Burning Man has always been something of a surreal place — an ephemeral playground of whimsical art installations, wacky theme camps, startling art cars and bizarre performance pieces. But this year’s Alice in Wonderland-inspired theme, “Curiouser and Curiouser,” raised the level of playful absurdity to new heights. Here are my photos and key takeaways from another enchanting week in Black Rock City.

Some of Sweden’s medieval churches and abbeys date back a thousand years. They offer a fascinating look at the spiritual underpinnings of what is, paradoxically, one of the least religious societies in the modern world. This summer, I teamed up with award-winning filmmaker Mattias Löw to document these cultural treasures for a forthcoming book. SVT, Sweden’s national television broadcaster, took an interest in our work and put together a short news segment about the project.

Burning Man: Art on Fire, my recent book with writer Jennifer Raiser, has just won two Foreword Independent Book Awards — including Best Coffee Table Book of the Year. We couldn’t be more grateful for this fantastic recognition. Art on Fire seems to have had a life of its own since it was first published, garnering great reviews, inspiring a feature-length documentary film, spawning museum exhibits, and even appearing on Amazon's bestseller list for photography books.

A tiny, half-abandoned town in a neglected corner of the California desert seems like an unlikely hotspot for street theater, classical opera and large-scale public art. Yet Bombay Beach on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea has become a thriving outpost of renegade art and free expression. Each spring, the town mounts a weird and wonderful celebration of art, music and ideas. This year I covered the festivities for SFGate. Read more: Three Surreal Nights in Bombay Beach, the Strangest Town in California.