TABLE OF CONTENTS

Synopsis List of Illustrations Introduction What is Burning Man? How does Black Rock City function? City design Infrastructure Economy Environment and Nature Social Impacts Conclusion Bibliography

2 3 5 6 11 11 14 17 17 19 21 22

Figure 2 | Burning Man, 2000 aerial view. Gabe Kirchheimer

Synopsis This paper aims at analyzing Burning Man phenomenon and Black Rock City as a model of Ideal City. Starting from a friendly gathering, it grew to a temporary city of more than 50000, in twenty years. Its audience are people in search for a state of insouciance and freedom. What goes
on in Black Rock City is a result of collaboration and interaction among people. Art is at the core of the city and a strong connection between its residence. The mentality behind the creation of this city is to emphasize on the power of community and artistic creations.

List of Illustrations Figure 1 (front cover) | Lost, 2008 American Dream. Photo by Ales Prikryl Figure 2 | Burning Man, 2000 aerial view. Gabe Kirchheimer Figure 3 | The Man. http://friskodude.blogspot.com/2009/01/burning-man-opera.html Figure 4 | Fire Dancers Parade, 2010 Metropolis. Ales Prikryl Figure 5 | An Hot Air Balloon view of BRC, 2011. Garry Geer Figure 6 | Sky Painting, 2005 Psyche. Ales Prikryl Figure 7 | Man Burning, 2004 Vault of Heaven. Ales Prikry Figure 8 | Night Rain,Art Installation, 2011. Ales Prikryl Figure 9 | Doors and Windows to the Open Desert, 2010 Metropolis. Ales Prikryl Figure 10 | Dancing Girls, 2009 Evolution. Ales Prikryl Figure 11 | Mermaid Mirage, 2002 The Floating World Figure 12 | Welcome, 2001 The seven ages. Ales Prikryl Figure 13 | Message from the Future Black Lights, 2006 Hope and Fear. Ales Prikryl Figure 14 | Body Painting Girls, 2001 The Seven Ages. Ales Prikryl Figure 15 | Admiral Futzbucket, 2003 Beyond Belief. Ales Prikryl Figure 16 | Playa Big Band Musicians, 2008 American Dream. Ales Prikryl Figure 17| Illusion, 2008 American Dream Figure 18 | Temple of Transition, 2011 Rites of Passage Figure 19 | Balance Ville by David Graziano, Tom Toulec , and David Shields. Gaby Thijsse 2011. http://galleries.burningman.com/photos/ Figure 20 | What Remains, 2006 Hope & Fear Figure 21 | Burning Man History Figure 22 | The first informal plan required by B.L.M, 1992 Figure 23 | Development of the plan, 1996 Figure 24 | Relocating to Hualapai Valley in Washoe County, 1997 Figure 25 | Wheel of Time, 1999 Figure 26 | Burning Man center camp, 2010. Geoff Stearns Figure 27 | Participants gather in the Center Camp Caf, 2000. George Post. www.burningman.com

Figure 28 | Eyeball Bicycles by John Krieger, 2004 Vault of Heaven dust. http://www.bikejuju.com/category/burning-man/ Figure 29 | Bikes at Burning Man. http://www.bikejuju.com/category/burning-man/ Figure 30 | Purple Bunny Art Car, 2010 Metropolis Figure 31 | Peacock Art Vehicle, 2010 Metropolis Figure 32 |The Golden Mean Art Car by Jon Sarriugarte and Kyrsten Mate, 2010 Luke Szczepanski Figure 33 | Real Surreal, 2001 The Seven Ages Figure 34 | Black Rock Desert, Nevada Figure 35 | Burning Man, 2007. http://theblight.net/?cat=18 Figure 36 | Fire of Fires Temple Burning Man, 2009 Evolution Figure 37 | Group Meditation, Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times http://elseplace.blogspot.com/2008_08_01_archive.html Figure 38 | Yoga Practice, 1999. George Post gallery

Figure 39 | Dancing with the Wind, 2011. Andrew Wyatt .gallery Figure 40 | Performance during the Dust Storm. Tristan Savarier. http://www.loupiote.com/burningman/photos/1358873909.shtml Figure 41 | DPW Group, 2009. http://www.flickr.com/photos/carnivillain/3902043851/

Introduction "Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody." (Jacobs 1993) Perfection in the discipline of urbanism, is blossomed in temporary situations. All along history, urban designers and theoreticians have tried to propose a fixed model of the Ideal City, without noticing that these models, despite considering all the known future possibilities, have failed in attempts of reaching the perfect lasting state. Ideal city is not only about designing the built environment, but to define the relationships and how the city is inhabited by its residence. The utopian plans which were proposed by modernist planners in the early twentieth century were not only physical design proposals for the city, but a revolution in social structures. (Mlicka 2007, 4) These urban planners worked within a mental space (Mlicka 2007, 4) which made them consider themselves as the leader planner and organizer of the city. (Mlicka 2007, 5) In synthesizing, the urbanist thinks he is making the unity of the city legible, when in fact he is doing nothing but projecting his own representation of the city, inherited from the cultural and advertising ideology of contemporary society, onto the urban reality. (Riley 2002, 28) However most of these ideal models have never been proved to be successful, because of this top-down way of thinking behind them. These rational and abstract modernist designs lacked social complexities and anarchies which make the civic life richer. (Mlicka 2007, 6) Considering the above-mentioned arguments, a spontaneous city that is a product of cooperation and collaboration among people is more probable to satisfy its residence and be successful in terms of idealism in sociological urbanism. The city is like a living creature which lives, matures, changes and decays. The elements which make up the city are considered as organs of that creature and the survival of the city is highly dependent on their collaboration and harmony. Thinking about the idea of a spontaneous, organic and chaotic city as an interpretation of Ideal , Black Rock City can be considered as an instance. Every year people from all around the world gather in Nevada desert to celebrate the birth and death of a city in a week-long festival. This is one of the rare opportunities when people can experience life in a city that is created by themselves and their art. The main point that distinguishes this city from other ideal models is the fact that it is based on the nature of human beings, not the rules and regulations that dominate our cities. Its emphasis on creating a lawless society makes people having the experience of Burning Man admit the positive feeling of making decisions on their own and not having an external power in control. Flourishing in the context of post-cold war victorious America, an era also known as New Globalism, when corporate control was the dominant face of the American society, Burning Man was considered to be a critical approach to this capitalistic trend. However, this fact is being suppressed by mass media and Burning Man is often referred to as a regressive tribal primitivism. This way of looking at and criticizing Burning Man, originates from the rational way of defining primitive or original culture, in two extreme qualities, whether idealizing or demonizing it. And the postmodern reality of burning man is disregarded by mass media in this process. In fact, burning man with its values that has been shaped upon, is an ultimate postmodern event . It is not meant to recreate a postmodern society, but rather is a demonstration of a postmodern decadence. (Afterburn, Reflections on Burning Man 2005, 10) In fact Burning Man was not the only community of this kind. Some avant-garde movements such as Drop City and a group called Ant Farm were formed a decade earlier, as an approach to form artistic societies with an emphasis on innovative and experimental artworks, but they could not continue to survive, mainly because of personality conflicts among group members. However, these movements have inspired other communities to some extent, some of which still exist in some form. (Drop City n.d.)

Figure 3 | The Man

Figure 4 | Fire Dancers Parade, 2010 Metropolis

What is Burning Man? The burning man project started in 1986 as a bonfire ritual in Baker Beach, San Francisco by Larry Harvey and some friends, burning an 8-foot wooden effigy as a sign of self-expression. This was the continuation of the solstice gatherings of another friend in the previous years. The event attracted more people each year and the effigy, now called the Burning Man, grew taller and taller. It continued its routine until 1990, when the park police banned the burning. The event was moved to the Black Rock Desert, where it has been held since then. It was at this stage that the two-day event was expanded to a week-long festival and the location became known as Black Rock City. It began to attract medias attention towards itself. As the city grew, it became a place dedicated to art and social interaction. Participants with mutual visions and ideas began to create different theme camps and villages to offer services to other attendees who have taken to call themselves Burners. Burners spend a whole week in a society in which all the known social values and structures are questioned and reinvented through art and interaction. They free themselves from limitations of materialistic world where money and commerce are the determinant powers of their lives. They find themselves facing their innermost feelings and imagination in creating master pieces that are never meant to be sold, but to be burnt at the end of the week to show how independent they can be from their attachments.

Figure 5 | An Hot Air Balloon view of BRC, 2011 Figure 6 | Sky Painting, 2005 Psyche Figure 7 | Man Burning, 2004 Vault of Heaven

Art is at the core of this city. It is demonstrated through large-scale installations, costumes, gifts, transformed vehicles, music, dance and performance. Each year, Larry Harvey selects a theme for the city, to make a connection between peoples individual artworks. This theme influences the design of the Man and all other projects to some extent. Artists work throughout the year before the event to design and install their thematic projects. Some of them are supported by Black Rock City, LLC. financially, depending on their compliance with the departments standards.

Figure 8 | Night Rain,Art Installation, 2011

Figure 9 | Doors and Windows to the Open Desert, 2010 Metropolis

Figure 10 | Dancing Girls, 2009 Evolution

Figure 11 | Mermaid Mirage, 2002 The Floating World

Figure 12 | Welcome, 2001 The seven ages

Figure 13 | Message from the Future Black Lights, 2006 Hope and Fear

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Figure 14 | Body Painting Girls, 2001 The Seven Ages Figure 15 | Admiral Futzbucket, 2003 Beyond Belief Figure 16 | Playa Big Band Musicians, 2008 American Dream

The burning man project is based on ten principles: (Burning Man Project n.d.) Radical Inclusion Gifting Decommodification Radical Self-reliance Radical Self-expression Communal Effort Civic Responsibility Leaving No Trace Participation Immediacy

Thinkers behind Burning Man may hope that these values are being promoted by participants in the real world and continue their survival all through the years to come, even in a smaller scale. To continue being part of this community worldwide, the Black Rock Arts Foundation has been shaped. It supports and promotes public and interactive art outside the event. The values being promoted by this foundation are interactivity, community, education and activism. In collaboration with individuals, community groups, governmental agencies and other foundations it aims at using art as a medium to promote social awareness and responsibility and make people engage in their society. (Black Rock Arts Foundation n.d.)

Figure 17| Illusion, 2008 American Dream

Figure 18 | Temple of Transition, 2011 Rites of Passage

Figure 19 | Balance Ville by David Graziano, Tom Toulec and David Shields. Gaby Thijsse 2011

Figure 20 | What Remains, 2006 Hope & Fear

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How does Black Rock City function? 1.City Design The first attempts of proposing a plan for Black Rock City began with the relocation of the camp to Nevada desert. The original form of its plan was circular, without any previous decisions. It got its shape from the traditional campfire circle. To help the participants navigate their way and avoid being lost in the desert, four main avenues were added according to the cardinal directions. Services and a meeting place were located in the center, surrounded by a new ring road. The city changed its shape from a complete circle to two-thirds of a circle, opening the view to the place where the Man was located. In 1997 the city had to be relocated to a temporary land. It changed its form due to the shape of the land on which it was built and natural barriers that defined its limits. This was the first time that an entrance was shaped. From 1998 the city returned to Black Rock Desert and it has been constructed in the same place since then. The first layout of the city was suggested by Rod Garrett, a landscape designer. This was the base of the actual form of the city today. The plan was highly affected by the experience of previous years in controlling sprawl. Social interaction and a sense of communal belonging were the main ideas upon which the design of the city was shaped. Like every other city, there were different factors that needed to be considered in order to reach those goals. The city had to provide easy access and flow of people and services. The plan began by zoning different areas in response to their functions. A zone was also created around the city, especially for large-scale installations. The Man became the center and navigation point of the city, and the streets formed an arc around it, leaving enough space for social activities in between. Future growth was another matter to be considered in the design. One of the consequences of this growth was the loss of human scale by dividing the city into two different parts: insider and outsider. The former indicated the theme camps zone and the latter, the remaining streets. To avoid this disconnection, some reforms were made. Theme camps were relocated and the city was split into small neighborhoods. The arcs were divided into city blocks by radial streets projecting from the center. Radial street names are based on 1999s theme Wheel of time in which streets are defined by numbers of the clock face. This method continued to be popular because it was simple and easy to remember. Locating themes and public services are made easier through this system. Having the primary function of connecting urban nodes and mapping, streets have the potential of linking people within those nodes. They provide a context for social encounters and help people share their ideas and thoughts through this interaction. (The Burning Blog n.d.) Streets in Black Rock City have made an emphasis on this aspect.

Figure 21 | Burning Man History 11

Figure 22 | The first informal plan required by B.L.M, 1992

Figure 23 | Development of the plan, 1996

Figure 24 | Relocating to Hualapai Valley in Washoe County, 1997

Figure 25 | Wheel of Time, 1999

As the city grew, familiar feelings of intimacy and closeness began to disappear and the growing size of the city disassociated people from the community. Thoughts of creating plazas first came up in 1997, but was never put into practice because the need was not truly felt. With this gradual growth, different neighborhoods were defined within the city to help recreate a localized feel in a smaller scale. (The Burning Blog n.d.) Environmental, social, economic and aesthetical issues all had an effect on the design of the city. In fact this design was the result of a series of trials and errors. The city went through many changes, due to political, health and safety considerations. But the framework stayed the same as it grew. The event of burning an effigy started as a gathering of 20 people. As years passed, more 12

people were attracted to this ritual. As the event grew to create Black Rock city as its home, it inhabited more people each year and the population was more than 50000 in 2011. It is considered the third largest city in Nevada in its short period existence. There are certain places within the city that are considered as social meeting spaces. The Center Camp in the middle of the city is the main place for the Burners to gather, relax and socialize. It functions as a community center. Theme camps are other communal spaces for smaller groups to take part in different activities. Theme camps with similar artistic perspectives gather and combine together to form a village. A village is a micro-model of community within the larger microcosm of Burning Man. (Burning Man, Theme Camps n.d.) Villages are connected to the larger community of Burning Man and their intention is giving back something to the community, in order to enhance individual potentials within the city. Burning Man can be seen as an intentional community. It is an experimental model of a society with many of its cultural aspects in a microcosm, resulting in new and sometimes innovative ideas. These innovations in social, political and economic systems can be applied to the outside world. The dynamic of this community is sharing. The more people share their ideas, beliefs and emotions, the richer their experience will be. (Butcher 1989) The creation of theme camps and villages help people connect to hundreds of other participants. Friendship bonds that are made in these places and situations, are of another quality. By forming these villages an exercise of creating an environment based on donation and participation is practiced which can be generalized to the actual cities that we live in.

Figure 26 | Burning Man center camp, 2010. Geoff Stearns

Figure 27 | Participants gather in the Center Camp Caf, 2000. George Post burningman.com

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2. Infrastructure Just like any other city, Black Rock City needs certain organizations and departments to take hold of its resistance in both predicted and unforeseen situations. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) provide the land on which the city is built upon. Regional Emergency Medical Services Authority (REMSA) helps the city with the health and emergency medical services. The common goals of the two organizations create the base of this event while working closely with the Rangers. The Washoe County Sheriff's Department is responsible for supporting the rangers with law enforcement. Above all these organizational efforts, it is the collaboration of all Burners and volunteers with a common goal which gives birth to this phenomenal city. Various roles have been assigned to volunteers under particular groups to focus on spending an enjoyable and effective week, while keeping the citizens away from accidents and probable dangers. The Department of Public Works is the main department responsible for planning, building and taking down the infrastructure of the city since 1997. They provide the city with street signage, Matter Out Of Place (MOOP) cleanup, a safe community shade structure and transportation of its materials, steel fireplaces for safe burning without damaging the desert, dust control via water trucks and ice for citys citizens at a nominal price. They build and construct the roads, the gate, street lighting, city boundaries, small-plane airport as well as running the materials depot and mechanical shop and interfacing with staff. After the festival it is the DPW responsibility to take down the city, store gear for next year and make sure that the policy of Leave No Trace is truly followed. People working in DPW are determined, hardworking, creative and dedicated. They work hard together for months to realize their common goal and build the city. (Burning Man n.d.) City is planned based on the number of tickets sold. City perimeter is defined by a trash fence and the only ground entrance to the city is the Gate. After providing the gate keepers with a valid ticket and passing a vehicle search for arms and drugs, participants are given a map and then sent off to the Greeters station. Greeters are considered to be the citys hosts who are ready to give information on safety issues and how the city functions to newcomers. The main information center is based at Center Camp. All the information about the events, people, addresses and possibly anything regarding to the one week city is provided in the directory in this place. 2.1.Black Rock Rangers The Black Rock Rangers are responsible for the public safety and providing information. They interfere in matters that cannot be solved by burners themselves. The key to their success is their consciousness and awareness of the possible dangers and how to confront them. They are part of the society they have helped create and maintain. In fact rangers play a critical role in the quality of experience of the community. 2.2.Emergency Service Department (ESD) Working separately from the Black Rock Rangers, it is responsible for protection, medical treatment and communication infrastructure that a city of its size requires to function properly. These stations are located on 3:00, 9:00 and 6:00 and are equipped with small fire engines and quick response vehicle for emergencies. Nurses, doctors and firefighters are the volunteers who work in this field. 2.3.Transportation The main method of transportation in BRC is bike. Bikes not only have their sole function of transportation, but they have transformed into a moving demonstration of creativity and inventiveness while meeting the necessities of harsh desert environment. This environmental friendly vehicle is the best way to get around in the vast playa and to enjoy the immediate wild nature at the same time. 14

There is a Yellow Bike program run by Burning Man which provide green bikes in the playa for burners to move around at no cost. The system works very much like the Barclays Bikes in London. People can take hold of them just when they ride them and after that they become someone elses temporary property. There is no right of possession. The bikes are the communitys property and it takes collaboration and cooperation to use them.

Figure 28 | Eyeball Bicycles by John Krieger, 2004 Vault of Heaven dust

Figure 29 | Bikes at Burning Man

2.4.Department of Mutant Vehicles Black Rock City has a no-vehicle policy. It is meant to be a pedestrian and bike friendly city. The regulations of land use and the safety of the burners limits the use of vehicles to those licensed by DMV. The Black Rock City Department of Mutant Vehicles is responsible for processing the Mutant Vehicles and issuing license for them. A Mutant Vehicle is a unique, motorized creation that shows little or no resemblance to their original form, or to any standard street vehicle. Mutant Vehicles are radically, stunningly, (usually) permanently, and safely modified from their base vehicle. (Burning Man, On the Playa n.d.) Any vehicle with minimal changes and temporary decorations or imitating the emergency and law enforcement designs are not licensed. What differs a Mutant Vehicle from an art car is the particularity of its use only in Black Rock City.

Figure 30 | Purple Bunny Art Car, 2010 Metropolis

Figure 31 | Peacock Art Vehicle, 2010 Metropolis

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Figure 32 |The Golden Mean Art Car by Jon Sarriugarte and Kyrsten Mate, 2010 Luke Szczepanski

Figure 33 | Real Surreal, 2001 The Seven Ages

2.5.Airport Black Rock City Airport located in the open playa, outside the city is another entrance to the city. It serves almost every kind of aircraft. Due to the special climate of the desert , wild winds and dust storms, it is necessary for the participants to be well prepared and advised by a group of private pilots who have the experience of flying in desert and mountain and work at BRC. The city can be reached through other nearby airports, as well. Reno international airport is popular among those who are arriving from other cities and countries and is situated only two hours away from the event. The diversity and plurality of aircrafts demands more attention to safety issues regarding the passengers and the citizens alike. Like all the other structures and the city itself, the airport is temporary. It vanishes together with the last flight from the city to the real life. 2.6.Shuttle Service Environmental, safety and traffic issues are the main reasons for the limitations in use of personal vehicles. A shuttle service provides the citizens with rides from Black Rock City to nearby towns of Gerlach and Empire. Tickets are sold in center camp. Participants may leave the city to buy supplies and make phone calls. But they are encouraged to bring all the necessary supplies for the whole week, in order not to leave the city. 2.7.Lamplighters As the disturbing sun goes down, major activities rise in the vast desert. Thus, providing light seems necessary in this deserted land. People known as lamplighters begin lighting kerosene lanterns as soon as it gets dark. The scattered lights begin to illuminate the whole city in a fashionable way. In addition to street lights, different illuminating tools which people bring to the playa, whether as a part of their artworks or just as an addition to the festive aspect of the event, adds a glamorous and carnivalesque layer to the never-ending darkness of desert. 2.8.Sanitation The sanitation system in BRC is as temporary as the city itself . There are portable toilets distributed around the city, on radial streets which are emptied by trucks on a one-hour basis. For burners using their own RV there are services available with certain fees and appointments. 2.9.Communications

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Like any other metropolis, Back Rock City has its own media. Burners are meant to be connected and updated about all the events and news on the playa. The BRC media is the organization dedicated to issuing the citys official newspaper and managing radio channel on the playa. There are other radio channels and publications within the city which are created and operated by the citizens themselves. No cell phones can operate in the desert and there are no telephones available. People in a need for making calls should travel to Gerlach, nearby town, via the BRC shuttle service. All media and connectivity services are limited within the city and are used for informing or entertaining the burners. BRC is an introvert society in this regard.

3.Economy Positioning against the capitalist American society, money has no role in defining the relations in the city. Instead, act of giving and getting presents is being promoted. Buying and selling are considered the faces of consumerism. In this regard, the city acts differently from the outer world that is highly based on capitalism. The gift economy breaks the dependence on the this economic system. Burning Man is financially dependent on the money raised by ticket selling. Black Rock City, LLC. is the company responsible for all financial and legal matters regarding the creation and management of the city. As a for-profit organization, the company has gone through several accidents, threats of shutdown and bankruptcy in its 11-year life. But it has learnt to manage all the issues regarding creation of a city with 50000 population successfully. But how long could this continue, depends on the decisions made by the new company which Burning Man is being handed over to. The new nonprofit, the burning Man Project, takes hold of the festival, along with promoting its culture through urban projects. There are certain concerns that burning man is beginning to act like a business and lose its connection to anti-commercial notions that is based on. Deciding to use burning man as an exhibition space for companys products has risen oppositions against the whole idea of decommodification. On one hand the companys insist on non-commerciality in this capitalist economy is appreciable, but on the other hand, the idea of keeping it all free from economics in unreal. The only thing that makes this process possible is the short period of the citys existence. If this model was to be generalized to a real city, it could have not survived. Because all the worlds matters are highly dependent on money and commerce. In this regard, this example of a city without money, fails.

4.Environment and Nature BRC has a very strict position in Leave No Trace policy. Burners are responsible for all the garbage they produce. They are expected to clean up after themselves. There shall be no sign of the city, except for the footprints and tire tracks. The desert shall be abandoned as it was before the creation of the city. Despite of the organizations efforts to implement this policy, there are occasions in which the traces of human beings are left. And that happens when RVs and heavy vehicles infect the ground and the air with their fuel effect. Another cultural lesson being promoted during the week is recycling. There is a theme camp dedicated to collecting the aluminum cans in Center Camp which is run by the participants. They collect and crush the cans and donate them to Gerlach School, in a nearby town. The reason behind this idea is that people should care about the land they live on and this is a step towards selfconsciousness. The garbage they produce during the week is to be delivered in their own cars to a proper place to be dumped. Some local stores in nearby cities have provided recycle bins. The 17

burners together with staff separate the garbage into recyclables. A great effort is done to make the city as environmentally friendly as possible, with the cooperation of the participants. Choosing desert as the spot for building up a city that is going to rely on peoples cooperation to survive is ideal. The harsh and unfriendly environment of the desert necessitates even more collaboration among Burners. When the dust storms hit the playa, it seems like a huge wave of sand covers the limitless open playa, surrounding the burners as if they are floating in a sea of sand. Burners describe this temporary soleness as one of the best experiences in their one week life. The nature of the desert enhances the creative spirit in people. Its emptiness simulates a blank canvas, and people like spontaneous artists who show off their latent talent in their designs. When you have no objective source of inspiration from outside, you refer to your innermost feelings, memories and essence to be inspired by, and nature plays a vital role in this process. It keeps you closer to who you are. When 50000 people experience these common feelings, they can create unbelievably strong and original pieces of art.

Figure 34 | Black Rock Desert, Nevada

Figure 35 | Burning Man, 2007

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Social Impacts As a temporary city within a festival, Black Rock City seems to provide people with an extra ordinary experience that may not happen in their daily lives. It is a chance for people to know themselves and their values and what they expect from a society that they have built without the common regulations that limit them in the real world. They learn how to respect other citizens and are encouraged to reestablish social connections that are seemed to be missed more and more. The nature of this city is based on collaboration. Burners decide how they want to contribute to the community and the survival of this city is highly depended on this cooperation. The social transformation that burners are gone through during this week have an indirect and lasting influence on their lives. Burners have always used religious symbols and motifs in creating their city and the art they try to promote and share with other citizens. Religion is not about being practiced in Burning Man, but rather it is a personal experience beyond the accepted and accustomed beliefs and norms in the society from which the burners come from. It is a challenge for people from different backgrounds and beliefs to look back at themselves and reconsider what they believe in. They usually go through a spiritual journey because of concentrating and meditating on those aspects of life which they do not get a chance to think about in their daily lives. The Temple is the physical manifestation of the human quest for the transcendent and magisterial in Black Rock City. It provides a place for people to share their personal grief and transform it into a public expression. (The Burning Blog n.d.)

Figure 36 | Fire of Fires Temple Burning Man, 2009 Evolution

Figure 37 | Group Meditation

Figure 38 | Yoga Practice, 1999. George Post

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Burning Man is often referred to as a carnival and performance stage, because of its strong emphasis on collaboration and participatory performance and encouraging participants to make a cultural space of their own and their choice, which is influenced by the postmodernist culture. Another manifestation of this movement can be seen in the artworks. The language of art in Burning Man is juxtaposition (Mlicka 2007, 30). This juxtaposition can be seen in all artistic outcomes such as costumes, vehicles, shelters and installations.

Figure 39 | Dancing with the Wind, 2011. Andrew Wyatt

Figure 40 | Performance during the Dust Storm. Tristan Savarier

Burning Man is best understood by being experienced rather than described. The common point of various experiences and participations in Burning Man is accepting the anarchic nature of the event as an approach to a heterotopian ideal (Afterburn, Reflections on Burning Man 2005, 11). Though it can simply be seen as a mega celebration of self-release, it is an ephemeral resistance against the usual egotistic trend of the American society. Any attempt to analyze burning man as a solid and concrete happening would be misleading. The nature of this event is as diverse, floating and unpredictable as the people who create it, uniting in celebration and practice of self-release and self-challenge. Burning Man is an experimental act to redefine the historical, economic and cultural meanings in relation to the real world.

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Conclusion As Burning Man matures (Afterburn, Reflections on Burning Man 2005, 22), more developed tactics and answers to environmental, technical and social issues regarding a temporary city in a deserted land, are established by Burners. And it seems that this phenomenon is becoming more manageable as time goes by and the experience of previous Burners are shared. This means the originality and novelty of this ephemeropolis (Afterburn, Reflections on Burning Man 2005, 19) can be questioned after being celebrated for more than twenty years. The quality of once a noble experience can degrade when people start simulating this city in a smaller scale worldwide. The thing is, this city was never meant to be ideal or unique. The way it started from a friendly gathering and changed to scale of a city, was only because people were attracted to it and felt a need for it. They found something in this process that they had been missing in their actual civic lives. From this point of view, it can be considered as a successful model of a city, encouraging its citizens to collaborate and share who they are and what they are capable of, and show how strong a society can be if it depends on peoples power. The most effective reason that makes all the ideal concepts possible is the short period of the citys existence. As mentioned in the introduction, no ideal city can be defined as a permanent state and no city can be called ideal unless it is shaped and inhabited by people. Just like how the burners build up a city and animate it, a city can reach closer to perfection only when it is a gradual creature shaped by people and their activities. It takes a strong context and history for a place to be the base of a city which its citizens feel a fixation towards it.

Figure 41 | DPW Group, 2009

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Bibliography Gilmore, Lee and Marc Van Proyen, ed. "Afterburn, Reflections on Burning Man." books.google.co.uk. 2005. http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=JGxHXjeMz3sC&oi=fnd&pg=PP10&dq=Burni ng+Man&ots=BEToMhKYu_&sig=PnbzCxLf781CPStEigozRoVGkU#v=onepage&q=Burning%20Man&f=false (accessed 2011). Black Rock Arts Foundation. n.d. http://blackrockarts.org/ (accessed 2011). Burning Man. n.d. http://www.burningman.com/ (accessed 2011). Burning Man Project. n.d. http://www.burningmanproject.org/about (accessed 2011). Burning Man Project. n.d. http://www.burningmanproject.org/about (accessed 2011). Burning Man, On the Playa. n.d. http://www.burningman.com/on_the_playa/playa_vehicles/dmv.html (accessed 2011). Burning Man, Theme Camps. n.d. http://www.burningman.com/themecamps/create_village.html (accessed 2011). Butcher, A. Allen. "Communitarian Theory." 1989. Drop City. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drop_City (accessed January 2012). Foucault, Michael. "Of Other Spaces, Heterotopias." French Journal Architecture (French Journal Architecture), 1984: 2. Jacobs, Jane. The Death and Life of Great American Cities. New York: Random House, 1993. Mlicka, Agnieszka. "Drawing the City, Motives and Methods." Dissertation, London, 2007. Riley, Terence. The Changing of the Avangarde: Visionary Architectural Drawings from the Howard Gilman Collection. 2002. The Burning Blog. n.d. http://blog.burningman.com/2010/05/metropol/the-street-as-an-urbansocial-space/ (accessed 2011). The Burning Blog. n.d. http://blog.burningman.com/2010/05/metropol/managing-diversity-thezoning-of-black-rock-city/ (accessed 2011). The Burning Blog. n.d. http://blog.burningman.com/2010/05/spirituality/the-temples/ (accessed 2011).

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