RAT Technical Advisors are mentoring and assisting eigtheen artists in powering their art installations with renewable energy*
“Andas” by Susannah Weinholt
RAT Technical Advisors: Doug Hanson and Bruce Cooper
Andas, meaning breathe in Swedish, is a delightful luminescent turtle with a sensory deprivation room representing its heart, located underneath its shell. Andas aim to bring a sense of otherworldliness yet serenity, while also cast light on our carbon footprint by its solar powered fulcrum.
“Big Spinning Wheel” by Josh Cohen:
RAT Technical Advisors: Steven Queen, Sara Pugh, Andy Flint and Kim Cairns
Simple, yet complex! "Big Spinning Wheels" are not for the faint, but rather the open of heart. From near or far, these kinetic sculptures evoke a secret and sacred tantalizing beauty. Placed at the bounds of BRC and the edge of reality ... patience is a virtue.
“Castor Giganticum” by Annie Baker
RAT Technical Advisors: Steven Queen, Sara Pugh and Andy Justice
A ten feet tall giant beaver made of willow, burners can go inside the main body cavity. Light ropes will be styled in a way that resembles braiding rivers on the outside
“Delata” by Lynn Bryant
RAT Technical Advisors: Huggy
Invited artists will create their own character illuminated 'parol-heads' touching on the theme of creatures known as Sigbin, from the Philippines. Inside each head is a diorama world to peek into from behind.
DELATA is a word for canned food in the Philippines, the container delivering the contents of protected and sealed 'food' inside. Islands adopted canned food after its introduction in World War II and because of being an import was considered 'prestigious' to eat.
Canned food today can denote the lack of fresh grown produce and loss of basic farming knowledge.
DELATA is itself, mobile art gallery delivering art content.
“Duck, Duck, Gaggle” by Meghan Rimelspach
RAT Technical Advisors: Huggy and Giuseppe Cimmino
Duck, Duck, Gaggle is a circular bench with a gaggle of whimsically dressed geese sculptures that invites participants to rest, commune, preen, or play a game of duck, duck, goose. Geese are social creatures and this piece is meant to support connections. It is an invitation to turn inwards, or to play and run outwards.
Six colorful geese sculptures, semi realistic in shape, 1:1 scale are perched on a circular wooden bench facing inward. The orientation of the geese will draw participants into the middle. There is space between each goose for humans or other members of animalia to sit and rest, commune, preen or play a rousing game of duck duck goose. The geese sculptures will be wearing handmade cloth outfits that are changed throughout the week to create added visual interest.
“Flamin-go with Love” by Fiona Aboud
RAT Technical Advisors: Huggy, Andy Flint and Kim Cairns
"Flamin-go with Love" is a project born out of the serendipity of human love that I have experienced during burning man. The flamingo has been a symbol of spreading love and spontaneous community building. This piece is a celebration of the love that burners gift throughout the world.
"Infiniswing" by Sharón Chandally Pedrini
RAT Technical Advisors: Bruce Cooper
The Infiniswing is a face-to-face swing framed by a double twisted Möbius loop. By allowing participants to move together, the piece creates the conditions for spontaneous communication and play. Part swing, part upside down see-saw, the Infiniswing is a single, unified structure, but one that can only be propelled when at least two participants consciously choose to sit on opposite sides of the swing and work/play together. The swing then becomes an experiment in creating cooperative motion.
“Ignus” by Jordie Laidlaw
RAT Technical Advisors: Bob Wolff and Jay Heaman
Ignus is a steel sunflower that blooms in flame in the desert. Two upstretched burning leaves illuminate the playa while the inverted flames of the pistil warm participants below.
The petal design chronicles the life of the sunflower growing and blooming only to wither, drop its seed and die. This is not the end, the seed is reborn in flame and the new sunflower grows to warm those in its presence.
The idea of Ignus was born from the feelings of hopelessness and sorrow experienced by the artist working in the ICU throughout the pandemic. Socializing around a fire was a core part of our species development and Ignus scratches that primeval itch.
"Los Animales de la Playa" by Scott Hadley
RAT Technical Advisors: Ken Rehor, Bruce Cooper and Bob Wolff
Los Animales de la Playa are a fun interactive expression of Oaxacan folk art. Each colorful animale, jaguar, armadillo, hawk and wart hog are designed to be ridden like a rocking horse.
"Museum of No Spectators" by John Marx and Absinthia Vermut
Renewable Energy by Wes Skinner
RAT Technical Advisors: Bruce Cooper and Ken Rehor
Out in the dusty playa of Black Rock City lies a different kind of museum. As you approach this intriguing and mysterious building with its unusually shaped galleries, appearing part machine, part creature, part abstract and surrealistic form. It may appear as a blank slate, the letters spelling Museum of No Spectators hovering above. Its dynamic shapes appear otherworldly yet grounded. It is waiting for you to approach and become a part of it. MoNS encourages participants to enter through its Gifting Shop, where you will be assisted in making a gift before entering. The building guides you along, as a partially covered hallway leads you to galleries on either side, until you have spent time in all eight galleries.
"Mutopia" by Caroline Miller, The Flaming Lotus Girls
RAT Technical Advisors: Steven Queen, Sara Pugh, and Andy Flint
Mutopia has germinated and is evolving, creating an zone of growth, mystery and possibility. Starting as one strange Seedpod, each successive plant evolves as it matures and adapts, willfully incorporating features and forms of the plants, animals, and machines it interacts with in its surroundings.
Mutopia’s series of evolving plant beasts is an exploration of the evolution by mutation that underlies all life. It creates a fantastic space for all manner of playa creatures to play in. Embrace the joys of kinetic fire effects and scruffy tendrils. Did they think you were just a plant? They didn’t realize you are on a journey.
"My Body, My Home" by Ray Frost
RAT Technical Advisors: Huggy, Andy Flint and Kim Cairns
My Body, My Home is a larger than life coyote skeleton participants can climb inside. She represents resilience and survival – she lived through her worst traumas and died peacefully of old age. This project is meant to remind participants that they have all survived their worst traumas and offers them a place to leave a reminder of those traumas so they can let them go and move forward without them.
“Our Heart" by Emi Watanabe
RAT Technical Advisors: Steven Queen, Sara Pugh and Andy Justice
Our Heart is an immersive sculpture with multi-level interior lounge spaces to interact with and explore. Sounds, lights, textures and activities create an experience inspired by the notion that the heart is a symbol of universal commonality - a rhythm that underlies life in all things.
"Ourcelium" by Josh Olson
RAT Technical Advisors: Bob Wolff and Bruce Cooper
Ourcelium is a light and music instrument in the form of a mushroom fairy ring. Gently touching the pads on the mushroom caps produces sound and light that multiple people can play together.
Like mushrooms, we all are linked by unseen connections. As below, so above. We are one, and I love you.
"Ramin Sign" by Kim Anderson
RAT Technical Advisors: Bruce Cooper, Ken Rehor, and Steven Queen
"Sanctuaria Oasis" by Cecilia Pagkalinawan and the Sanctuaria Regenerative Art and Architecture Collective
RAT Technical Advisors: Huggy, Ken Rehor and Bruce Cooper
Sanctuaria Oasis is a haven and sanctuary for all Animalia and inhabitants of Black Rock City. The structure emulates the aesthetic of a cave though with a modern architecture exterior inspired by a crystal cave. Sanctuaria is a refuge from the harsh elements of the playa, from scorching heat and blistering dust storms. Within the safety of Sanctuaria, Animalia can contemplate, feel, and heal.
Sanctuaria is a solar powered art installation and its accompanying oasis will be powered 100% with renewable energy. Building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) tiles will be used to construct part of the cave facade. The structure is built with sustainable materials including timber from trees which have been killed by recent droughts and wildfires.
"Temple of the Heart" by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay
Renewable Power by Drew Moxon
RAT Technical Advisors: Ken Rehor, Bruce Cooper, Huggy and Bob Wolff
Temple of the Heart is the official 2023 Burning Man Temple. She’s a vessel for reconnecting with our hearts and a space for communal healing. Holding space for anyone processing grief, She helps channel it up to the sky. Through flowers, Eastern European lacing, and warm feminine energy, She induces the feelings of maternal love, acceptance, and protection.
“Trust" by Paige Tashner
RAT Technical Advisors: Steven Queen, Sara Pugh and Andy Justice
“Trust" artist Paige Tashner discusses working with RAT mentors and how they have helped Paige with designing the renewable energy system that will power "Trust" at Burning Man 2023.
You can support Paige in making "Trust" happen by donating to her art project fundraiser.
When a cat shows you her butt, she absolutely trusts you. She’s like, “Here! You’re my human and I feel good about it.” And it’s funny!
Trust is a circle of 5 large, metal, cat sculptures with their butts and tails in the air, buttholes facing inward. Each butthole is decorated differently.
Within the circle of cats, participants will find a scratching post themed podium with a binder of laminated pages of trust exercises. People can explore and interact with each other inside the “ring of trust.”
Trust provides comic relief to help people let down their guard and, hopefully, feel safe to trust themselves and other people they encounter within the ring.