december 1997 / planet of the arts 11 SERENDIPITOUS SPACES 12 Hockey And Art Richard Beech Reflections on how hockey and art coalesce. 12 Magical Realm of Spirits Walking with the undead. 13 Broken Telepersonals A serendipitous encounter on the phone. PHOTOGRAPH BY HOLGER HERMANN Northwestern Nevada, 1997 Combustible Celebrations Journey to a far off space port by Holger Hermann t’s ritualistic, its anarchistic, it’s primal, it’s a radical communal experiment. It’s art, it’s the death of art, it’s dream-like, it’s sur- real, it’s creative, it’s destructive, it’s absurd, it’s spiritual, but above all it’s real. Located deep in the desert of northwestern Nevada is a temporary city built on an ancient lake bed. There is a daily newspaper called the Black Rock Gazette, several pirate radio stations that will be on the air until the feds catch ‘em, and tens of thousands of ecstatic people. This ethereal city appears out of nowhere and it disappears over night on Labour day. It is a place where prodigious works of art coexist with equally prodigious works of nature. Everything is temporary: the central plaza, the massive art instal- lations, the bistros, the rave clubs and even the Burning Man. Burning Man symbolizes the de-commodification of art. Artists from around the world come together to burn their work. By destroy- ing their work, they are making a strong statement that art is made. for art’s sake. Initially, I assumed it was a just bunch of pyromaniacs gathering in the desert, but when I arrived at Haulapai Playa, it felt special, as if I was in an exotic far off space port. By nightfall my imagination soared, on a belly full of shrooms. I was anything and everything. Almost everyone I met had a similar look on their face. 5: People were friendly and outgoing and would invite you to their camp for a drink. Costumes, body painting, and body piercings were everywhere. The desert resembled’a war zone where the explosions had left art in their wake. This desert is real and harsh. Daytime temperatures are 110 degrees Fahrenheit and up, and at night it can drop below freezing. Thunderstorms and small dust devils appear out of nowhere and dis- appear as quickly. To avoid dehydration you need to drink about two gallons of water per day. Everyday I saw a number of people leave by air ambu- lance because they weren't prepared for these strenuous conditions. On the bright side, generators were brought to the desert to power snow machines in order to make tropical drinks and margaritas. As well, martinis and scotch were easily found. People would sit on ice blocks, butt naked, in the middle of the desert, while sipping drinks! The costumes blew me away! You could find Henry VIII and Tina Turner’s Auntie Entity dancing in the city streets or playing golf. Mad Max characters showed up with all their toys minus bad attitudes. It was Dadaesque. The most incredible spectacle was a massive Vegematic truck, with its large flame thrower and spinning blade which drove around the desert, searching to burn or chop up art. One night, with hundreds of other naked or semi-clad people, I followed the Vegematic truck’s predatory approach to a 20-foot long, two storey wooden duck on wheels. We were all shouting, “fuck the duck!” Coming down from the shrooms the next evening, I woke up near a wicken ceremony. Thousands of naked men and women were wor- shipping a pagan god they called Aka Ishka. They built a massive minaret sculpture which, at the culmination of the ceremony, they set on fire. : There were also fire eaters and dancers with flaming batons, who brushed their breasts with alcohol and lit them on fire! The produc- tion was incredible with elaborate costumes, opera singers and sacri- ficial ceremonies. Don’t worry, no one died. I saw this ethereal city as an arena of visionary reality. People come here from all parts of the globe to share who they are. Every night there was so much going on that I was only able to experience a small part. I believe I have internalized the many lessons of Burning Man. And the energy from such a broad spectrum of cre- ativity will be with me a very long time. O) december 1997 / plonet of the orts 11 SERENDIPITOUS SPACES 12 Hockey And Art 12 ‘Magical Realm of Spirits al Northwestern Nevade, 1997, Combustible Celebrations Journey to a far off space port by Holger Hermann, ritualist its anarchist it primal. radial communal experiment Isat. the death of at, ifs dream-like, its su real its creative, its destructive, it absurd, it spiritual but above alli el Located dep inthe desert of northwestern Nevada ia temporary ancient lake bed. There isa daily newspaper calle the Slack Rock Gazette several pirate radio tations that willbe on the ae peopl This ethereal city appears out of nowhere and it disappears over night on Labour da. Ie ia place where prodigious works of art coexist with equally prodigious work of nature, Everything central plaza, the massive at insta: lations, the bistros, the rave cubs and even the Burning Man. Burning Man symbolize the de-commodiiation of at Artists city built ona ‘mil he fds catch em, and tens of thousands of esta emporary fom around the world come together to burn their work By dstoy- ing their work, they are making a strong statement that ats made for arts sake. Initial assumed it was a just bunch of pyromaniacs gathering {nthe desert, but when {arrived at Haulapai Playa tl speci a if Ivasinan ie far off pace port. By night ll my imagination soared on abel full of shrooms. 1 was anything and everything. Almost everyone I met had a similar look on ther face, People were friendly and outgoing and would invite you to thee «camp fora drink Costumes, body punting, and body piercings were cverywhere. The desert resembled a war zone where the explosions had left atin their wake ‘This desert is real and harsh, Daytime temperatures are 110 degrees Farenheit and up, and at night it an drop below feezing. ‘Thunderstorms and small dst devils appear ot of nowhere and dis. appear as quickly ‘To avoid dehydration you need to drink about two gallons of water per day, Everday Isa numberof people leave by ir ambu lance because they werent prepared fr these strenuous conditions ‘On he bright side, generators wer brought tothe desert to power snow machines inorder to make tropical drinks and margaritas. As well martinis and scotch were easly fund. People would ston ce locks, butt naked, in the middle ofthe desert, while sipping drinks! The costumes blew me away! 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Pope come ee rom al irs ofthe lobe tsar who heya ery ight thee was 2 mich sing on that Iwas ony ale o xeric smal prt avira the many sons of Baring Man, And he nergy rom sich broad spectrum of re iyi be the rer log tine