at a Pirate Ship Camp – An antique couch, armchair and side table sit on rugs in the dust in front of a camp built to look like the hull of a wooden ship.

Phantasmagoria Camp

He Built His Own Ride – A shirtless builder steers his homemade motorized chair with a game controller, dragon head and clawed feet mounted on the front.

Homemade Dragon Cart in Camp – A burner shows off the low four wheeled dragon headed cart he built to ride around camp.

His Homemade Dragon Ride – A builder crouches beside the small rideable machine he made, with a metal dragon head mounted on the front.

The Cave Camp – A camp built from cut plywood panels with a hand lettered sign announcing an opening party, as a woman in a patterned dress walks past.

Cloud Signs Over Bike Parking – A camp marks its bike racks with white cloud cutouts painted with a bicycle symbol.

Solar Panels Behind Camp Shade – A row of ground mounted panels charges batteries beside the shade cloth walls and tents of a camp.

Riding the Telehandler Hook – A worker hangs in a harness from the forks of a telehandler next to a big white shrink-wrapped dome during setup.

The Yellow Bike program provides free, shared transportation across Burning Man. Managed by volunteers, hundreds of communal bicycles are scattered around the playa for anyone to use. Despite the name, the bikes are actually painted bright lime green for better desert visibility. Operating under the principle of Gifting, these bikes have no locks and cannot be claimed by individuals. You simply ride one to your destination and leave it unlocked for the next participant.

Share Kindness Plywood Sign – Someone spray painted a message about sharing kindness across the plywood wall of a camp structure.

Heavy Ice Run

Doc Team Meeting Under The Shade – Burning Man photographers and videographers talk shop under a shade structure before heading out to shoot the city.

Doc Team Meeting at the Black Rock Operations Center (BROC) – The Burning Man documentation team gathers in the shade of the container office to go over plans for the week.

Doc Team Meeting at the Black Rock Operations Center (BROC) – A Burning Man Documentation Team photographer runs through the shooting schedule taped up on the plywood wall while the team listens in the shade.

Doc Team Meeting at the Black Rock Operations Center (BROC) – Burning Man photographers and videographers gather on benches in the shade for a team briefing.

Doc Team Stickers and Pins – Trays of Burning Man Documentation Team stickers, patches and pins sit out on a shelf for the team to take.

Doc Team Meeting Briefing – A photographer briefs the seated documentation team beside the assignment schedule taped to the wall.

Doc Team Meeting at the Black Rock Operations Center (BROC) – Burning Man photographers and videographers gather in the shade for a team briefing before heading out to shoot.

Doc Team Assignments Meeting – Two team leads run through the event week photo assignment board for the documentation crew gathered in the shade.

Doc Team Meeting at the Black Rock Operations Center (BROC) – Burning Man’s photographers and videographers gather in the shade beside the shipping containers for a team meeting.

Doc Team Meeting – Burning Man photographers and videographers gather in the shade for a team meeting.

Doc Team Meeting – Burning Man photographers and videographers gather in the shade for a team meeting.

Doc Team Meeting at the Black Rock Operations Center (BROC) – Burning Man photographers and videographers gather under a shade structure beside the Doc Team office container.

Doc Team Ride to the Meeting – Burning Man documentation team photographers ride their e-bikes across camp on the way to a team meeting.

Doc Team Ride to the Meeting – Burning Man photographers and videographers ride their loaded ebikes across the dust to a documentation team meeting.

Doc Team Ride to the Meeting – Burning Man photographers and videographers pedal across camp on their way to a documentation team meeting.

Three Cats at the Door – A taped up laminated poster of three cats peering through the panes of a yellow door, stuck to a green wall.

Black Rock City Census Flyer – A census handout taped to a dumpster lists Census Lab hours and last year’s random sample results for the city’s population.

Taped Note About Doing – A typed passage about giving attention to the action rather than the result, taped up with blue painter’s tape.

Inside Rampart Medical – Empty recliners and a supply table wait in the field hospital tent that treats Black Rock City.

Empty Triage Bay – Rampart – The triage side of the playa medical tent sits empty in the morning, chairs set out and a backboard leaning by the desk.

Triage Tent – Rampart Medical – An empty triage bay inside the field hospital, with a spine board, folding chairs and a computer station waiting for patients.

Parabola Mundi by Charlie the French from Saint Denis France – A metallic tree rises from the desert, its tubular branches tracing perfect parabolic curves toward the heavens, each arc a mathematical prayer, each junction a meeting point between earth and cosmos. At its base, an immense mirror parabola spreads across the ground like a liquid portal, reflecting sky, stars, and every soul that approaches. Burners will adorn it with light reflectors, forming a canopy of light, reflections merging between branches and roots, dissolving the illusion of separation to better reveal a communication between earth and sky. By day, the mirrored surface captures clouds and sun; by night, it holds constellations and firelight.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Parabola Mundi by Charlie the French from Saint Denis France – A metallic tree rises from the desert, its tubular branches tracing perfect parabolic curves toward the heavens, each arc a mathematical prayer, each junction a meeting point between earth and cosmos. At its base, an immense mirror parabola spreads across the ground like a liquid portal, reflecting sky, stars, and every soul that approaches. Burners will adorn it with light reflectors, forming a canopy of light, reflections merging between branches and roots, dissolving the illusion of separation to better reveal a communication between earth and sky. By day, the mirrored surface captures clouds and sun; by night, it holds constellations and firelight.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Parabola Mundi by Charlie the French from Saint Denis France – A metallic tree rises from the desert, its tubular branches tracing perfect parabolic curves toward the heavens, each arc a mathematical prayer, each junction a meeting point between earth and cosmos. At its base, an immense mirror parabola spreads across the ground like a liquid portal, reflecting sky, stars, and every soul that approaches. Burners will adorn it with light reflectors, forming a canopy of light, reflections merging between branches and roots, dissolving the illusion of separation to better reveal a communication between earth and sky. By day, the mirrored surface captures clouds and sun; by night, it holds constellations and firelight.

Only Love Will Remain (build week) by Michael Benisty

BYTE: Chip and Terra by Jason Blanda and Andrew Lazorchak from Kinnelon NJ – Chip and Terra are big cuddle bugs with bulbous mirrored eyeballs that emit dancing beams of light at night. Chip’s underbelly gives life to a hanging wisteria garden where adventurous humans may find hidden gifts hanging among the flowered vines or wedged in the graffitied rafters, alongside beautiful messages of appreciation and art from past BRC citizens. You may even find a serene chill space with a giant hammock and big fluffy pillows for some “me” time! Terra piggybacks Chip creating another snuggly hideout, enveloped in fur, for escaping the harsh elements and meeting new fuzzy friends.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Sunrise Swings on Open Playa – A lone person in a long fur coat stands inside a small wooden pavilion strung with lights, swings hanging from its beams, early light raking across the dust.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Sapta Dvara (The 7th Gate) by Darrell E. Ansted from Boulder CO – Sapta Dvara (The 7th Gate) explores the intersection of light, passage, and transformation. Inspired by the mythic act of walking through light to awaken inner truth, the installation symbolizes courage, renewal, and impermanence. A sequence of aligned gates forms a luminous corridor that shifts from quiet presence by day to radiant color by night. Motion-triggered light flows through the structure, creating a responsive environment animated by human presence.

BREATHE by Sadie Lyn Rhoads – DRAGON from Ogden UT – B R E A T H E is here to support you on your journey where ever you may be in the moment. BREATHE is here for you through out your whole burn. Whether it’s from a distance or when you are next to her.. you will feel the energy she is here to help you shift through the dust through the rain, and THROUGH THE SHINE. Here to remind you to do something very important she is here to remind you BREATHE and connect back with your body. There is more to experience there at her heart so make sure you stop by to say hi to see the messages that are there for you. – From our hearts to yours…. BREATHE

Fractured Light by Andrew Ratliff Emily Ratliff Griffin Ratliff from Empire CO – Fractured Light is an attempt at balance. There are two circles of pillars. The outer circle has eight points, like the eight pointed star revered in most cultures throughout history. Each pillar has designs cut into it so colorful light can come out and create fantastic designs all around. In the center stands a white pillar, representing the culmination of all the shapes and colors, coming together to form white light, or balance.

Fabric Spire Beside a Dome – A stretched fabric tower with a small bell at the top of its mast rises over a camp dome and RVs as the sun comes up.

BRC Pool at First Light – A camp on the open playa still lit up as the sky turns, with a bulb-lit BRC sign, a white peaked tent and a projected sign reading OUR TRUE INTENT IS ALL FOR YOUR DELIGHT.

Maxa and EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM (build week) by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Illumicone by Ross Butler and Coneheads Local 208 from Boise ID – Illumicone is light art driven by participation and interaction. A softly glowing presence draws participants inside, where they encounter strange mechanical widgets. As they play with the widgets, patterns of light move in response, surrounding the participants with a dazzling spectacle of color of their own creation. – Illumicone is 19 feet tall at its center and 38 feet across at its base. Cables descending from the top of the cone carry 4800 individually controlled LEDs. Inside the cone are interactive, mechanical widgets. Participants manipulate the widgets, causing patterns of light to dance across the LEDs. Some widgets drive colored lines and rings, while others create sparkles or showers of color droplets.

REAL LOVE by Alexander Milov from Odessa Ukraine – REAL LOVE is a multimedia project for Burning Man 2026 by acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alexander Milov. The project brings together a monumental sculpture, the final work in a series that began with Milov’s iconic LOVE, unveiled at Burning Man in 2015, a traveling exhibition of miniature sculptures from the same body of work, and a participatory documentary film woven from visitors’ stories, exploring a timeless question: What is real love?

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle – We love you Duane.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

El Pulpo Magnifico Mutant Vehicle – We love you Duane.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Playa Dinner with El Pulpo Magnifico – A build week dinner party set with a chandelier, lanterns and candles while the flaming octopus art car pulls up behind the vans.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Chandelier Dinner on the Playa – A crew shares a build week dinner at folding tables under a chandelier hung from a light stand.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Freedom Dancers by Ashley Bennett-Stoddard from Seaside CA – Freedom Dancers is a circle of seven monumental, tree-like human figures rising approximately 10-13 feet tall from the desert floor. Constructed from steel armatures with textured papercrete surfaces, the sculptures combine the human form with branching limbs and open negative space that allows light and shadow to move through the work. Each figure represents a stage in the transformation of grief into compassion. Arranged in a circle, the dancers create a quiet visual dialogue about resilience, healing, and the shared emotional experiences that connect humanity.

untitled (omphalos) by Robert Wicklund from Marfa TX – Untitled (omphalos) is a sculptural installation composed of eleven burned firewood towers and two viewing platforms made from sanded, charred wood. Rising from the open playa, the work imagines the omphalos, the mythic center of the universe, as a place of threshold and convergence. The blackened towers form a gathering point between opposing forces: life and death, striving and surrender, doing and being. By day, the installation casts long shadows across the desert floor; by night, it glows from within and around its edges, creating a quiet field of light. Visitors may move among the towers, climb the platforms, touch the wood, and inhabit the charged space between endings and beginnings.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

Mark Day on the Playa – Filmmaker Mark Day, known in the Burning Man community for the 24 Hours at Burning Man films, out on the open playa before the gates open. Watch his great films here: https://www.youtube.com/markdaycomedy

Mark Day at TITANIC – Filmmaker Mark Day, known for his 24 Hours at Burning Man films, stands in front of the sinking ship sculpture during build week. Watch his great films here: https://www.youtube.com/markdaycomedy

Justin Kan and Mark Day Shooting Video at the TITANIC Build – Two builders talk on the open playa while one records with a handheld gimbal camera, the half built ship standing in the haze behind them.

Justin Kan and Mark Day Shooting Video at the TITANIC Build – Wearing a Titanic’s End cap and a lav mic, he takes a break as the crew works on the sinking ship sculpture behind him.

Mark Day Filming on the Playa – Filmmaker Mark Day, known for his 24 Hours at Burning Man documentaries, talks and shoots with a pocket gimbal camera in the late afternoon light during build week. Watch his great films here: https://www.youtube.com/markdaycomedy

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

StreetLight by Woj in collaboration with Glass House Arts from Escondido CA – It’s an ordinary streetlight.

holding it down by Stephan DuVal from Edmonton Canada – August 23, 20205 Burning Man a wind storm tears through a perfectly set up camp, in a perfectly set up city. Fifteen minutes of panic, fear and resilience as shelter, art and equipment were taken by a fierce and unyielding wind. Holding it down is this moment in time- frozen- where we stood firm against a force of nature. Standing solid on shaking ground, in a hard minute, a hard year, a small fraction of a wonderful shared life.

school by peter markel from Santa Cruz CA – A school of over 450 green transparent fish contructed of recycled 2 liter soda bottles swimming in three 15 foot repurposed trampoline hoops. Individual movements build a constantly changing whole, illustrating the importance as us individually as we strengthen our community.

school by peter markel from Santa Cruz CA – A school of over 450 green transparent fish contructed of recycled 2 liter soda bottles swimming in three 15 foot repurposed trampoline hoops. Individual movements build a constantly changing whole, illustrating the importance as us individually as we strengthen our community.

Rampart Crew Answer My Dumb Question – Two volunteers or staff answer my dumb medical question and they said yes go to Rampart.

Thumbs Up in the Dust – A tattooed burner in a blue floral shirt sticks out his tongue and gives a thumbs up on the open playa.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Mona Moon by Miao He Ricardo Solar and Bowei Wang from Berkeley CA and Chengdu China – Mona Moon explores emotional softness within extreme environments. The art piece is inspired in part by the ancient Chinese romantic yet tragic story of Chang’e and the Jade Bunny: Chang’e and her lover are separated when she is forced to drink an elixir of immortality and ascends to the moon. Only once a year the two lovers are able to see each other. In Chinese culture, when two lovers or family members are far away from each other, they will often look at the moon together in longing, and hopeful emotional connectedness. The purple Mona Bunny represents companionship, sensitivity, and the need for warmth and connection during moments of longing. The Mona Moon Marriage March will invite you to vow or renew your vows with your soulmate.

Mona Moon by Miao He Ricardo Solar and Bowei Wang from Berkeley CA and Chengdu China – Mona Moon explores emotional softness within extreme environments. The art piece is inspired in part by the ancient Chinese romantic yet tragic story of Chang’e and the Jade Bunny: Chang’e and her lover are separated when she is forced to drink an elixir of immortality and ascends to the moon. Only once a year the two lovers are able to see each other. In Chinese culture, when two lovers or family members are far away from each other, they will often look at the moon together in longing, and hopeful emotional connectedness. The purple Mona Bunny represents companionship, sensitivity, and the need for warmth and connection during moments of longing. The Mona Moon Marriage March will invite you to vow or renew your vows with your soulmate.

The Circle of Ancestors by Maurice Cavness from Eureka CA – This sculpture represents our common ancestors from the motherland, who watch over and unite us. There will be five ancestors, each 10 feet tall, standing in a circle of energy. The space is a place of protection and spirituality. It is meant to unify us and make us feel safe in communing with our ancestors. While standing inside the circle, people can pull ancestral knowledge and wisdom from the Earth.

The Circle of Ancestors by Maurice Cavness from Eureka CA – This sculpture represents our common ancestors from the motherland, who watch over and unite us. There will be five ancestors, each 10 feet tall, standing in a circle of energy. The space is a place of protection and spirituality. It is meant to unify us and make us feel safe in communing with our ancestors. While standing inside the circle, people can pull ancestral knowledge and wisdom from the Earth.

The Circle of Ancestors by Maurice Cavness from Eureka CA – This sculpture represents our common ancestors from the motherland, who watch over and unite us. There will be five ancestors, each 10 feet tall, standing in a circle of energy. The space is a place of protection and spirituality. It is meant to unify us and make us feel safe in communing with our ancestors. While standing inside the circle, people can pull ancestral knowledge and wisdom from the Earth.

The Circle of Ancestors by Maurice Cavness from Eureka CA – This sculpture represents our common ancestors from the motherland, who watch over and unite us. There will be five ancestors, each 10 feet tall, standing in a circle of energy. The space is a place of protection and spirituality. It is meant to unify us and make us feel safe in communing with our ancestors. While standing inside the circle, people can pull ancestral knowledge and wisdom from the Earth.

The Circle of Ancestors by Maurice Cavness from Eureka CA – This sculpture represents our common ancestors from the motherland, who watch over and unite us. There will be five ancestors, each 10 feet tall, standing in a circle of energy. The space is a place of protection and spirituality. It is meant to unify us and make us feel safe in communing with our ancestors. While standing inside the circle, people can pull ancestral knowledge and wisdom from the Earth.

For They Know Not What They Do by Jai Hackl from Martinsville Australia – A steel caduceus rises from the Playa, a sword entwined with twin serpents and crowned with the wings of Hermes and an all-seeing eye. Forged from stainless steel, brass, and mild steel, it bends and scatters desert light, appearing watchful and alive in the dust. The serpents coil through ancient dualities of creation and destruction, obedience and rebellion, and cycles carried through tradition and rarely questioned. The sword forms an axis of power, both guardian and threat. Above, Hermes’ wings speak of transcendence and ascent, while the mirrored eye returns fractured reflections of the viewer, reminding us that perception is always partial, and truth remains just beyond our grasp.

Opulent Temple Build Crew in Blowing Dust – A crew works on tall steel forms on the open playa while dust blows through the build site.

Build Crew Shade in the Dust – A crew works around a shade structure and stacks of crates as blowing dust rolls across the site before the gates open.

Staged Truss on the Build Site – Curved aluminum truss sections sit in rows on the playa waiting to be assembled while a steel frame goes up behind them.

Ethereal Essence of Odin by El Tapo from Walnut Creek CA – The beauty of this magnificent creature and the indisputable, genuine love, loyalty and friendship for all beings. By placing him on the playa facing the Man, we hope to convey the inner feeling of humanity, the bond between a human and a dog and the connection we all share.

PULSE by Manuela Magni and Mau Guerrero from Milan Italy Mexico-City Mexico – A monumental, semi-glossy heart, slightly tilted, is split by a jagged crack from base to top. By day, its mirrored surface reflects the sky and people. By night, the crack glows like magma, bathing visitors in red light. A vertical light rises from the top, pulsing like a lightning signal. – Touch-sensitive sensors sync the light to a visitor’s heartbeat or nearby music. The work transforms a single heart into a shared organ, where strangers synchronize pulse and presence. – The project is a portrait of resilience: fractures that once felt like endings become stitched with light. Breakage is reframed not as failure, but as a channel for light and connection. Fractures become doorways. Repair is participatory.

On High by Jessy Cusack from Blackstone MA – On High brings a mountaintop to the playa. A pulpit for the people. It provides an elevated place for expression open to everyone, something usually reserved for the few. Both a beautiful object and a blank canvas, it is a place for curious souls to unleash their hearts and minds, and to witness it all unfold. And to do it now, before it burns!

On High by Jessy Cusack from Blackstone MA – On High brings a mountaintop to the playa. A pulpit for the people. It provides an elevated place for expression open to everyone, something usually reserved for the few. Both a beautiful object and a blank canvas, it is a place for curious souls to unleash their hearts and minds, and to witness it all unfold. And to do it now, before it burns!

On High by Jessy Cusack from Blackstone MA – On High brings a mountaintop to the playa. A pulpit for the people. It provides an elevated place for expression open to everyone, something usually reserved for the few. Both a beautiful object and a blank canvas, it is a place for curious souls to unleash their hearts and minds, and to witness it all unfold. And to do it now, before it burns!

Playa Penguins by Paula Aranda from Whitefish MT – Playa Penguins is built on the idea that wonder is a radical act. Penguins don’t belong in the desert, yet here they stand, glowing, serene, and impossible. Penguins survive through unity; they huddle, rotate, and protect one another. In the harsh environment of the playa, this becomes a quiet metaphor for community and interdependence. Penguins are a reminder that even in challenging environments, we can create light, connection, and magic together.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

The Only Way Out Is In by Richard Card and Rae Gross from Dallas and Austin TX; Joshua Tree CA – A tunnel of 21 nested rainbow arches. Crystal prisms hang from each arch, scattering light across the playa. The passage allows participants to reflect on their past year, its storms and its rainbows. At night, the LED-lit arches glow across the open playa. It is a meditation on transition: a reminder that every storm passes, and that it is our strife that makes the rainbow possible.

(This) Timeline S.U.X. by Just John from Sonoma County CA – A decommissioned Timeline Selection Utility Xylopyli (Greek: Xylo (wood) Plyi (gate)) inadvertently installed in an unsuitable outdoor environment allowing it to be reenergized. The Xylopyli is a Möbius strip based on an ancient Roman mosaic inlaid roughly a millennium before German mathematician August Möbius made his “discovery” of his eponymous topological shape. The mosaic depicts the Hellenic god of time, Aion, passing between two timelines: one whose Axis Mundi is represented by a date palm, the other by an olive tree. “(This) Timeline S.U.X.” is inspired by the meme, “This timeline sucks.” It is meant to remind viewers that individuals have agency over their futures. If this timeline sucks then plot a better path into the future.

Mundara by The Art Rising from Los Angeles CA – Mundara is a large figurative piece in a full backbend, her arm and leg outstretched creates a rainbow. – Her backbend creates an arc between earth and sky, turning the human body into a bridge, a gateway, a horizon. The rainbow arc suggests transcendence, but also connection: the joining of opposites, masculine and feminine, human and nature, matter and spirit. – Visitors can ascend, from the earth rising into her head – a movement from survival into awareness, from the material world into higher consciousness. From her head they can ascend to her heart – ascending into infinite love. The sculpture becomes more than an object to observe; it becomes a journey. – Mundi means World and Dara means the sustainer. Mundara is “She who holds the world.”

Build Crew Assembling on Open Playa – A crew in orange shirts lays out a ring of metal track on the open playa while art builds go up behind them.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

ancient future portal by Aleph Geddis from Deer Harbor WA – A 20 foot tall hand carved wooden sculpture composed of a central form supported by four angled legs. Its shape suggests an artifact that feels both ancient and unfamiliar, as if from a culture that has encountered something beyond its understanding. – A circular opening sits within the form, covered by a subtle film that suggests a veil between the visible world and something less defined. The space beneath the structure creates a passage, where shifting light, shadow, and perspective give the piece a quiet, grounded presence within the open landscape of Black Rock City.

Resonance Tree by Resonance Art Collective from Nevada City CA – The Resonance Tree is a large-scale immersive art installation made entirely of bamboo, designed by the Resonance Studio. It responds to sun, shadow, sound, and movement. Rising seven meters above the playa, the Tree invites people to enter through woven roots, climb through the trunk, rest in canopy nets, and gather beneath a living canopy of shadow and sound. – By day, its canopy filters the desert sun, and by night, the trunk glows from within. Hundreds of solar bamboo lights hung from the branches shift with the wind, casting shadows across the cracked playa.

the weight of light by In Theory Art Collective from Huntsville UT – “the weight of light” is a frozen moment of celestial reckoning transformed into an arc between the shadows of how we power our world and the brilliance of how we might transform it. Emerging from the dust, a monumental lightning bolt commands the power of electricity. By day, the structure is a prismatic crystal. Its facets, crafted from upcycled dichroic panels, fracture light into a spectrum of iridescence. By night, participants can charge the bolt to create a massive, vertical lightning strike and boom of thunder. Surrounding this central pillar are 8 lightning shards that form a 50-foot sacred circle. Each enshrines an interactive world that illuminates the “weight of light” – the nature of fossil-fuel based electricity production, its environmental impact, and our power to transform it.

the weight of light by In Theory Art Collective from Huntsville UT – “the weight of light” is a frozen moment of celestial reckoning transformed into an arc between the shadows of how we power our world and the brilliance of how we might transform it. Emerging from the dust, a monumental lightning bolt commands the power of electricity. By day, the structure is a prismatic crystal. Its facets, crafted from upcycled dichroic panels, fracture light into a spectrum of iridescence. By night, participants can charge the bolt to create a massive, vertical lightning strike and boom of thunder. Surrounding this central pillar are 8 lightning shards that form a 50-foot sacred circle. Each enshrines an interactive world that illuminates the “weight of light” – the nature of fossil-fuel based electricity production, its environmental impact, and our power to transform it.

Temple Guardian Outpost – The check-in shack where Temple Guardians sign on and off shift, with training times and shift schedules posted by the doors.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Freedom Dancers by Ashley Bennett-Stoddard from Seaside CA – Freedom Dancers is a circle of seven monumental, tree-like human figures rising approximately 10-13 feet tall from the desert floor. Constructed from steel armatures with textured papercrete surfaces, the sculptures combine the human form with branching limbs and open negative space that allows light and shadow to move through the work. Each figure represents a stage in the transformation of grief into compassion. Arranged in a circle, the dancers create a quiet visual dialogue about resilience, healing, and the shared emotional experiences that connect humanity.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

LOOKOUT! by Franzi Ponzi and the Homo Erectors from Portland OR and Oakland CA and Reno NV – Lookout! is a 48-foot-tall fire lookout tower absurdly disguised as a gigantic fire extinguisher. Rising from the deep playa, Lookout! asks participants to reexamine their role as environmental stewards and to reflect on fire, landscape, and the smoldering state of our world(s) ablaze.

Driven by Seth Johnson from Carson City NV – DRIVEN begins with a simple truth: even the smallest things can hold up the world. A railroad spike is humble and easily overlooked, yet carries the weight of journey, labor, longing, and connection. Enlarged to monumental scale, it honors immigrant, Indigenous, African American, and working-class hands that shaped the land and laid the tracks of the American West.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Build Week Crews on Open Playa – Tire tracks cover the open playa while crews work on a handful of half built structures beside a box truck.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Unicorn Solar Array at Sunrise Partially Cleaned – A large tilted bank of solar panels and a panel-topped trailer throw long shadows across the open playa during build week.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Build Week Staging Area – Trucks, RVs, stacked lumber and a riveted aluminum art car sit out on the open playa in the early morning before the gates open.

Camp Build at Dawn – Fermented Reality – A camp lays out its floor panels and a lit perimeter line before the gates open.

Jamen Flying a Drone – He checks his controller on the open playa while dust blows past the lit Man base behind him.

Jamen and Terry on the Playa – Terry of Profiles in Dust talks from his truck window with drone pilot Jamen during build week, with the Man base going up behind them. Follow Jamen here: https://www.instagram.com/jamenpercy.burn/ Also some of Terry’s great work can be seen here: https://vimeo.com/profilesindust

Jamen Flying a Drone at the Man Base – He stops his fur trimmed bike on the open playa to fly a drone while the Man stands lit on the Cryptomeria base behind him. Follow Jamen here: https://www.instagram.com/jamenpercy.burn/

Build Week Sunset Over the Playa – Cranes and a half built structure sit in the dust below the mountains as the clouds light up orange.

Build Crew at Sunset – A crew takes a break beside a half built truss structure and their e-bikes while the sun goes down over the mountains.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Kaleidoscope (build week) by Studio Woo Woo (build week) from Nevada City and San Francisco CA – Hundreds of fused-glass monarch butterflies cascade in a brilliant murmuration, forming an archway of shifting light. By day, the sun catches the glass and projects colorful shadows. By night, each individually lit butterfly takes part in a prismatic dance. – The piece meditates on inheritance and stewardship, mirroring the monarch’s transgenerational migration. They traverse North America, naturally transcending political borders, relying on subsequent generations to complete a journey no single individual can finish. Kaleidoscope, also the name for a swarm of butterflies, honors this lineage of care, illustrating how human continuity depends on mutual reliance and the collective wisdom passed to those who follow.

Aunisoma by Dave Clay from Seattle WA – Our perception of reality is colored not only by our own emotions but through others and by the external world. How we understand something at one moment may not be the same in the next moment. We all live together in a multi-colored world that is often out of our control. This piece aims to embrace all that beautiful chaos of all these beautiful people into something to be celebrated, allowing ourselves to be curious, explore, and adapt to the ever-changing internal and external realities.

Penny the Goose by Mr and Mrs Ferguson from Alameda CA – An exalted, shining, copper goose that seen from distance will draw observers to discover that this goose’s feathers are made up from layered penny coins from Canada and the United States. This is the return of a much loved art installation from 2015 that is completely rebuilt with the concrete skin method we use with our penny bears. The penny feather pattern will give tribute to the better relationship Canada and the United States have long known. This is a return of a much loved art installation from 2015 but completely rebuilt with concrete as we have had with our penny bears.

Penny the Goose by Mr and Mrs Ferguson from Alameda CA – An exalted, shining, copper goose that seen from distance will draw observers to discover that this goose’s feathers are made up from layered penny coins from Canada and the United States. This is the return of a much loved art installation from 2015 that is completely rebuilt with the concrete skin method we use with our penny bears. The penny feather pattern will give tribute to the better relationship Canada and the United States have long known. This is a return of a much loved art installation from 2015 but completely rebuilt with concrete as we have had with our penny bears.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Cryptomeria by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Suburbia Sunset – Crews finish setting up a row of small painted homes at Suburbia and picket fences on Esplanade before the gates open.

Suburbia Picket Fence Goes In – Build Week – A crew sets a white picket fence and mailbox outside a row of small pastel houses before the gates open at Suburbia.

Suburbia Sunset – Crews finish setting up a row of small painted homes at Suburbia and picket fences on Esplanade before the gates open.

Suburbia Sunset – Crews finish setting up a row of small painted homes at Suburbia and picket fences on Esplanade before the gates open.

Build Week Sunset Behind Suburbia – A cyclist rides past a row of small playa huts as dust hangs in the low sun before the gates open.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

EIFFELA BROKEN DREAM by Philippe Maindron from La Gaubretière France – It is a metal representation of the Eiffel Tower, similar to the one created for the 1900 World’s Fair in Paris, at a 1:10 scale. This version will be cut in two, as if it had crashed into the desert after a chaotic journey: – • The lower section, with its four legs planted in the ground, symbolizes the sinking of a lost civilization, • While the top of the tower, pointing toward the sky, offers hope for a brighter future. – A cable will be stretched between the two peaks so that a tightrope walker can cross from one end to the other.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

The Golden Rule (build week) by Asher Amar – A crew member lifts a wooden pallet behind The Golden Rule by Asher Amar in the dust during build week. – A monumental illuminated sculpture spanning approximately 120 feet in length and 27 feet in height across the open playa. The installation spells the Hebrew phrase “ואהבת לרעך כמוך”, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Constructed from steel and elevated on slender supports, the letters appear to float above the desert horizon. By day the structure reflects sunlight with a shimmering golden presence; by night integrated lighting transforms the words into a radiant beacon, expressing a timeless principle of empathy, reciprocity, and shared humanity.

Walking In the Dust – A lone figure heads out across the open playa toward a shade structure and work compound as blowing dust softens the mountains behind.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

The Gothic Folly by Alex Noerpel and Hunter Keene from New York NY – A monumental open-air cathedral rises from the playa as a skeletal framework of towers, arches, and luminous panels. The structure evokes both a gothic ruin and a futuristic folly, blending sacred architecture with raw industrial materials. By day, sunlight passes through colorful translucent panels that resemble stained glass, casting shifting color across the desert floor. By night, integrated lighting transforms the framework into a radiant beacon of light and geometry visible across the playa. The installation represents a temporary cathedral for Black Rock City: a place where monumental architecture, light, and the desert landscape combine to create a shared space for collective presence and interactivity.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

Justin at Work TITANIC (build week) by Titanics End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

TITANIC by Titanic’s End from San Francisco CA – TITANIC is a wooden ship, split in half, sinking into the playa. Dynamic, interactive lighting will illuminate the vessel at night, while flame effects will blast from the top two twin smoke stacks. – A climbable, amphitheater-forming sculpture for citizens of BRC to watch a performance or a sunset from, TITANIC represents the hubris of man and his faith in technology. As we continue to extract resources from the world at ever greater scale, will we find a sustainable equilibrium with the planet? Or will it end in tragedy? We are running the experiment live.

The Golden Rule by Asher Amar from Los Angeles CA – A monumental illuminated sculpture spanning approximately 120 feet in length and 27 feet in height across the open playa. The installation spells the Hebrew phrase “ואהבת לרעך כמוך”, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Constructed from steel and elevated on slender supports, the letters appear to float above the desert horizon. By day the structure reflects sunlight with a shimmering golden presence; by night integrated lighting transforms the words into a radiant beacon, expressing a timeless principle of empathy, reciprocity, and shared humanity.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Kinderpanzer Mutant Vehicle by K-rats – Hometown: Ridgecrest, CA – Kinderpanzer is an apocalypse inspired armored tank paying tribute to the early days of Burning Man before Black Rock City had streets. The shell is made of entirely recycled aluminum and steel, built in 2017 by the K-Rats. Project lead artist and fabrication: Lynn Bryant, design and detailing: Kimric Smythe and Walter Petelle (K-Rats)

Kinderpanzer Mutant Vehicle Interior by K-rats – Hometown: Ridgecrest, CA – Kinderpanzer is an apocalypse inspired armored tank paying tribute to the early days of Burning Man before Black Rock City had streets. The shell is made of entirely recycled aluminum and steel, built in 2017 by the K-Rats. Project lead artist and fabrication: Lynn Bryant, design and detailing: Kimric Smythe and Walter Petelle (K-Rats)

Lag Screw Delivery – A build crew is blessed with a lag screw delivery.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Build Crew Break – Mebuyan Pulse – Three dusty builders sit out the afternoon in the back of a rented box truck loaded with tools, coolers and water jugs.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

Mebuyan Pulse by Leeroy New Luca Parolari and Sherif Koyes from New York NY and Manila Philippines – Mebuyan Pulse is a floating constellation of spheres, part sanctuary, part beacon, hovering above the playa with pathways that thread through its clustered forms. A luminous ground sphere anchors the work at night, releasing patterned light and a slow “pulse” of sound and spoken word at set times, drawing people into a shared moment before the structure returns to quiet. The piece speaks to themes of migration, belonging, and the vulnerable space in between endings and beginnings. Inspired by the mythological Filipino goddess Mebuyan and by Leeroy New’s Aliens of Manila artistic series, it offers a place to pause, gather, and feel whole.

The Garage by Brendon O’Halloran and the O’Tools from Topanga CA and Reno NV – This is the Temple of the builders. A typical garage full of all the things you’d expect. Tools, storage, memories, seasonal things, equipment, etc. We hang out here and talk, drink, fix, build, jam out, play games, create and tinker. The Garage is the home of the laborers and builders who go unseen but make things happen. The hidden heroes.

The Garage by Brendon O’Halloran and the O’Tools from Topanga CA and Reno NV – This is the Temple of the builders. A typical garage full of all the things you’d expect. Tools, storage, memories, seasonal things, equipment, etc. We hang out here and talk, drink, fix, build, jam out, play games, create and tinker. The Garage is the home of the laborers and builders who go unseen but make things happen. The hidden heroes.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

Temple of the Moon by Moonlight Collective from Oakland CA – The Temple of the Moon is inspired by the Queen of the Night flower, a fragrant desert cactus blossom (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) which blooms only once each year, at night, and whose flowers wilt before dawn. In this act of ephemeral beauty, we find a profound metaphor for our own brief beautiful lives on this planet, as well as for Burning Man itself, which blossoms each year in the dust of the playa, and then disappears without a trace. – We believe that this act of impermanence demands presence. The flower blooms for only a few hours. If you blink, you will miss it. The only possible response is to slow down, to be as present as possible, and to witness.

The Solar Library Expansion by Jared Ficklin aka Pearlsnaps from Austin TX – The Solar Library is a rhythmic repetition of triangular yellow huts with bright, sun-orange doors. The steel-framed huts present solar panels at an ideal angle to the sun. At night, they bathe in soft yellow light reminiscent of the sunlight collected all day. Artists apply for a library card so they can build battery-powered art, knowing they have dedicated solar charging capacity reserved to charge their batteries. The mission is to remove the noise and fumes of generators from playa art without the proliferation of panel farms.

Mona Moon by Miao He Ricardo Solar and Bowei Wang from Berkeley CA and Chengdu China – Mona Moon explores emotional softness within extreme environments. The art piece is inspired in part by the ancient Chinese romantic yet tragic story of Chang’e and the Jade Bunny: Chang’e and her lover are separated when she is forced to drink an elixir of immortality and ascends to the moon. Only once a year the two lovers are able to see each other. In Chinese culture, when two lovers or family members are far away from each other, they will often look at the moon together in longing, and hopeful emotional connectedness. The purple Mona Bunny represents companionship, sensitivity, and the need for warmth and connection during moments of longing. The Mona Moon Marriage March will invite you to vow or renew your vows with your soulmate.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Above and Below by Sean Orlando from Richmond CA – Above and Below embodies the artistic impulse to shape our homes and communities into creative gathering spaces that evoke mystery, nature, adventure, and spirituality, reminding us that the ecosystem connects us to one another. The work proposes that the objects we build can be sustaining and intriguing artifacts of creativity and technology that carry human memory, intention, and care.

Octopolis by LaynaJoy Rivas with Big Art Collective from Northern California and Springfield IL – Octopolis is a mother octopus. She is a celebration of life! As she guards her festoons, she invites you to see art in different dimensions: as a striking visual experience, as a metaphor for resilience and renewal, and as a tangible force that continues to shape the world long after the festival lights fade. Initially showcased as interactive art in the desert, she will later transition into an underwater sanctuary, fostering coral growth and sheltering marine life displaced by habitat destruction. She is a reminder that creativity can ripple outward- shifting perspectives, inspiring care, and restoring the delicate balance of our shared environment. Art with a mission, leaving a legacy of beauty, imagination, and ecological care!

Setting Up Camp Before Gates – Crews lay out shade structure frames and unload gear from vans and trailers during build week.

Build Week Crew Raising a Truss Stage – Workers assemble a truss tower and shade sails beside painted shipping containers before the gates open.

Graffiti Covered RV – Flow City Art – Every panel of this motorhome is scrawled with marker drawings and notes.

The Cave Camp (build week)

Build Week Staging on the Playa – Crews unload lumber, steel panels and propane from rental trucks to start assembling an art installation before the gates open.

Build Week Whiteout – A crew waits out a dust storm beside stacked pallets, bikes and a box truck while setting up before the gates open.

Raising Poles in the Dust – A crew assembles a white pipe frame in blowing dust during build week.

Camp Build Crew in a Whiteout – Three builders huddle around the arch of a half assembled steel structure as a dust storm blots out the playa, a bike and a signpost reading Fulcrum beside them.

Camp Build Crew in a Whiteout – A crew works on a curved steel arch and shade structure while dust cuts visibility down to a few hundred feet.

Burning Man 2026 Man Base (build week) – Cryptomeria Man Base by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

Burning Man 2026 Man Base (build week) – Cryptomeria Man Base by Alexander Rose – The Axis Mundi is the place where worlds meet: root and crown, earth and sky, body and spirit. It is not a monument imposed from above, or a pedestal for a hero, but a living alignment revealed through participation. The Cryptomeria Man Base becomes this meeting point. Its roots invite the city to kneel, gather, and build outward together; its spiraling stairways draw bodies upward and inward, tracing the ancient helix that binds our genetic material, the past to future, and self to collective. Visitors will arrive through a pathway of meandering roots, ascend an outer helical staircase nearly sixty feet to the base of the Man, while a second spiral descends down the center, forming the double helix of DNA, and providing a continuous flow of travel. Together, these paths establish a vertical maypole, an axis around which the city symbolically turns.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

ZARVAN by Gazelle Dasti from Reno NV – ZARVAN, the ancient Persian deity of time, is a 23-foot interactive sculpture in the form of a monumental human head that explores perception, communication, and collective presence. Visitors can look through internal periscopes aligned with the eyes to experience the surrounding landscape through ZARVAN’s gaze. Integrated speaking tubes within the ears allow people on opposite sides of the sculpture to speak and listen through the structure itself, making the work a vessel for human connection and shared presence. Its luminous crown, inspired by traditional Persian stained glass, responds to human presence with shifting colored light, while the faceted steel body draws from Persian rug geometry and is hand painted with Persian rug motifs, embedding cultural memory into the form. Through sight, sound, and participation, ZARVAN becomes a living, responsive system.

Penny the Goose by Mr and Mrs Ferguson from Alameda CA – An exalted, shining, copper goose that seen from distance will draw observers to discover that this goose’s feathers are made up from layered penny coins from Canada and the United States. This is the return of a much loved art installation from 2015 that is completely rebuilt with the concrete skin method we use with our penny bears. The penny feather pattern will give tribute to the better relationship Canada and the United States have long known. This is a return of a much loved art installation from 2015 but completely rebuilt with concrete as we have had with our penny bears.

Penny the Goose by Mr and Mrs Ferguson from Alameda CA – An exalted, shining, copper goose that seen from distance will draw observers to discover that this goose’s feathers are made up from layered penny coins from Canada and the United States. This is the return of a much loved art installation from 2015 that is completely rebuilt with the concrete skin method we use with our penny bears. The penny feather pattern will give tribute to the better relationship Canada and the United States have long known. This is a return of a much loved art installation from 2015 but completely rebuilt with concrete as we have had with our penny bears.

Penny the Goose by Mr and Mrs Ferguson from Alameda CA – An exalted, shining, copper goose that seen from distance will draw observers to discover that this goose’s feathers are made up from layered penny coins from Canada and the United States. This is the return of a much loved art installation from 2015 that is completely rebuilt with the concrete skin method we use with our penny bears. The penny feather pattern will give tribute to the better relationship Canada and the United States have long known. This is a return of a much loved art installation from 2015 but completely rebuilt with concrete as we have had with our penny bears.

Loaner Crutches and Walkers – Mobility Camp – A volunteer unloads a trailer stacked with crutches, canes, walkers and wheelchairs during build week as dust blows through camp.

Tractor and Trailer at Mobility Camp – An old Ford tractor and a trailer loaded with handcycles sit outside the shade structures while the camp builds.

Mobility Camp Sticker – Dimension of Accessibility – A Black Rock City Mobility Camp decal on the white bodywork of a vehicle during build week.

Crutches and Walkers – Mobility Camp Build – A trailer stacked with crutches and walkers waits beside a tractor as the mobility camp sets up before the gates open.

Camp Build in Blowing Dust – Crews unpack a shipping container and lay out scaffold poles while a dust storm blows through the unfinished city.

Mutant Vehicle Build – A build crew sorts numbered steel panels and fits parts beside a flatbed truck while dust blows across the site.

Gondolas at Apres Ski Camp – Two red ski gondola cabins and a rack of skis sit outside the camp’s containers and shade structures while the city goes up around them.

Bloom Portal Scale Model – Crew members assemble interlocking laser cut plywood panels and scale models under a shade canopy during build week.

Gregg Fleishman and His Plywood Chairs – He stands behind two of his interlocking cut plywood chairs, one raw birch and one painted grey, outside a trailer during build week.

Gregg Fleishman Bloom Portal – Gregg in a dusty leather hat and wooden sunglasses during build of Bloom Portal.

Slotting Together Plywood Panels of Bloom Portal (build week) – A crew fits notched plywood and steel panels into an interlocking sculpture while dust blows across the open playa.

Interlocking Plywood Build in Dust of Bloom Portal (build week) – Crew members fit notched plywood panels together while stacks of cut pieces wait on the playa in a dust haze.

Bolting Up Bloom Portal (build week) – A crew works from ladders to assemble a sculpture of interlocking cut steel panels while dust blows across the open playa.

Building Suburbia in the Dust – Crew members haul lumber and set up painted wall panels as dust blows through camp during build week.

Building Suburbia in the Dust – A crew sets windows into a paneled camp structure while dust blows through during build week.

Build Crew in Blowing Dust – A camp crew works on ladders beside a blue narwhal ship art car while dust blows through the build site.

Build Crew in Blowing Dust – A camp crew works on ladders beside a blue narwhal ship art car while dust blows through the build site.

Eiffela Broken Dream Build in the Dust – Crew members work at the base of a toppled steel lattice tower during a dusty build week afternoon.

Parabola Mundi by Charlie the French from Saint Denis France (build week) – A metallic tree rises from the desert, its tubular branches tracing perfect parabolic curves toward the heavens, each arc a mathematical prayer, each junction a meeting point between earth and cosmos. At its base, an immense mirror parabola spreads across the ground like a liquid portal, reflecting sky, stars, and every soul that approaches. Burners will adorn it with light reflectors, forming a canopy of light, reflections merging between branches and roots, dissolving the illusion of separation to better reveal a communication between earth and sky. By day, the mirrored surface captures clouds and sun; by night, it holds constellations and firelight.

Build Week Scenes – Two builders bolt together orange steel racking and painted box sections next to a shipping container as dust blows through camp.

Build Week Work – Shipping containers, a trailer and half assembled steel pieces sit in the dust while crews build before the gates open.

Building Shade in a Dust Storm – A camp crew raises carport frames and stretches a white shade roof while dust blows through during build week.

Container Roof at Night – Two people stand on top of a shipping container while a camp gets built below in the red work light.

Espressobuzz – Hank has been a great Burning Man photographer for a long time. Visit his website to check out his work: https://www.espressobuzz.net/

Fireman Carry at the DPW Spire – A dust covered DPW worker hauls a friend over his shoulder past the scrap spire during the end of build season party.

DPW Spire Raising in the Dust – DPW crews dance around the scrap spire they are driving into the playa at the end of build season.

DPW Spire Party – DPW crews climb a spire of scrap wood and junk they raised at 4:20 and Esplanade to mark the end of the build season.

Dusty Portrait at the DPW Spire Party – A DPW crew member, face caked in playa dust, keeps the sun off with a painted paper parasol at the build week spire party.

Rope at the DPW Spire – I feel like I may have started a nightmare by spreading this idea.

Bucket Head at the DPW 420 Spire – A DPW crew member sits atop the scrap spire with a bucket over his head, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a beer in the other.

Bonnie atop the DPW Spire – Bonnie, a DPW member in a striped inflatable collar and mirrored goggles, waves from the top of the scrap spire raised at the 420 party.

DPW 420 Spire Party – DPW crews climb the scrap spire they raised at 4:20 and Esplanade, passing around whiskey and beer to mark the end of build season.

Mud Covered Skater at the DPW Spire – A mud caked skater rides a plywood ramp while DPW crews gather around the junk spire they raised to close out the build season.

Mud and PBR at the DPW Spire – Two DPW workers caked in playa mud pour a Pabst over a helmet while the scrap spire goes up behind them.

DPW 420 Spire Party – DPW crews gather around their scrap spire with beer and spray paint to mark the end of the build season.

Dust and Stripes at the DPW Spire Party – DPW crews and friends gather in a dust cloud for the annual spire raising that closes out the build season.

DPW Crew at the 420 Spire Party – Dusty build crew sprawl on a mattress with beers and spray paint after raising the scrap spire at 4:20 and Esplanade.

Hot Tub in a Truck DPW Crew at the 420 Spire Party – There is a “hot tub” in this pickup truck.

Hot Tub in a Truck DPW Crew at the 420 Spire Party – There is a “hot tub” in this pickup truck.

Mud Wrestling at the DPW Spire Party – DPW crews cover themselves head to toe in playa mud during the annual spire raising that closes out the build season.

Blue Painted DPW at the 420 Spire – A DPW crew member covered head to chest in blue paint stands by the junk spire raised at 4:20 and Esplanade to mark the end of the build season.

Mud Covered at the DPW Spire Party – A DPW crew member caked in playa mud sticks out her tongue for the camera as the crews gather to raise the scrap spire.

Flock Security – DPW 420 Spire – DPW crews raise a scrap wood spire tagged in red spray paint at the 420 party marking the end of build season to mock Flock Security cameras.

George Shooting the DPW Spire Party and Demonstrating a New Technique – A photographer steadies himself on a cane to get his shot as DPW crews gather around the truck at the 420 spire raising.

Trash Fence Costume at the DPW Spire Party – A DPW crew member wears a costume made of orange construction fencing and carries a grabber and a paint splattered bucket while the crew raises their scrap spire.

Build Week Crew on Open Playa – A crew works off rental trucks and a lift to assemble a dark panel structure with a big round opening out on the open playa.

Finding Your Place – I love the feeling of arriving in BRC and finding your place in the city. Sometimes you get to deal with placement other times your campmates already have. Also it should be known that there is lots of open camping on the edge of the city. Always check with your neighbors if you are not sure.

Greeters Station Days Before Gate Opens

When You Arrive On Playa – A rented box truck driven by legendary Burner and long time friend Jamen Percy rolls past the cones and flag line on the entrance road during build week, when the playa is still nearly empty.

Gate Crew – A Gate Perimeter and Exodus volunteer works the entry road in the early light before the city opens.

Gate Road at Will Call – A short line of vehicles waits at the coned entry road days before the gates open, when only build crews are coming in.

Empty Gate – Cones and a hand painted EXIT sign mark the lanes out past Will Call while the crew sets up before the gates open.

Will Call Parking Area – Build crew vehicles wait in the coned lanes out at the gate several days before the gates open to the public.

Sunrise at the Box Office – Will Call and the box office sit nearly empty at the gate road days before the gates open to everyone else.

U-Haul in the Side Mirror – A rental truck follows the coned entry road onto the playa during build week, seen in a side mirror.

Empty Gate Road at Dawn – Traffic cones and flagged lanes line the entry road out past the city days before the gates open.

Empty Gate Road at Sunrise – The graded entry road sits empty except for cones and flagging, days before the gates open to everyone but build crews.

Pennant Flags on the Gate Road – Orange purple and white pennants mark the lane into Black Rock City on an empty morning before the gates open.

Empty Gate Road at Dawn – Cones and flagging mark out the entry lanes and Will Call approach days before the gates open, with the mountains across the playa still dark.

Gate Road at Dawn – Dust blows across the entry road as a handful of vehicles roll in past the 10 MPH sign days before the gates open.

Bruno’s Country Club Before Dawn – The motel, cafe, casino and saloon in Gerlach sits empty in the blue light before sunrise, headlights washing the empty lot.

Welcome to Gerlach Sign – The roadside sign on the way into town lists 3 bars, no churches, no wars, and a population of wanted, sometimes.

Coffee and Ready to Go – After all the preparation and planning we are ready to drive out to the playa.