Small-scale projects in the desert become room-size installations at the Renwick Gallery.
"Temple" (2018) by David Best —
Small-scale projects in the desert become room-size installations at the Renwick Gallery.
Ron Blunt Architectural Photogra/Image by Ron Blunt Architectural
The exhibition's ability to play with scale sets it apart from the festival experience. Some of the pieces acquire new dimensions in a museum setting.
"Golden Spike" (2015) by Hybycozo —
The exhibition's ability to play with scale sets it apart from the festival experience. Some of the pieces acquire new dimensions in a museum setting.
Ron Blunt Architectural Photogra/Image by Ron Blunt Architectural
Burning Man is a performing arts festival in a temporary desert town, known as Black Rock City, in Nevada.
"Truth is Beauty" (2013) by Marco Cochrane —
Burning Man is a performing arts festival in a temporary desert town, known as Black Rock City, in Nevada.
Eleanor Preger
The ten principles of Burning Man were written in 2004 by its co-founder Larry Harvey to serve as guidelines for participants.
Aerial view of Burning Man gathering at Black Rock City (2012) —
The ten principles of Burning Man were written in 2004 by its co-founder Larry Harvey to serve as guidelines for participants.
Scott London
The ten principles include radical inclusion and participation.
"Truth is Beauty" (2013) by Marco Cochrane —
The ten principles include radical inclusion and participation.
Trey Ratcliff
Creating art at Burning Man can be difficult because of the unforgiving landscape and weather.
"Totem of Confessions" (2015) by Michael Garlington and Natalia Bertotti —
Creating art at Burning Man can be difficult because of the unforgiving landscape and weather.
Michael Holden
"Without money at the center of production, artists feel like they have the freedom to take risks, and collaborate, and sometimes fail," said Nora Atkinson, curator of "No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man," a new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery.
"Ursa Major" (2016) by Mr. and Mrs. Ferguson —
"Without money at the center of production, artists feel like they have the freedom to take risks, and collaborate, and sometimes fail," said Nora Atkinson, curator of "No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man," a new exhibition at the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Renwick Gallery.
Image courtesy of the artist
The Renwick Gallery brought a few of the enormous artworks from Burning Man to its exhibition space.
"No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man" gallery view —
The Renwick Gallery brought a few of the enormous artworks from Burning Man to its exhibition space.
Ron Blunt Architectural Photogra/Image by Ron Blunt Architectural
"There is no imperative to replicate Burning Man within the exhibition. In fact, to attempt to do so would be contradictory to the spirit of Burning Man, which celebrates immediacy, the moment, the actual experience of being present for what you are experiencing," said Kim Cook, Burning Man's director of art and civic engagement.
"Paper Arch" by Michael Garlington and Natalia Bertotti —
"There is no imperative to replicate Burning Man within the exhibition. In fact, to attempt to do so would be contradictory to the spirit of Burning Man, which celebrates immediacy, the moment, the actual experience of being present for what you are experiencing," said Kim Cook, Burning Man's director of art and civic engagement.
Ron Blunt Architectural Photogra/Image by Ron Blunt Architectural
The exhibition hosts a 1:3 scale version of Marco Cochrane's 16-meter tall sculpture, "Truth Is Beauty."
"Truth is Beauty" by Marco Cochrane —
The exhibition hosts a 1:3 scale version of Marco Cochrane's 16-meter tall sculpture, "Truth Is Beauty."
Ron Blunt
Some of the larger and more dangerous artworks will be shown as videos at the exhibition.
"Golden Spike" (2015) by Hybycozo —
Some of the larger and more dangerous artworks will be shown as videos at the exhibition.
Ron Blunt
"The art is a gift to the community, and as I've heard a few Burners say, if people didn't build it, we'd just be a bunch of people camping in the desert staring at each other," said Atkinson.
"Shrumen Lumen" (2016) by FoldHaus —
"The art is a gift to the community, and as I've heard a few Burners say, if people didn't build it, we'd just be a bunch of people camping in the desert staring at each other," said Atkinson.
Ron Blunt Architectural Photogra/Image by Ron Blunt Architectural