burningman

I heard this story from a woman I met over the weekend, who lives in Hollywood.

One of the many drones who flies around the City of Dreams with the label “writer/actor/producer,” she had finally gotten her shot with a project she’d worked up from scratch and managed to pitch to people who can make things happen.  It came from her heart, and they loved it.  Show runners with standing were on board, and the ink was wet on the contracts.

This was in 2006.  When the writer’s strike hit, everything stopped.

Everyone who had a lifeboat took one.  When the strike was over, all the people who could make things happen were already attached to other projects.

Here’s where the story gets interesting.  Of course she picked herself up and tried again.  That goes with the territory:  tourists are the only people in Hollywood who don’t expect to be regularly shot down like a marriage proposal to a stripper.

She got some more meetings and pitched her story again.  But something had happened.  “Just listening to myself,” she told me, “I could hear that it was different.  There was no more passion in my voice:  I was telling my own story, explaining my own creation, like a stranger.”

Nobody picked it up.  Why would they?  Somehow she no longer believes in it either.  Something about the way it had been lost the first time had killed her passion for it the second.

She doesn’t understand why.  She’s not sure what to do about it.  It’s a fascinating conundrum.  It’s got me thinking about the nature of creativity.

Creativity is celebrated at Burning Man.  People go to extraordinary lengths to bring their art to the playa and put tremendous effort into antics and whimsy once there.  In this atmosphere the rest of us do things we would never otherwise do;  inspiration hits, memories are made, lives are changed.

Yet creativity is also oddly taken for granted.  Yes, sometimes art pieces suck … quite a bit, actually … and some projects never make it.  Yet there’s really no concern that inspiration won’t strike somewhere:  no fear that we’ve run out of new ideas.  Nobody’s worried about coming to Burning Man and not having something amazingly unexpected happen.

For all that we encourage artists, nurture artists, support artists, celebrate artists, we’ve done remarkably little thinking about what the creative process at Burning Man is, and how it’s different from creative expression elsewhere.

To my mind it is different.  Significantly different.  In ways we may not like to admit.  Burning Man’s culture and approach is great for creativity, but terrible for art.

In the default world “art” is a ghetto for creativity.  It’s where we put it.  By holding up art as the legitimate avenue of creative expression, it is devalued it in other areas of life – creativity belongs here but not there.

By creating a wall of separation between what “artists” do (which is creative) and the rest of us do (which is not) we drain creativity form our own lives.

These are the basic assumptions, the basic rules, of the world we live in.

And most of the time, I’m okay with this.  Art is aristocratic, not egalitarian:  talent is not evenly distributed and the effort to learn artistic craft counts for much.  Some people truly are better artists, and some people are better at using the artistic talent they’ve got.  The rest of us are kept in line by their brilliance, which is justified by a sense of our own inadequacies.

But amazing things happen when those distinctions, real and meaningful as they may be, are put down for a while.  When we view the artistic capacity and brilliance of others as an invitation to play – however we can – rather than to sit and watch,  creativity becomes valued as part of every aspect of life.  You dressed yourself!  You designed a shower!  You decorated your bike!  You put on a raccoon outfit and prowled around at night!  You pretended to work for Playa Info!  You passed out orange slices!  You said “Hello” in a way no one ever has before!  Inviting creative expression that would otherwise go into these things doesn’t make them “artistic,” but it sure makes them interesting.

Burning Man may celebrate art but its larger impact is to liberate creativity from the ghetto of art.  By supporting creativity in every moment (what researcher Ruth Richards calls “Everyday Creativity”), Burning Man allows the mundane to fulfill the roles we’d otherwise turn to art for.

Art remains cool, but it actually becomes less important:  we don’t need it to inspire us because we’re already inspired.  We don’t need it as a salve to get through our daily lives (which Schopenhauer thought it was) because our moment-to-moment lives are their own salve.  Ordinary moments are filled with ambient creativity:  we have no idea what’s going to come next.

Seen through this lens, I think my new friend’s problem is that her passion has become art without creativity.  It used to have creativity, there used to be a stream of creativity flowing through it, but its sitting on the shelf for too long caused that creativity to stagnate.  Without fresh creativity moving through it, an art project is no more inspiring than painting a house or running errands.  If she wants it to live again, she has to take it someplace new.

Creativity has to move to live.  By removing the frames around art and taking much of its power away, Burning Man keeps that energy moving everywhere.  You don’t get to stagnate at Burning Man.  If you try to go through the motions, those motions, filled with the inspiration and creative power of a community, will flatten you.  Into an inspired shape no one has ever seen before.

Caveat is the Volunteer Coordinator for Media Mecca at Burning Man.  His opinions are not statements of the Burning Man organization.  Contact him at Caveat (at) Burningman.com

At Burning Man 2011, select participants were invited to an elaborate champagne dinner party, with food prepared by New York City chef Phil Winser of The Fat Radish. But who hosted the party, what was the reason for the dinner, and why were only certain participants invited? Well, the dinner was a marketing campaign for Krug. With Burning Man as a backdrop, Krug's marketing team and events agency invited society bloggers and publications such as Town & Country and W Magazine to photograph and write about the "exclusive" dinner for its brand loyalists, with the intent of getting extensive coverage and brand exposure. After the dinner and photo shoot, Krug's teams abandoned the setup and left the entire mess for Burning Man to clean up. When the New York Times asked Krug's brand director Carl Heline about Burning Man, he remarked, "It's not that different than Fashion Week." Burning Man has a long-standing policy regarding advertising at and commodification of the event. While Burning Man allows media members to publish photographs for editorial purposes, Burning Man does not permit the use of images for branded articles and product placement. Outraged by Krug's marketing campaign and disregard for Burning Man's 10 Principles, the Burning Man community has been voicing their opinions of Krug on Twitter and Facebook. Burning Man organizers have posted the entire story on The Burning Blog.

Some people just don’t get it. It is sad and upsetting for Burners when brands ignore our cultural expectations and try to pull marketing stunts on the playa, and worse yet when they pretend it’s not happening.  Due to diligent staffers and volunteers, we usually find and stop these marketing stunts, and protect our community, before the commodifiers make it into the city.

But some slip through.  This year, one company tried literally to bottle up the Burning Man experience, and turned it into a product shoot. They amplified their marketing efforts by co-opting some major publications to publish articles with photographs that violate our core principles and media policies.  They knew what they were doing, but they did it anyway.   We are sharing this story in explicit detail in order to keep the community alert to these transgressions, and to deter others who are eyeing our event as a place to launch or promote products or companies.  Let us be clear: this is not the kind of marketing activity that raises brand value. Our culture just won’t tolerate it, and it often backfires. (Burners, remember this brand, and perhaps you’ll want to weigh this as you choose your next bottle of champagne.)

In this instance, Krug, a centuries-old luxury champagne house, and its publicity machine, staged and hosted an elaborate dinner party at the trash fence on Friday night of the 2011 event. Pre-event, Krug’s PR agency pitched members of the media to photograph and report on the staged dinner for publications such as Town & Country and W Magazine. They invited society bloggers to the “exclusive” champagne dinner with the expectation of getting even more coverage, and pro photogs to shoot it. And it worked.  The organizers of this event brought paid photographers to the playa and had them falsely register with Media Mecca saying they were there to cover general art and playa happenings, instead of telling the truth;  that they were there to act as representatives of Krug – obviously knowing that if they had told the truth, they would not have been allowed to photograph.   They then pulled the dinner off entirely under the radar, had the dinner covered both by their captive media and the general media, and managed to get product placement articles published.

My friends and I came across the scene of the dinner on our art car, The Slug, en route to explore the deep playa late on Friday night. We slowed down to check out the remains of what appeared to have been a fantastically fancy party staged on a long constructed dinner table, lit by large hurricane lanterns. The stained tables had empty water bottles and other party residue strewn about.  And it was right along the trash fence. What a great place for such a dinner, we marveled. But was anyone going to clean it all up? Not a soul was around.  Krug just took their commodified photos and left the mess for us.

After Burning Man, a few attendees at the dinner came forward to share their experience with this event. They told BMHQ that the organizers lured them there by saying that it was a “birthday party,” and that it took them until about halfway through the dinner to realize that they were being photographed drinking the Krug for fashion magazines.  Once they caught on, they left in disgust.

We later found evidence of who was behind this, and why.  First, the brand boasted of the event right on their Facebook page.

 

For the brand, this was just another fancy promotional dinner held in an exotic place. They provided cases of the champagne. Their representatives hired caterers and executed a bi-coastal PR effort to promote and obtain coverage for the event. Town & Country magazine took the bait and published a photo spread replete with product placement in the print version.

It’s hard to measure what’s worst about this situation, as the many clear boundaries that were blatantly ignored makes a pretty long list. Ironically, the reporter for Town & Country even cited the 10 Principles in his story – but if you know the 10 Principles, it’s obvious that Krug and its marketing minions cared not one iota about our values:

-       Radical inclusion-  perhaps some curious passersby were invited to join the dinner, but from the looks of it this was a VIP party held for people who are on the Krug VIP email list and participants of Zoo Camp who hosted the catering company and the “Krug Art Bus” (Yuck! A branded art car?)

-       Decommodification- It is made clear to the media that registers with Media Mecca, and indeed to every participant, that “commercial sponsorships, transactions or advertising” are not welcome at Burning Man. The photographer and writer sent from Town & Country obviously knew this, which explains why they failed to mention upon registration that they had been pitched by a PR agency to cover this blatantly commercial dinner event.

-       Leaving No Trace- the original ePlaya thread on this topic was posted by a random participant wondering who was behind the big “party mess on deep playa” – the same messy scene I saw that night. That the scene of the crime was left unattended and messy shows further disregard for this practical main principle on the playa.

-       Radical Self-Reliance- These people were provided with animal costumes, shuttled from Zoo Camp in the “Krug Art Bus” to the dinner, fed, offered expensive branded champagnes and shuttled back. It’s notable that there were several Ranger interactions regarding noise complaints about this same vehicle.

Don’t get me wrong; this is not a strategic slam against “the 1%” coming out to party on the playa. In fact, it’s awesome that all 100% of us can come together at the Burn and live it up, side by side; an extreme level of beautiful decadence is constantly being created and shared at Burning Man, whether involving $150 dollar bottles of champagne or not. I support that. This isn’t a rant against an upper crust scene at the event – radical inclusion, and all.  The problem is that the Burning Man experience was co-opted by a luxury brand for marketing purposes.  And I think they deserve to be called out.

Krug, its marketing team and the PR agency they retained for this project treated Burning Man as a backdrop, throwing just another exclusive party for their brand loyalists who were personally invited to attend, in order to create marketing material commodifying Burning Man.

The attitude here is easily summed up by a direct quote from the brand director at Krug who oversaw the dinner. When interviewed by the The New York Times and asked about Burning Man, Krug’s Carl Heline says, “It’s not that different than Fashion Week.” If Burning Man is no different than Fashion Week, Carl, you’re doing it wrong.

Burning Man allows media members to publish photographs in the weeks around the event, so long as they are published only for editorial purposes.  Branded articles and product placement do not fit within that permission.  After the event, we found that W Magazine had published a photo essay of the dinner.  We approached W Magazine about this transgression, and it had the good sense to take their photo essay on the dinner down.  But not before a whole rash of fashion and foodie blogs picked up the story (now all links to it are dead). And this was the story that was retweeted by the catering company and Krug’s corporate Twitter accounts. C’mon:

Krug Champagne @KrugChampagneUS: Beautifully captured thnx2 @heartforaneye RT: @TarynCoxTheWifeThe dinner I attended at Burning Man! AMAZING!wmagazine.com/parties/2011/0…

Town & Country Magazine contacted us post-event for photo review and permission.  By that time, we had found out that this was not a real Burning Man event, but a product placement story, and we refused permission for Town & Country to publish any photographs from the event. Sadly, they sent the story to press anyway, very much in violation of the photographer’s agreement with Burning Man which prohibited any such publication.  Unfortunately, the timing was too short for us to file a lawsuit against them enjoining the publication.  That’s what BMHQ does to prevent this type of commodification.

So this tactic has made Burning Man even more alert.  Town & Country is no longer welcome at the event, for their part in this subterfuge, and for their violation of the user agreement signed by their photographer.   If Burning Man participants refuse to buy Krug champagne because of this, there will be an economic cost to them, and others who try the same shehanigans.  Thanks to Krug and its merry band of lotus-eaters, Burning Man will crack down harder on any branded cars or camps it sees.

And all of you are necessary to protect our event.  My call to action: If you see suspicious marketing activities like this going on at the event, subtle or not, every participant should feel empowered to contact a Black Rock Ranger or any organizer to report the activity for investigation. Media Mecca is also here to help follow up on these occurrences, and you can report it if you see it post-event via press [Email address: press #AT# burningman.com - replace #AT# with @ ] . The organizers work hard to keep Burning Man from turning into another commercialized, sponsored event, and we’re grateful that most participants are willing to help keep eyes out for this unwanted activity.

 

Holding the line,

Evil Pippi Evil Pippi, aka Candace Locklear, helped form the Burning Man media team in 1997 and remains a loyal participant.

 

 

It has been a long night.

No one is stirring in camp. It is dark and quiet. As quiet as things get, anyway. The dance still rages on in all directions, but it sounds faint now that you’re home again.

The stars have moved a lot. The wind is chilly. Your legs ache, and your eyes are heavy. Take a slug of water. A few drops spill on the dust. Take another swallow.

You pan through the darkness with your pale headlamp. There’s your tent, just like you left it, rainfly flapping around unzipped. Pop a squat on the fold-up camping stool that wound up becoming yours. Your feet feel glad.

Time to untie those boots again. The laces have hardened and caked with dust, as have your fingernails, but you manage to loosen the knot. You work the laces free. Grab onto your right boot with both hands and yank, harder, prying the heel off first. Feel your toes in your stiff socks slipping out. Peel away that sock and throw it in your tent. Forget about it for a few more days until it’s time to pack up and go.

Now the other lace, the other boot, the other sock. Your grateful feet feel the wind. You turn on your stool and slip into your flip flops, which live outside your tent flap this week. Don’t touch the bare playa with your feet, they said on the first day. You’ve done your best.

Twist the grooves, flip the lid, drink more water.

Remember dinner? Remember the pasta Val had just finished making when you rolled back into camp, sunburned, elated, knowing more about acupuncture than you knew there was to know? Your bottles were empty, so you refilled them from the jug hidden in the shade under the car. You put on your chapstick, which a woman in a top hat had given you that morning. And Val handed you a steaming bowl of green linguine covered in marinara sauce she was making all day long.

Then everybody started getting dressed, trying on different colors, painting faces in the side mirrors of each other’s cars, clipping LEDs onto various parts of outfits, then moving them. Everybody refilled their water bottles again. The sun set behind the mountains, and the neighborhood erupted with whoops and hollers and cheers.

Finally, at last, everyone was ready, and you rode off down the spire toward the thumping drums and blinking lights.

The night whirled by in song and dance and shouted conversations. Your party split and rejoined and split again, everyone pulling in different directions. You jammed for an hour under a geodesic dome. You were nearly run over by a Victorian mansion on wheels, and then you jumped aboard and rode for a while. You traded jewels with a man whose accent you could barely understand. You watched hapless players lose an impossible game, and flames shot into the sky.

And after all that, you’re home again. Another day and night blown away. Slug more water. Time for bed.

Unclip your lights, remove your bracelets and other charms, stuff them in your pack. Remove the glowsticks from your shirt pockets.

Get the graywater jug, your toothbrush and toothpaste. The bristles are hardened now, but it feels good and clean. Spit into the jug, try not to smell it. Rinse with clean, cold water from your bottle, spit again. Screw the cap back on and slide the graywater back under the car. A few drops spill on the ground.

Splash a little water on your face, wipe it with a dirty shirt. Who cares? You’re really fading now. Shuffle over to the tent. Yank on the zipper, yank some more until the flap gives way.

The horizon is starting to glow. Just a little bit.

The quiet pulses in your ears. Throw down your coat. Collapse onto the air mattress. You sink toward the ground, and it folds around you. Pull the dusty, woolen blanket over you. You made it. You’re home. It’s warm again.

You survived.

All photos by the all-seeing Scott London.

Blowfish Sushi is proud to present an exhibition of the digital art of Android Jones. You'll remember Jones' work from BRAF's 2008 Artumnal Gathering flyer - a stunning image! This is the second in a series of exhibits of 2D work by Burning Man regulars, curated by LadyBee. 20% of the profits will be donated to the Black Rock Arts Foundation. Thanks Blowfish and Android Jones! Android Jones - Opening Reception Tuesday, May 15, 2012, 6:00-9:00 PM Blowfish Sushi 2170 Bryant St San Francisco, CA. Android Jones is at the forefront of the visionary art movement, a wave of artists who emphasize creativity as the foundation of consciousness and an agent of social change. As a digital alchemist, Android builds on the technical developments of past centuries in art history while pushing the boundaries of the imagination with new technology and media forms. Moving beyond pencils, ink, and brushes, Android develops latent possibilities within software programs such as Painter, Photoshop, ZBrush, and Alchemy, discovering new combinations and uses for tools that exceed the original intentions of their programmers. In Android's live art performances, including the acclaimed Phadroid dance performances with wife Phaedra Ana, he incorporates elements of chance and improvisation, inviting synchronicities that additionally exceed the individual artist's intentions and allow for unscripted moments of beauty to shine through. As an experience designer, Android has contributed to films, games, and to building communities through www.conceptart.org and www.dreamcatcher.net, and his interactive installations have enchanted tens of thousands of participants at events like Boom and Burning Man. Viewing the digital domain as a medium of energy and light capable of expanding the nature of reality, Android's art encourages others to explore the potential interfaces of mind and machine in this time of accelerating change and increasing novelty. To this end, Android's art serves two related functions: it bears witness to realities accessible through heightened states of consciousness, and it also engenders heightened awareness through the processes of creation and audience interaction. Digital art becomes a tool for navigating reality and human awareness, and Android's art invites others to join the advancing evolution of consciousness by speaking to the artist in everyone. www.androidjones.com

The Black Rock Arts Foundation is proud to announce our support of The Spirit of the Man exhibition in Santa Rosa, California. The Spirit of the Man, a new sculpture exhibition at Paradise Ridge Winery, opens on May 20, 2012. This yearlong show features 38 major works by sculptors based locally and throughout the United States, many of whom are well known and loved among BRAF's community. The Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation shares BRAF's goals of creating new, accessible venues for public art, and of sharing our favorite works of art with the greater community. The Spirit of the Man Paradise Ridge Winery 4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive (in the Fountaingrove area of Santa Rosa) Santa Rosa, CA 95403 Opening Reception (featuring many of the participating artists) Sunday, May 20, 2012 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. Exhibit hours May 20, 2012 – May 2013 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M, open daily. In addition to the opening celebration on May 20, there will be both educational and festive events focused around solstices, equinoxes and eclipses, all incorporating a message about the value of publicly accessible art. The show includes significant works by world- renowned sculptors, centered on three genres: modern abstract; contemporary post modern; and work created for Black Rock City in the Nevada desert. Check out this list of participating artists! Featuring artwork by: Ray Beldner Roger Berry
 David Best
 Suzanne Biaggi Kate E. Black
 Riis Burwell
 Rebecca Nase Chomyn Michael Christian Robert Ellison Boback Emad Peter Forakis Orion Fredericks Chuck Ginnever Edwin Hamilton Bruce Johnson Ned Kahn Laura Kimpton Pat Lenz Kristina Lucas Michael McGinnis Penny Michel David Mudgett Jann Nunn Mark Oldland John Parulis
 Jeff Schomberg Judson King Smith Julie Speidel Bryan Tedrick Doug Unkrey Mario Uribe Nick Van Krijdt Paul Van Lith Arnie Voigt Voigt/Unkrey William Wareham About the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation More than an art exhibition, The Spirit of the Man honors artist and art patron Al Voigt, co-founder of the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation, who passed away in 2011. Al’s generosity and artistic vision are widely recognized for boosting the quality and quantity of public art in Northern California. For more information: www.thespiritoftheman.com www.prwinery.com www.voigtfoundation.org The Spirit of the Man is curated by the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation. The lead sponsor is the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation. Generous sponsors include Paradise Ridge Winery, h2hotel, Black Rock Arts Foundation, Anorcase Foundation, Oliver Ranch Foundation, Peter and Beverly Lipman, and Jean Schulz.

Kate Raudenbush and crew are busy installing Future's Past at Patricia's Green in Hayes Valley. Join her, her crew and BRAF's lively community of supporters at the Opening Reception, this Thursday!

• Performance by Cello Street Quartet - playing pop and rock songs, with a classical twist (facebook.com/CelloStreetQuartet)
• Off The Grid food vendors with special discounts for BRAF supporters!
• Special discounts for BRAF supporters at local businesses, including Ritual Coffee, Smitten Ice Cream and Suppenkuche's Biergarten!

Kate watches as her piece is raised into the air, ... carefully hoisted over its new site, ... and guided into place by her crew. Funding is still needed for this project. Visit blackrockarts.org and make a donation today!

The other week Burning Man’s San Francisco office held a goodbye party for Andie Grace – Action Girl! – who is leaving us because eventually all the good ones do.  (That’s actually the 3rd noble truth of Buddhism.)  It was a good party:  there were heavy cocktails, helium balloons, hors d’oeuvres, and speeches.

A lot of people, it turns out, have been inspired in life changing ways by the gifts of Grace.

At the time I didn’t say anything.  As regular readers of this blog know, I only attend Burning Man functions for the open bar.  Andie gets that about me.  Still, in hindsight my silence that day was a mistake.

Andie Grace is entirely responsible for my taking up the volunteer work I have performed for Burning Man for the past five years – and the story of how that happened, while not entirely flattering, seems worth sharing in order to thank her properly.

This story also might be enlightening for those who think Burning Man’s organization works like a well oiled machine, and who think that the Org is always plotting five steps ahead.  It’s not.  From the very first experience I had volunteering for Burning Man, it’s been clear that rather than leading from the front the Org spends much of its time desperately trying to keep up with all the things the rest of us do.

The story goes like this:

I moved to San Francisco over six years ago and the only people I knew were brilliant artists who’d invite me to a warehouse party and then disappear for months at a time.  They wouldn’t answer their texts but then I’d bump into them during a Viennese waltz at an absinthe tasting and we’d hang out on the roof until sunrise.

Such friendships are only healthy as part of a balanced social life – and I didn’t have one.  I really needed to meet some new people.

I’d been to Burning Man before, and thought that volunteering might be a good way to make local connections, so I went to one of the periodic volunteer fairs they held back at the old headquarters.

There are many ways to help out at Burning Man, but most of them are for … how to put this delicately … “competent people.”  I am not one.  I call the landlord to get my shower head fixed;  I survive on cold Chinese take-out because my microwave outsmarts me;  Whenever I call up friends to say I’m thinking about killing myself they always respond:  “Yeah, sure, like you can use tools.”

So building roads or fixing buildings or making dinner for artists was just not a feasible option.  Burning Man’s dangerous enough already.  But when I saw they had a media team to work with the press, I thought:  “Okay, I can do that.”  I have a background in that.

So I walked over to the Media Mecca booth.

I chatted with a few people, they seemed nice, and the job didn’t involve power tools, so I gave out my email and was told they’d be in touch.  A few days later I got a form email thanking me for attending the open house and explaining that the media team was between Volunteer Coordinators, so things were a little up-in-the-air.  Meanwhile our first step was to go online, fill out a volunteer survey, and make sure to check the “Media Mecca” box.

I followed the link, looked at the survey, and thought:  “Well, that’s kinda boring.”

It was (and is) so … utilitarian.  So straightforward.  So blasé.  I mean, “Interests and Talents,”  “What Do You Do For a Living,” “Degrees,” blah blah blah.  What kind of questions are those?  Filling out a survey like that, I thought, defeats the whole point of going to Burning Man in the first place.

So I decided to make my survey a lot more interesting.

I admit it:  for a guy who can’t even swing a hammer I am enormously demanding.

Listed here, for the first time outside of the Burning Man database, are a few of my answers to the Burning Man volunteer questionnaire.  They are real and unaltered (except for formatting) :

———

Emergency Contact: 

As a Cynic, I believe we are fundamentally on our own.  As an alcoholic, I believe that I don’t have a problem:  YOU have a problem!  Taken together, these two principles suggest that, in an emergency, what are you doing talking about my sister?  If I weren’t so drunk I’d kick your ASS!

Medical Condition:  

It’s being described in detail in an upcoming issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.  Look for it in June!  If you bring me a copy, I’ll sign it for you on the page where something’s gone horribly wrong in my limbic system.

Current Medications: 

Does anyone at Burning Man ever answer this honestly?  I swear to God – some of these people would sniff medical waste if they heard that’s what the kids at the clubs were doing now.

Something else you would like to tell us:

My dream is to finally crush the Amazing Spider-Man.

He’s managed to elude me so far – it’s almost as though he has some kind of strange “spider-sense” that warns him of danger. And he is formidable – possessing the proportionate strength and speed of a human sized spider.  When I attacked him with monkeys he was able to leap to safety.

If only I knew his secret identity!  Then I could attack when he least suspects it!

In the meantime, I’m preparing a small army of the world’s greatest villains – headed by my chief minion “The Vanishing Gingersnap.” They include:

• “Rohrshach” – he could be a rabbit.  He could be a chicken.  He could be your mother!  There’s no way to tell!
• “Syntax” – He possesses the power to cloud men’s grammar!
• “Statistical Mean” – the world champion of “Bell Curve” based martial arts!
• “The Quantum Mechanic” – they called her “unmeasurable” at the institute!

I didn’t want to be a super villain.  But not everyone’s cut out to be America’s Next Top Model.  This is a reasonable compromise.  I’m only human.

 Degrees: 

Are you serious?  Do you want a transcript, too?  I got a scholarship, you know.  Oh aren’t I just the best!

————

That’ll do it, I remember thinking.  That’ll either amuse the hell out of them, or get me blacklisted.  There wasn’t one useful piece of information in the survey – except insofar as it demonstrated that I was the kind of person who would answer a volunteer survey this way.  Sometimes it’s good to go for broke.

I sent it off.  I didn’t hear back that day.

Or the next day.  Or the next one.

Or that week.

Or that month.

Or that fiscal quarter.

Or that year.

By that point, I’d long given up hope.  Sometimes these things just don’t work out.  And hey, I figured if Burning Man was the kind of organization that would be turned off by a survey like that, we probably weren’t meant to work together.

… Stupid Burning Man …

After almost exactly 18 months, I got an email.  From Andie.  “Well hello!” it said …

I was just perusing the Volunteer database over here looking to fill a role on the media team, and came across your questionnaire — and my first thought was, “Wow, how’d I miss THIS one the first time he came through? We must capture him at once!”

Andie suggested that this incident showed just how desperately the team really, really, really needed someone to fill that Volunteer Coordinator role she’d been hoping to get looked at a year-and-a-half-ago.  Would I like to do that?  Would I?

Thus began my five-plus years volunteering for the media team.

Despite its delayed start, Andie proved to be the perfect boss:   her gut told her I would do the job, and she trusted me enough to prove her right.  She left me alone when I was on track, but was always attentive when I came to her with an issue.  Not once, ever, did I feel like my concerns weren’t important to her or the organization – and while they couldn’t always solve my issues, she always made it clear that they were her issues too.  Most importantly, it turned out that Andie hadn’t put me in a leadership role on the team in spite of my being a freak, but because of it.  She, too, felt that competence wasn’t enough.  She never needed to tell me to have fun with this job – she brought me in exactly because she knew I’d go the extra mile to make sure that happened.  That fun is contagious, and the result has been a new batch of volunteers who enjoy the hell out of the work we do.

This is a rare combination of right decisions – one I’ve frankly never found anywhere else.  It’s so easy for a big organization to lose track of the fact that each volunteer has a unique experience that can’t be reduced to a checkmark or a number.  The best way to deal with people is always by being a person.  Andie’s greatest skill (among many) may be the way she brings out the humanity in others.

It’s worth noting that on the media team 5 years ain’t nuthin’ for a volunteer to put in and come back smiling.  I’m still a relatively junior volunteer:  a lot of exceptional people have been coming back for decades.   Andie’s been a big part of the that.

Many thanks, Girl of Action, for giving me the chance to step up and make a difference.  Thank you for taking chances on unusual people.  Thank you for the open bars.

I hope you know I’ve been laughing my ass off.  I have a feeling you do.

Caveat is the Volunteer Coordinator for Media Mecca at Burning Man.  His opinions are not statements of the Burning Man organization.  Contact him at Caveat (at) Burningman.com

[Judes is the Burner mom of an 11-year old baby-Burner, and founder of Black Rock Scouts.]

Burning Man has been a family affair from the very beginning. When Jerry James and Larry Harvey burned the first Man in 1986, their 5-year old sons Robin and Trey built a Burning Dog alongside their dads.

Because the playa is a colossal day-glow playground, children feel right at home. Kids already live in make-believe worlds, so when they experience the magic of Black Rock City, it feels natural to the way they view the world. Tots know how to play and have fun without inhibition, hesitation or fear of judgment. Follow that Art car! As a parent, I know it’s really my reaction that colors my kid’s reaction to something. Us grownups can learn a few things from tiny folk and how they embrace the art and culture of Black Rock City.

TICKETS AND LOST CHILDREN

Burning Man enthusiastically welcomes children of all ages to Black Rock City, and kids 12 and younger don’t require a ticket. BRC’s infrastructure supports the presence of families, and has an excellent record in regard to the welfare of children. There have been no incidents of child abuse, abductions, molestations or serious injuries. Should a child be reported as missing, Black Rock Rangers initiate a Lost Child shutdown — an all-hands alert goes out to all law enforcement and infrastructural staff, citizen alerts are broadcast on BMIR, and the Gates are closed for all traffic until the child is located – usually, within minutes. A parent or guardian with a lost child should go to a Ranger right away. There are Ranger stations in Center Camp and at 3 and 9 o’clock Plazas, and Rangers rove the streets in their distinctive khaki costumes – they are there to help.

KIDSVILLE

In 2001, Kidscamp (a family village) was established as a supportive haven for parents.  Now known as Kidsville, the village has evolved into a space where families can happily live and play with other crusty little Burners. The village makes wristband ID’s for all their child campers, creates mini-theme camps with kid activities, and has its own in-house Ranger liaison. It is a place for families to support one another and share resources and kid-friendly good times. By 2011, the population of Kidsville swelled to over 600. Any family can camp at Kidsville so long as they have children with them. Contact TK to join the group or get advice about camping with kids. The entire radial area from 5:30-5:30 is designated “Family Friendly.”

WHO’S RESPONSIBILITY? PARENTS, OF COURSE!

Even with safety precautions and family areas in place, the ultimate responsibility is on parents to keep their children safe (it’s printed right on the ticket). Burner parents don’t plan to let their children wander freely on their own any more than they do back home — just because we are Burners, it doesn’t mean we take a week off from being responsible parents.

Communication is key – parenting is hard on the playa. Don’t kid yourself – we all become tired and cranky out there in the harsh desert. Think through your childcare choices – do you have an alternate for when you need a break, a nap, or a respite? Will your kid be able to sleep in a city where sound never really does? Not every child’s personality is suited for Burning Man, and parenting on the playa is not for every parent.

DUST

Make sure you have read the survival guide and are ready to take on camping in the desert. Dust is one of the biggest challenges of parenting on the playa.  You need to make sure you and your little ones have goggles, wet naps, lip balm, face masks/bandanas, hats, sunscreen, water and heat-resistant snacks – every time you leave your camp, even for a trip to the bathroom.  Dust will get into your tent, into your luggage, into every thing you bring.

Plan costumes as survival gear in a harsh place. Zippers may break (tip: lube them with a chapstick!) and feathers will definitely fly away (so don’t bring them!). Prepare for the dust and wind. Dust will dry up noses and crack your hands and bare feet.  Skin care is important on the playa, so wipe your kid’s skin down every night with wet naps and apply healthy oils/moisturizers to the dry bits. White vinegar mixed with water will also cut the dust.  Most Burners bring vinegar with them to clean – everything—before, during and after the event.

TEN PRINCIPLES

While survival skills are key, playa-cation doesn’t end with sunscreen and water bottles. As parents, we can teach our offspring about the Burning Man culture, compassion, responsibility, respect, self-reliance, courtesy and generosity. Although it’s fun to dress them in pink fur, children are not playa accessories. They are part of the community, and have the same responsibilities that adults do. At the same time, kids are citizens of Black Rock City; they bring freshness and diversity to the playa, and they deserve the same respect and radical inclusion as any adult Burner.

GIFTING

A word on gifts – your kid will likely get more gifts than you do! This can be one of the fun parts of being a child at Burning Man – many people appreciate seeing young people in our culture and may go out of their way to reach out to your family as you walk the streets, sometimes offering gifts or treats to express welcome. Black Rock City is a place where strangers are encouraged to meet, interact, and share openly with one another, but it’s important to acknowledge that it is still the real world, and to talk about personal safety. Kids should be reminded that in any gathering of this size, there can be people present who do not have our best interests in mind, and that just because gifting is one of our tenets that doesn’t mean you have to say yes to “candy from strangers” or stay in situations that don’t feel right.

THE ANTI-KID BURNER

There are some Burners who believe children do not belong on the playa. As a parent, I absolutely respect those opinions. Those I’ve spoken to have their reasons; some come to Burning Man to get away from their kids, some have grown kids and don’t want to deal with somebody else’s snotty-nose toddler and some simply don’t want to have to curb their behavior in front of children. It’s totally understandable.

The good news is, BRC is a big place. Respect goes both ways. There is plenty of room for every kind of experience, and for the most part, a parent can steer clear of adult activities with only a little planning and awareness. Over the years, when I’ve bumped into something I felt was inappropriate for my son, I simply went the other way. For me, those moments are opportunities to talk openly with my kid about taboo topics that might not otherwise come up between us. It has kept communication open between me and my son, in a really positive way.

BABY BURNERS ARE HERE TO STAY

The baby-Burner population continues to grow every year — and not just because babies are conceived on the playa. Even newbies are bringing their young. Still, the math is simple: Burners + Burners = homegrown organic free-range baby Burners. Burners naturally want to share their experience with their offspring, and have the rare opportunity to grow model-Burners from the ground up. What better way to assure our culture, integrity and principals will be instilled in the next generation?

A child-free Burner recently told me that she appreciates the difficult job that parents do. Kids are the future for us all… so breeders are not just raising their own kids, they are raising her kids too.

Below are some resources for families. We’d love to hear about yours!

Newsletter from Larry Harvey, on children

Advice for Burning Man with Kids

Kidsville

 

 

As you wander into your camp at the end of an amazing week at Burning Man, your friend turns to you and says, “I wish I could live like this all the time.”

Your immediate response is to yell, “What, are you freaking crazy?” Followed by a list of reasons from food to hygiene to exhaustion that it is not possible.  And ultimately, a seed is planted and you start to think what would a lifestyle based on your experience during that one week in the desert really look like.

Over the past 6 months I have visited 25 communities around the USA and Canada and I have found that living “like this” all year round is not only possible, it takes on a wide variety of shapes and sizes.

It looks like Sally, a young professional.  She is accomplished in her field and well-regarded by her co-workers.  Everyone knows she goes to Burning Man and the local regional event.  Those are her holidays and she gets them every year.   During the evenings and weekends, she paints, organizes events around town, and occasionally performs.  She is part of several overlapping communities that revolve around her art, a board game group, and the time she volunteers for the food bank as part of Burners Without Borders.  This is what living this lifestyle all the time can look like.

Mike is moving into his first house with Cindy, the wife he met at Interfuse 3 years ago.  She is a yoga teacher and he is a carpenter.  They organize burlesque shows and donate the proceeds to a different charity chosen before each event.  They have no children but are already talking about it.  They are active with a local community of Burners and regularly attend all the major events in the area.  But they are spending more time organizing shows, helping friends with other projects, working on their art, and hosting small dinner parties.  The have only been to Burning Man once in the 10 years they have been involved with the local Burner community.  This is what living this lifestyle all the time can look like.

Jim can be cranky sometimes but man does he come up with some crazy ideas, knows how to get them done, and he sure can make you laugh.  Everyone knows that they can count on him for help and knowledge about how to wire anything.  His metal sculptures are amazing.  After years of challenges, he is now making money off of his art and gets to travel extensively.  About every 3 years — sometimes more, sometimes less — he takes a large piece out to Burning Man.   This is what living this lifestyle all the time can look like.

The Groups are a group of intentional communities spread around the city.  The all work together to create larger-than-life events.  Each house has its own ethos, style and purpose.  The annual Thanksgiving day party at one of the larger houses has become a staple of the local scene.  Everyone living in this community has made art, music or performance a daily part of their lives.  Some have called these urban theme camps.  The housing ranges from a large farm house to industrial lofts.  You can count on an event happening in one of the spaces at least once a month and you know you have a place to do that performance you have been working on.  Because as much as these are living spaces, they are community spaces too.  This is what living this lifestyle all the time can look like.

As many attendees as there have been out to Burning Man over the years, there are ways to live this lifestyle all year round.  There are a few things you can do .

1) Participate! Reach out to your local community.  There are communities everywhere.  If you happen to live in a place without a community, start watching the Burning Man email list for your area.  During the coming months, there will be people on these lists looking for someone in their area and you could be that person.  And this connection could be the seed that grows into your own local community.

2) Find a way to express your creativity.  This can come in many forms: production, cat herder, performer, aikido, or craftsperson to name just a few.  It doesn’t matter the form just as long as you are doing something.

3) Be willing to experiment with many forms of this lifestyle until you find a one that fits.  Not everyone wants to live in a 24/7 loft space with no schedule.   And it might not make sense to drop everything and start making a film.  Living a lifestyle based on your experience with a Burning Man or Regional Event is possible if you want.

 

 

This year, a record 349 applicants submitted grant proposals seeking almost $5 million in total funding. The grant committee did the difficult work to winnow down this list to 47 projects, awarding more than $700,000 – the most ever, and a $100,000 increase over last year. This year’s list of artists includes many returning artists, as well as some new blood. We’re also very excited to announce that David Best — Burning Man’s original Temple builder — will return after a three-year hiatus to build the Temple of Juno this year.

Thank you to all who submitted grant proposals, and congratulations to this year’s honorarium artists … we’re very excited by this year’s artistic offering. Here’s the full list of the honorarium art projects for 2012:

Almost — Michael Christian — Berkeley, CA — http://michaelchristian.com/

Arc Harps — Jen Lewin — Boulder, CO — http://jenlewinstudio.com/community-sculpture/the-arc-harps/

Bapteme De Feu 2.0 — Anton Viditz-Ward — Telluride, CO — http://www.totallyawesomewow.com/Baptemedefeu/bapteme_du_feu.html

Bicycle Arpeggio — George Rahi — Bellingham, WA — http://publiksecrets.wordpress.com/bicycle-arpeggio-a-burning-man-art-project/

Burn Wall Street — Otto Von Danger — Oakland, CA — http://burnwallstreet.net/

Char Wash — Christopher Schardt — Oakland, CA — http://schardt.org/

City Of Lights — Gary Long — Los Angeles, CA — http://burningtribe.com/

Dragon Smelter — Daniel Macchiarini — San Francisco, CA — http://www.macreativedesign.com/public/bm.html

EGO — Laura Kimpton & Michael Garlington — Vineburg, CA — http://laurakimpton.com/about/

Front Porch — Zac Carroll — Mill Valley, CA — http://www.thefrontporchandbessie.com/

Fusion Fire — Team What-Dat-Do — Seattle, WA — http://fusionfireart.tumblr.com/

Harmonic Fire Pendula — Matthew Dockrey — Seattle, WA — http://attoparsec.com/artifacts/harmonicfirependula.html

Labyrinth Of Colorful Cloud — Rob Fischer — Brooklyn, NY — http://www.gofundme.com/fvh50&aff=GFMse

Luminous Passage 2.0 — Predock Frane Architects vs. Anderson — San Francisco, CA

Lune & Tide — Sarah Cockings & Laurence Symonds — London, UK

Man Pavilion Pistil — Gregg Fleishman — Oakland, CA — http://www.greggfleishman.com/

MetaMorph — Chelsea Jenkins — Alta Loma, CA

Mooving Sculpture — David Boyer — Reno, NV — http://www.boyersculpture.com/index.html

Murmuration — Jeff Maguire — Santa Monica, CA — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0spySCNqfoM

Neverwas Haul — Shannon O’Hare — Vallejo, CA — http://neverwashaul.com/

Otic Oasis 2.0 — Gregg Fleishman (Artist) & Melissa Barron (Concept) — Oakland, CA — http://www.greggfleishman.com/

Perception In The Absence Of Reality — David Clay (playa name Egg Shen) — Seattle, WA — http://daveclay.com/blackrockcity/

Pier 2 — Matt Schultz/The Pier Group — Carnelian Bay, CA — http://photoscribbles.tumblr.com/

Pins — Tom Woodall — Kennewick, WA

Pyropodium — Noah Rosenthal and Nathan Clark — Cleveland Heights, OH

Remembering Cap’n Jim — Dave Power — Pagosa Springs, CO

Reno Star — Mark Szulgit — Sebastapol, CA

Serpent Twins — Jon Sarriugarte & Kyrsten Mate — Oakland, CA – http://formandreform.com/wordpress/?page_id=4444

Singularity Transmissions — Troy Stanley and TEAM RX/TX — Houston, TX — http://www.singularitytransmissions.com/

Star Seed — Kate Raudenbush — New York, NY — http://www.kateraudenbush.com/

Starport 2.012 (Cafe Portal) — Carey Thompson — Novato, CA — http://www.galactivation.com/

Sub-Sonarium — Benjamin Carter & Daniel Yasmin — Oakland, CA — http://www.benjamincarpenter.com/backbone-radiation/the-sub-sonarium/

Sun Bugs — Adel Kerpely — Brooklyn, NY — http://adelkerpely.com/

Super Street Fire — Seth Hardy & Site 3 coLaboratory — Toronto, Canada — http://site3.ca/projects/superstreetfire/

The Temple Of Juno — David Best — Petaluma, CA — http://thetemplecrew.org/juno.html

Tesseract — James Reinhardt & Scott Chico Raskey — Seattle, WA

Third Space at Burning Man — Alexander Rehn & Greutmann & Bolzern — San Francisco, CA

Through The Gorilla Glass — GUILD – Spencer Rand, Johnathan Wong, Andrea Ling, Patrick Svilans and Jonah Humphrey — Toronto, Canada — http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/exhibition.aspx?zone=B&mapID=6

Timing Is Everything — Charlie Smith — Atlanta, GA — http://www.howhowhow.com/

Transcendental Cube — Joseph Quinn — Los Angeles, CA

Tree Of Transformation — Dadara — Amsterdam, Netherlands — http://blog.artasmoney.com/blog/transformoney-tree-burning-man-2012/

Tree Of Transmutation — Kevin Christman — Talent, OR — http://kevinchristman.com/

Universe Revolves Around You — Zachary Coffin — Atlanta, GA — http://www.zacharycoffin.com/

Yoga Robot — Scott Harris — Telluride, CO

Zoa — Flux Foundation — San Francisco, CA — http://fluxfoundation.org/zoa/

Zonotopia and the Two Trees — Rob Bell — San Francisco, CA http://www.indiegogo.com/Zonotopia

Burning Man is not your typical festival … not by a longshot.  If you’re a first timer, you honestly don’t have any idea what you’re really in for — and just how great (or miserable) your Burning Man experience will be is directly proportional to how well you’ve prepared. Lucky for you, there are a LOT of veteran Burners who are eager to share their expertise with you to get you oriented so that you’re ready to take this incredible experience head-on and rock it.  They’re gifting their time and talents to help the greater community … because that’s what we do (Gifting and Communal Effort are two of the Ten Principles, after all).  Read on, and find one in your local area. Also, you’re encouraged to hook up with your local Regional Network group and get connected.

Chicago:  Late July See burningmanchicago.com for updates

Portland, OR: “Burning Man for Beginners” orientation class in May 2012, details will be posted at BurningmanPortland.com

Seattle: Now in its tenth year, the Seattle Regional Newbie Picnic has something for everyone! Are you a newbie about to take your inaugural trip to the playa? Come and meet seasoned vets who can share all sorts of tips and tricks. Seasoned vet? Here’s a great chance to help out the new folks by showing off cool gadgets, sharing time and space saving tricks, imparting dusty wisdom and/or just bragging about your playa experiences. Food and beverages will be provided but note – this is an ALL-AGES, ALCOHOL FREE event. No really, alcohol free. It’s in a public park.

Date: Sunday July 29th Location: Heart of the Burner Triangle: Judkins Park SW Corner. Point Your Map Location Devices Here: http://tinyurl.com/3hwgupq

Barcelona (Spain): From Barcelona! This is Diana the Bcn RC and I wanted to let you know about our event that will take place on April 28th. It is called Barcelona Burning Bash (BBB) and we will highlight the Gifting principle. The idea is that every edition highlights one of the 10 principles. At this event we will give the participators a little taste of the Burning Man culture, starting out with “Dust Devils” a 45 minute documentary on Burning Man and several other videos including “Gifting” by Halcyon. We will also infuse gifting into the experience by inviting people to participate in interactive games with gifting-like interactions, and giving participants “love-notes” with transformational messages. The night will be blessed with many performances by dancers, musicians, dj’s, artists, and circus freaks. We will also have a costume camp and a “Ask-a-Burner” booth. This booth will be hosted by experienced burners where newbies can ask questions and sign-up for mailing lists. Our event will also focus a lot on our regional event Nowhere. Our intention is to inform locals about the BM culture and inspire them to participate in our community, Nowhere and Burning Man. have a look at the FB event page https://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/events/344560798916741/

Monterey, CA: Spring Fling Campout & Ranger Roundup Fremont Peak, California June 15-17 $20/per person includes camping on Friday & Saturday night – kids under 18 free with parent or legal guardian $10/per person – day pass During this campout there will be a Ranger Training, Black Rock Scouts Training and Virgin Workshop. Virgin Workshop will be on Saturday, June 16, at  11a. www.montereyburners.com to register for the campout or for your day pass. Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/events/158449297608278/

Los Angeles: We will be hosting three Newbie Orientations before the Burn. One in May, June, and July. Please check www.laburningman.com for specific dates, times, and locations. Events are also listed on our facebook page LA Burning Man.

Great Lakes Area: Newbie Orientation at this year’s Lakes of Fire in Michigan. Read the WWW guide to find out more details and time and location.

Arizona: Arizona will be holding its 9th Annual Newbie Orientation in July… dates being firmed up but we are shooting for Saturday July 14th. http://azburners.org/newbie.htm

The Burning Man culture – (What is Burning Man and who are these people) How to prepare for Burning Man – (Lists, packing, travel, costumes, gifts,art, and self) What to expect of Life on the Playa – (Self-reliance and self-expression, gifting economy, LNT, WATER!, HEALTH issues, Finding your way, the law, I’ve seen that before! and much more) This event in intended for those who have not attended Burning Man or have attended once before but still have questions.

South Bay Area, CA: Virgin’s Workshop at SoulFire Regional Precompression – June 9th at 11am Practical tips about grey water and vinegar, as well as how to make enough shade to sleep in and whether it’s “sand” or “dust”.  Review of Burning Man’s 10 Principles, and what to expect at the Gate.  www.southbayburners.org/events

 

 

 

 

Over on the Burning Blog, our friend Evil Pippi explains in detail how Krug Champagne exploited the Burning Man 2011 event with a publicity stunt where they staged a photoshoot in the form of an elaborate dinner party by the trash fence, with food prepared by NYC chef Phil Winser of The Fat Radish. The feast was setup order to promote their champagne and they invited “society bloggers” to cover the event, which was written up by Notes on a Party and Taryn Cox The Wife. The event was also featured in serveral publications including Town & Country and W Magazine (since removed).

Evil Pippi writes:

Krug, a centuries-old luxury champagne house, and its publicity machine, staged and hosted an elaborate dinner party at the trash fence on Friday night of the 2011 event. Pre-event, Krug’s PR agency pitched members of the media to photograph and report on the staged dinner for publications such as Town & Country and W Magazine. They invited society bloggers to the “exclusive” champagne dinner with the expectation of getting even more coverage, and pro photogs to shoot it. And it worked. The organizers of this event brought paid photographers to the playa and had them falsely register with Media Mecca saying they were there to cover general art and playa happenings, instead of telling the truth; that they were there to act as representatives of Krug – obviously knowing that if they had told the truth, they would not have been allowed to photograph. They then pulled the dinner off entirely under the radar, had the dinner covered both by their captive media and the general media, and managed to get product placement articles published.

The event was called The Zoo Camp and Krug Champagne at Burning Man and it was organized by the creative events agency Silkstone based in NYC. Here’s how they described it:

In addition to catering breakfast and dinner for the Zoo Camp (120 people spread across 30+ RVs), we built a dinner table for the 120 Zoo Camp guests and hosted a seated three-course meal (accompanied by Krug Grande Cuvee) out on the playa. We began the build on Wednesday the 31st and completed it just hours before the first course went down the following day, with string lights, lanterns, and a walkway leading guests to the long table. Our head catering chef, Ana Morris, spent all day prepping the dinner back at the campsite, located about a mile away from the dinner site. Just before the dinner, our team drove our refrigeration van out toward the dinner and plated all the dishes from a makeshift kitchen space we created just next to the table.

Burning Man has always been a non-commercial event and all media has to be approved in advance via the Media Team at Media Mecca, which Krug went out of their way to circumvent. Making things worse, they did not clean up after the dinner, leaving the table, food and trash on the playa for others to clean up, an affront to Burning Man’s long standing policy of “leave no trace”.

Of course at this point the damage to their brand will end up being much greater than the promotion gained by their stunt. The Burning Man community is outraged to say the least and has been going after Krug on Twitter and Facebook.

Here’s the full story on the Burning Blog: How Not To Burn: Commodifying Burning Man

The story has also been picked up by MetaFilter.

photos via Silkstone & Taryn Cox, video by Raquel Baranow