Gathering

THE BUILD KICKED OFF WITH TEMPERATE WEATHER AND HIGH SPIRITS. THE PLAYA WAS PACKED, AND DUST FREE. A BUILD WEEK RAINSTORM FORESHADOWED WHAT WAS TO COME…

BUT IN THE MEANTIME, BLACK ROCK CITIZENS ROLLED INTO A GLORIOUS SIX DAYS OF CREATION, CELEBRATION, AND EXPLORATION.

THE CITY AND ITS INHABITANTS WERE RADIANT.

Humans disguised as all manner of animalia danced until dawn. Combatants collided in the Thunderdome. Gate staff, Rangers, and other BRC teams kept the city running. Curious participants met new humans. Dreamers shared stories. Artists created. Creators sparked Immediacy, and animatedly embodied the year’s theme, ANIMALIA. Black Rock citizens made themselves fully, gloriously at home.

THE 2023 MAN PAVILION: “THE HIVE” BY TIM BREMNER

“Like a proper bee colony, we Burners all have our roles and exist in a beautifully designed place. This year the theme lines up nicely with what we’ve always been… one big-ass dusty beehive of applied creativity.”

~ TIM BREMNER, ARTIST

“TEMPLE OF THE HEART” BY ELA MADEJ AND REED FINLAY resembled a desert flower with a stem reaching up to the sky, served as a beacon and sundial. It created a feeling of being near a heart, wrapped in love for those who sought solace and respite.

LET’S GO: 24 HOURS AT ANIMALIA

WHETHER YOU WERE AMONG THE HUMANIMALS IN BLACK ROCK CITY OR NOT, WON’T YOU JOIN US FOR A PLAYA WANDER? PUT ON YOUR BOOTS, GRAB YOUR WATER BOTTLE, DUST MASK AND GOGGLES…

WHAT SHALL WE EXPLORE?

SUNRISE and the playa art is all a-glimmer. Some are returning to camp after a night of revelry or a long shift. Others are powering up after actually sleeping, preparing to strike out across the playa for early morning yoga, adventures, or to contribute to a community project. Is that the smell of bacon?

HIGH NOON and all but the most intrepid reel it in for naps and conversations in the shade. Maybe you’re workshopping, learning and teaching. If you’re hosting camp shenanigans, you may be a barker with a megaphone, or gifting some of that Black Rock City goodness, however you define it.

LATE AFTERNOON and day shifts are winding down. You’ve done some things and connected with people, whether in a cuddle puddle, rangering, working the Gate, or helping participants locate their lost stuff.

AS THE SUN WANES, campers wander back to help with dinner, share stories, and switch into warmer clothes. En route to camp, many get distracted by happy hours, late afternoon dance parties, or random cozy spaces. It happens.

IT’S MAGIC HOUR and the art is resplendent, glowing in unearthly orange light. Lamplighters illuminate the way as darkness falls, accompanied by a collective sunset howl. The stragglers make their way home. Many eat hastily, change into something more practical and dash out to support round-the-clock operations of this vibrant city.

NIGHT COMES ON and the vibe is electric. The city emanates with possibility. Participants shift to host, producer, Ranger or mixologist as thousands of tiny adventures beckon. Suddenly you’re off in a gaggle of bikes… traversing a vast dry lake bed alive with bioluminescent mutant creatures.

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