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substrates

nutrient mediums for a bacterial culture
End of the World By: Lionel Doe
Life, death and car alarms.

Confectionary Customs. 8y:Tara DeLong
All dressed up and drunk on sugar.

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S11 11B® | Bae INF

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Zurich Bikes By: Simon Piniel
An alternate transportation technique.

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If you go to Burning Man, You're Fir

dy Chris Jones

If), mom told me that my aunt
said that a friend of this guy she knows went
to Burning Man last year and said it was “a
bit sexist”. One of my instructors said he
“heard it’s a big drug-fest”, a customer in
line @ the film store said she “heard it’s a
big flower-fest”, and a cashier @ the Esso
on the way out of town said he “heard it’s a
big pagan nudie-fest’’.

o/substrates

If it hadn’t been for the personal report from a friend, I
probably wouldn’t have gone. She said it was one of the most
magical, uplifting experiences of her life and that she’d never be the
same again. :

I guess in a way BM is everything that people say about
it (@ least the people who have actually been there). It'll always be

“so much more than any one person could describe, anyway. As far
as the organizers are concerned, however, it’s quite simple. Here
are a few quotes from the BM Web Page:

Burning Man is an experiment in temporary community. We promote
radically free self-expression.

Our primary dogma is that you do not interfere with anyone else’s
immediate experience.

So the recipe reads: Community, Freedom, Respect. Sounds like
a pretty fertile place for artists.

The testing ground for the experimental society is an
expansive desert Playa - a sun-baked lakebed set between opposing
ranges of the Sierra Nevada. For 358 days a year the desert waits -
immense, flat and empty - until a few weeks before the Labour Day
Weekend, when the first trucks begin to roll in with enough
materials and people to set the stage for a one-week explosion of
activity. Participants must pack in everything, including shelter
from the searing sun, water for the week, food, generators etc... In
this way, BM is a truly self-sufficient society of the sort that might
one day colonize the galaxy (hey, who knows?). Everyone is
responsible for his/herself, although there are the indispensable
services of a hospital, a post office, a radio station, a Chai
tent...Black Rock City is set up as a system of camps and
pedestrian streets in the shape of a Crescent moon measuring
about 5km accross. And out in the middle of this cosmic geometry
is the infamous effigy, around which the action of the entire city
thunders for the week.

This setting plays a strong supporting role for the human
spectacle. The climate is harsh - nothing lives on the playa - so the
liveliness of the human gathering is, in contrast, intensified. The
desert is such a great metaphor; the ‘clean slate’ makes it very easy

to see what the effects of the experiment are. And perhaps most : : : : :
importantly, the desert requires that everyone exists on the same of the Coil. People just couldn’t get enough of the minute-long

level - you can’t camp on top of a hill. For the artist in us all, the hourly outburst. So th Ee rec i pe read S: :

Playa offers itself as the ultimate gallery space for almost any Night is truly when BM comes alive. After the heat of
sculpture, performance, or installation. The emptiness amplifies, in the day, costumed beings emerge from shelters to search out their

Be ee ie cheticteetonics of anything thar stand: an an vibe of choice. Performances blend with parties that incorporate Com mM u n Ity, Freedom,

object of scrutiny. And there is so much stuff. theatre that screeches guitars that assault fashion shows that feed
It’s impossible to see everything. BM 98’ saw 15,000 electronic beats that soothe chess games. Hundeds of ‘fire .
people, and a good percentage of those spent their entire year performers spin and twirl @ any. given moment. Raves thump until Res pect. So u n d S | | ke a
preparing specifically for this phest. Some camps operate on a late morning. It is a cacophony of peace. If you stand still for a
generosity groove, giving away fruit, drinks, mask-making ™0ment in the quiet of the rear camps, you can’t help but chuckle °
materials, or costume stuff. As one of the organizers phrased it, @ the pues ruptions of cheering in the —— p retty fe rti le Dp lace fo r
“Basically, the spirit is - the more you can bring here and give away, from all directions. You get used to falling asleep to the sound of x
the healthier you’ll be when you leave”. cheering...if you sleep. .
Some of the more massive installations this year were: But does Burning Man deserve to be ed about? arti sts.
(of course) The Man, the Temple of Rudra (a four-spired stage of Many people have concerns about what goes on there. And it’s true
a ritualistic opera), a 10 m Taj Mahal made from thousands of ~ @ fy given moment, a certain percentage of the community is
pieces of translucent plastic garbage lit from the inside, a metal igh on a receational drug, there were rumours of live sex
tower suspending 30 metres of crimson drapery that billowed just somewhere that nobody could seem to find,-and nude cyclists are
above the desert floor, a metal tree whose branches spouted water everywhere. But more striking 3 ae was the complete absence of
for a common shower in the daytime and belched flames @ night. violence. No one seemed aggressive, either physically or mentally.
But, perhaps the crowd favourite this year: the ominous Tesla Coil It was refreshing LOCEDEMCECE, if only for a few days, a ‘society’
- a7 metre metal apparatus that sat benignly throughout the day that doesn’t peepee Honey (you can’t buy anything @ BM ~ only
until nightfall, when the maniac who brought it out into the desert bartering is socially acceptable), if only for the sake of comparison.

flicked a switch, a turbine started, and the air was ripped with a And although it seems we humans just can’t touch anything

deafening crackle as 10 metre branches of glowing purple without causing @ least a little damage, the number of ‘Leave no |

electricity, sucked out of the dry desert air, danced insanely on top Trace’ postings @ au ae tt
environmental sensibility.

photography by Chris Jones

(continued on next page)

- ee —< December 1998 e influx 26053
End of the World 8y:tione! Doe
Life, death and car alarms.

Confectionary Customs 8y:Tara Delong

Al dressed up and drunk on sugar.

Zurich Bikes 2y:simon Piniet
An alternate transportation technique.

If you go to Burning Man, You're Fired

ay Chris Jones

JOO bmemntinre iemepaers
said that a friend of this guy she knows went
to Burning Man last year and said it was “a
bit sexist”. One of my instructors said he
“heard it’s a big drug-fest”, a customer in
line @ the film store said she “heard its a
big flower-fest”, and a cashier @ the Esso
on the way out of town said he “heard it’s a
big pagan nudie-fest”.

fit hada’ been for the personal report from a frend I
probably wouldn't ave gone. She said it was one of the most
‘magical upliting experiences ofher ife and that she never be the
samme again,

T gues in away BM is everything that people say about
ix (@ least the people who have actualy been there) Te always be
formuch more than any one person could describe, anyway. Ay far
1 the organizes ae concerned, however, its quite simple. Here
are afew quotes fom the BM Web Page:

Burming Ma sam experiment in temporary community. promote
radically fe seesprsion

‘Our primary dogma ib that you do ot interfere eth anvone e's
Immediate experience

So the recipe reads: Community, Freedom, Respect. Sounds like
prety fertile place for artis.

"The testing ground forthe experimental society isan
‘expansive desert Plya~a sun-baked lakebed set between opposing
‘anges ofthe Sierra Nevada, For 358 day year the desert ats =
fmmens, at and empty ~ unt afew weeks Before the Labour Day
Weekend, when the fist trucks begin to rll in with enough
‘materials and people to vet the stage for a one-weck explosion of
ctv: Paspants must pack in eventing, including shelter
{fom the searing sun, water forthe week, food generators et. In
‘his way, BM i truly self-sutcint society of the sort hat might
fone day colonize the galaxy hey, who knows?) Everyone is
‘esponsble for hivhereif although there are the indispensable
services of a bospital, post lice, « radio sation, a Chat
fentBlack Rock City is Set up as a sjstem of camps and
pedestrian streets in the shape of a Crescent moon mesruting
lout Ska across. And out in the middle ofthis cox geometry
{is the infamous effigy, around which the action of the entire city
‘thunders for the week

“This sctng plays strong supporting role forthe human
spectacle. The climates harsh - nothing lives on the playa - so the
liveliness ofthe human gathering is in contrast, intensified. The
slesert is such a great metaphor, the ‘lean slate’ makes it ery e285
to see what the effects of the experiment are. And pethaps most
importantly the desert requires that everyone exon the same
level - you can't camp on top of a ill For the ats in us all the
Playa offers itacf a the imate gallery space for almost any
sculpture, performance, or instalation. The emptiness amplifies, in
fan honest way, the characteristics of anything that stands as an
objet ofsrutiny: And there iso much stl.

Its impossible to see everything. BM 98° saw 15,000
‘peopl, and a good percentage of those spent ther entire ye:
Dreparing specially for this pest. Some camps operate on 2
enerosty groove, giving avay fruit, drinks, mask-making
‘materials, or contume sul. As one of the organizers phrased it
“Basically the sprit the more you can bring here ad giveaway,
the heather youl be when you leave”

Some ofthe more massive installations this year were:
(of course) The Man, the Temple of Rudra (a four-spired stage of
8 ritualistic oper), a 10 mTaj Mahal made fom thousands of
Pieces of translucent plastic garbage lit fom the inside, a metal
Tower suspending 30 metres oferimson drapery that billowed just
above the desert lor, a meal tee whose branches spouted water
fora common shower in the daytime and beiched fares @ night.
‘Bux, pethaps the crowd favourite this year: the ominows Tesla Coil
a7 metre metal apparatus that sat benignly throughout the day
‘anti nightfall, when the maniac who brought it out into the desert,
flicked a switch, a turbine started, and the air was ripped witha
‘deafening crackle at 10 metre branches of glowing purple
‘lecrcity, sucked out of the dry deserair, danced insanely ontop

of the Coll. People just couldn't get enough of the minvtelong
hourly outburst.

"Night trly when BM comes alive, After the heat of
the day, costumed beings emerge from shelters to search out their
vibe of choice. Performances Bled with partis that incorporate
‘heatre that sereeches guitars that assault fashion shows that feed
fon clectronic beats that soothe chess games. Hundeds of fre
performers spin ad twit @ any given moment. Raves thump until
Jate morning. Its cacophony of peace. Ifyou stand sil for a
‘moment in the quit ofthe rar camps, you can't help but chuckle
{@ the massive eruptions af chering in the distance coming @ you
fiom all directions You get used to falling sleep vo the sound of
checrng.if you sleep.

‘Bat does Burning Man deserve to be cheered about?
“Many people have concerns about what gos on there, And its tue
= @ any given moment a cern percentage of the community is
high on a receatonal drag, there were rumours of Iie sex
Somewhere that nobody could seem to find, and nude cyclists are
Crerywhere. But more striking ote was the complete absence of
violence. No one Seemed aggressive, either physically or mentally
Te was refteshing fo experince, if only fora few day, a ‘sociey?
that doesn’ recognize money jou can't buy anything @ BM only
bartering is socially acceptable) if only forthe sake of comparison.
‘And although it seems we humans just can't touch anything
without causing @ least a litle damage, the number af Leave n0
‘Trace’ postings @ BM attested to the song presence of an
cxvironmentl sensibility

omtinued on net pogo)

So the recipe read
Community, Freedom,
Respect. Sounds like a
pretty fertile place for
artists.

December 1998 © influx 26053

| substrates