New-ish and Bringing an Art Installation

[ChaosOracle]

I've been to Renegade Man and a bunch of regional burns, but I've never been to the actual Thing in the Desert before. I sort of decided on a whim to go this year with a couple of friends!

We want to establish our own camp, too. We're driving in from a remote location that doesn't have a lot of burners (South Dakota). The art installation I have is something I've affectionately been calling a "grief temple." It's an immersive art project that's designed to help people process and reintegrate the last 5 years.

How do we go about picking a camping spot, etc once we have our tickets? I've only been to the Playa for Renegade Man, and that was about as organized as an Occupy protest camp lol. Please guide me through this!

[RodMcInnis]

As you won't be a 'placed camp' ( which would have required you applying and getting approved months ago) you will be in 'open camping'.

When you arrive, just drive around and find an open spot. Have you seen maps of the layout of the camping area? It's laid out like a clock, with the Man in center. Camping is from 2:00 around to 10:00. Concentric rings of roads are labeled A through K.

It is very unlikely that you will find a spot between A and G, these are usually all placed camps. There is always a chance that a placed camp didn't show up, and I believe that when the event opens to the public any remaining saved camps are free game. I suspect that you will end up at J or K streets, however. One area that I recommend avoiding is the 5:30 radial road, as this is a major road used by the Burning Man workers and will have a lot of heavy truck traffic on it and not so much participant traffic.

Your art will need to be within your camp, as to have it placed out on the open playa would have required you to register it months ago.

My recommendation is to time your arrival for early Sunday morning. The gate officially opens at Midnight, Sunday morning, but my experience has been that there is always a long line at that time. You end up driving all day, then waiting in line for four hours, and then you are wanting to set up in the early morning. Instead, camp a couple hours away and then try to arrive at Gate Road around 6:00 AM. The line will be shorter, it will be daylight when you are searching for a spot, and you won't be so tired.

[ChaosOracle]

Ok, got it. Is this actually worth the expense and effort of me going this year then?

[FIGJAM]

Any year you can manage to go....... Is worth it!!!

[Savannah]

Ok, got it. Is this actually worth the expense and effort of me going this year then?

Welcome, ChaosOracle!

Would you really let yourself be deterred so easily? You could have your installation front & center in your camp, near the road, guyed down and hosted for an hour or two a day (or whatever you want). You could greet people & interact with them, have some sort of thing to do (or not).

You might also still be able to volunteer w/ the big Temple:

https://burningman.org/event/participat ... guardians/

[RodMcInnis]

Ok, got it. Is this actually worth the expense and effort of me going this year then?

I certainly didn't mean to suggest that you shouldn't go to and bring your art! There is nothing wrong with having it in your camp. If this art is something that is interactive then it might actually benefit of being in your camp where you can interact with other burners.

How much space does your art need?