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2019/08/25 Burning Man 2019, Metamorphoses
π 2019-08-25 00:00 in Bm
Like the previous years, it was a lot of work to process/fix/sort all the pictures and write this summary report (Over 4000 pictures, trimmed down to 1831, and 532 selected as the better ones sorted in different categories, 263 are in this page because I'm not good at picking :) ). All pictures are geotagged, so you can click on them to see where they were.
As a way to say thanks if you enjoy the report, share it with your fellow burners, or friends who might be interested in burning man.
If you'd like to see reports from previous years, you can go to my main BM page, and especially if you don't know burning man, you should read my 2002 page which has more of an introduction.

If you'd like to use my pictures in a commercial setting, drop me a line to discuss and I can give you full resolution pictures (marc<at>merlins.org).
If you'd like to say thanks with cash, please donate money to one of the many camps and art installations that are often out of pocket after burning man.

Summary:

  • Flight and Airport (summary in this page) or open a tab to Flight and Airport (picture album)
  • Black Rock City (summary in this page) or open a tab to Black Rock City (google photos) Black Rock City (local picture album)
  • Art (summary in this page) or open a tab to Art (google photos) Art (local picture album)
  • Camps (summary in this page) or open a tab to Camps (google photos) Camps (local picture album)
  • People (summary in this page) or open a tab to People (google photos) People (local picture album)
  • Fire (summary in this page) or open a tab to Vehicles (google photos) Vehicles (local picture album)
  • Vehicles (summary in this page) or open a tab to Fire (google photos) Fire (local picture album)
  • Temple (summary in this page) or open a tab to Temple (google photos) Temple (local picture album)
  • The Man (summary in this page) or open a tab to The Man (google photos) The Man (local picture album)
  • Conclusion
  • Tips
  • Thanks
  • I again tried to enjoy the moments and interactions more than bike every last street, but I still covered a lot of ground. I biked 261km/162 miles in 7 days, not a record, but again I tried to enjoy the moment more, so that's a win I think :)



    This year, I had a much upgraded LED outfit with 37440 pixels/LEDs. If you're interested, I've written a full article about it, and the evolution of my light outfit over the years.

    I also brought back 4096 neopixel matrix, but unfortunately, it was damaged by playa dust quite a bit last year, and pretty unreliable this year:


    My RGBPanel P3 shirt has 64x96 pixels vs the 64x64 pixels on the neopixel matrix
    My RGBPanel P3 shirt has 64x96 pixels vs the 64x64 pixels on the neopixel matrix

    sigh, I kept having to fix dead pixels
    sigh, I kept having to fix dead pixels

    During the day, I was wearing my snowboarding gear :)


    my night outfit was only good enough for night/sunrise/sunset (and I had to recharge its big battery packs)
    my night outfit was only good enough for night/sunrise/sunset (and I had to recharge its big battery packs)

    The flight to BM was uneventful which is good (more pictures):


    cool to see the DMV registration line from the sky
    cool to see the DMV registration line from the sky

    Anyway, let's get on with the pictures:

    Black Rock City

    After tying up the plane, we got greeted by the nice airport folks:


    I was soon greeted at the airport by Paul, one of my friends and coworkers
    I was soon greeted at the airport by Paul, one of my friends and coworkers

    The airport infrastructure has been improving every year:


    they had a picture display, featuring some of my pictures
    they had a picture display, featuring some of my pictures

    there was a shuttle, but we made it in quicker by walking/hitch hiking
    there was a shuttle, but we made it in quicker by walking/hitch hiking

    Another year, another Burning Man with its infrastructure:

    Another Burning Man and Center Camp
    Another Burning Man and Center Camp





    This year, I probably found the most wildlife of any year:





    we found a fearless bird
    we found a fearless bird

    Of course, day panoramic views are fun, but night ones are nicer:




    Random table I found in the middle of the playa at night:


    Oh yeah, the alcaline dust, honestly what I like the least about BM. I bought my PM2.5 particle meter, and it topped out during a dust storm, saying "OMG, do not breathe this air". I had NOX95 filters and they were essential:

    baseline is good
    baseline is good

    dust storm is terrible
    dust storm is terrible

    Art

    Sadly, I lost almost all my day art pictures, but here's one:


    Night art was very nice (sadly my day art pictures were lost):


















    Paraluna was still very nice
    Paraluna was still very nice


    this year's Centered was shorter than sonic runway, but still nice
    this year's Centered was shorter than sonic runway, but still nice

    you could still barely bike through it
    you could still barely bike through it

    Mega Mega was a fun art piece with a door code that you had to find. The code ended up being 8764, as shown on a truck in a video that wasn't always playing ok. The inside was hillarious:






    this was the inside
    this was the inside

    The Folly was this year's deeper Playa Art of size:


    lots of lines to get up, even on the first day
    lots of lines to get up, even on the first day

    nice views from the top
    nice views from the top

    I enjoyed the Xmas tree looking art:



    Deep playa fence had lots of random small art:



    Camps

    Like last years, we stayed at Dustfish. I tried to improve our solar system for this year, and managed to make just enough to power all our electronics: my power hungry flashlights, and LED outfit, soldering iron, and laptop:

    100W of panels across 3 panels was barely enough, especially with the playa dust
    100W of panels across 3 panels was barely enough, especially with the playa dust

    one meter shows the solar power flowing in, and bigger meter the poewr that flowed out the storage batteries
    one meter shows the solar power flowing in, and bigger meter the poewr that flowed out the storage batteries

    Dustfish had a cabaret show and musicals, including rent:


    During the day, we biked around as many streets and camps as we can. So many, only a very few shown here:




    one camp had rooms for loan with their own decors
    one camp had rooms for loan with their own decors





    nice, a camp to celebrate my now defunct favourite night club
    nice, a camp to celebrate my now defunct favourite night club



    fresh panties camp was a great idea
    fresh panties camp was a great idea


    been there before, but what's not to love?
    been there before, but what's not to love?












    Circle J had a nice store I missed the previous years. Best store on the playa :)




    My friend Tinic and his friends setup the excellent Duck Pond:




    Thank you soft landing for the teahouse and the talks this year again:



    Rick Doblin gave another talk on the status of MAPS
    Rick Doblin gave another talk on the status of MAPS

    Thanks for what you do and all your efforts, Rick
    Thanks for what you do and all your efforts, Rick

    Thank you to all the camps that were offering food in various ways:





    this lost boat captain was asking for help
    this lost boat captain was asking for help

    a nicely gave you yummy fish if you tried to help
    a nicely gave you yummy fish if you tried to help

    lots of grilled cheese, a playa favourite
    lots of grilled cheese, a playa favourite

    yummy meat in some camps
    yummy meat in some camps

    a Russian camp had lots of yummy Russian treats
    a Russian camp had lots of yummy Russian treats

    pizza on the playa in the middle of the night, yum
    pizza on the playa in the middle of the night, yum

    More Camps at night:


    its bigger brother
    its bigger brother




    one camp had some very nice rooms to win for a night
    one camp had some very nice rooms to win for a night






    Jennifer suggested we tried roller disco, which has been there forever, but I never tried, so we did:


    Jennifer's backpack worked well at night
    Jennifer's backpack worked well at night

    Black Rock Gladiators was rightfully upgraded from street F to Esplanade, good for them. Their announcers were fantastic:



    Multiple camps had nice LED setups:

    sadly, she was still working on the code at BM, and I didn't see this matrix runing later
    sadly, she was still working on the code at BM, and I didn't see this matrix runing later

    duck pond still had their technically impressive massive RGBPanel array, similar to my shirt, but bigger
    duck pond still had their technically impressive massive RGBPanel array, similar to my shirt, but bigger

    fun matrix
    fun matrix

    very cool LED cube
    very cool LED cube

    interesting design, which when rotating gives the one below
    interesting design, which when rotating gives the one below

    another nice rotating one, nice design
    another nice rotating one, nice design



    I enjoyed the LED Grand Piano again:


    Another different Piano in the middle of the playa

    Erotica Hypnotica had fun hypnosys show, what the video for details:


    Illuminaughty had an LED meetup on wednesday night:



    nice raver cube demo
    nice raver cube demo





    One big highlight music-wise, was Dave Dresden playing great trance on the Root Society art car, and then B2B with Afik and Alivn on BAAAHS art car, with another great sound system. It was lovely being able to spend a sunny and then dusty afternoon with them (more on this page).

    Root Society had a nice art car with great sound system
    Root Society had a nice art car with great sound system

    nice to have a picture with Dave Dresden
    nice to have a picture with Dave Dresden


    Then, we have the sound camps:

    Root Society was in the Place of Opulent Temple this year
    Root Society was in the Place of Opulent Temple this year


    Slut Garden has powerful lasers this year
    Slut Garden has powerful lasers this year











    747 was back this year, stronger than ever:








    People

    As each year, people pictures:


    We ran into my good friend Brian, running ESD coms:


    Jennifer and I also got to try a one wheeler:

    I missed some parades this year, but at least got the Billion Bunny March:





    Night pictures:


    Jennifer and I had a 64x64 RGBPanel backpack
    Jennifer and I had a 64x64 RGBPanel backpack



    Fire

    Outside of the big fire, there are plenty of other ones, and some are quite impressive too:



    The Lama Fire:



    The Mega Cake had great fireworks:




    Sympathetic Resonance:



    The Folly:





    that fire was dicey, and dropped a lot amber and flaming stuff into the crowd
    that fire was dicey, and dropped a lot amber and flaming stuff into the crowd

    looked pretty though
    looked pretty though

    And there were many more, hard to catch them all:


    Vehicles

    As usual, I enjoyed all the crazy vehicles, art carts, and bike-like constructions :)


    this is where all the street signs have been
    this is where all the street signs have been

    awesome vehicle, like every year
    awesome vehicle, like every year




    cute
    cute


    Of course, it gets better at night:















    Some of my coworkers did those very cool high tech surf boards. We went to visit their camp:




    they have their own radio system to track the boards across the playa, nice
    they have their own radio system to track the boards across the playa, nice



    I was lucky enough to try one out, they are tricky to ride and make sharp turns with
    I was lucky enough to try one out, they are tricky to ride and make sharp turns with

    they look great at night of course
    they look great at night of course

    Mayan Warrior was still a favourite, with more upgrades:





    But there are more, like Pulpo Mecanico and BAAAAHS:




    Fewer fancy bikes than in the earlier years, but I found this one:


    Of course, like everything else, it gets more fun at night:



    fancy job on this bike
    fancy job on this bike

    Temple

    The temple had a weird shape this year, I can't say I loved it, but here are a few pictures:







    The Man










    Like every year, the fine folks doing a big BBQ on the man, were back. Sadly, I got a throat infection and had to get some medical help and sleep, so I wasn't up all night to see the sunrise:


    in the meantime I'll take a grilled cheese sandwich, thanks :)
    in the meantime I'll take a grilled cheese sandwich, thanks :)

    While my burn wasn't an all nighter due to my infection and need for sleep, it was still a great burn, and I left the next day to get home and get some rest (as well as better air for my throat).

    Conclusion

    Well, that was 11 burns, they're all different and for now I'm looking about next years', so I guess that's good news :)

    I hope you enjoyed this report. Feel free to say thanks to me by simply sharing it with your friends, and see you on the playa in the future (or you'll see me at night with my lights).

    Tips

  • My 2002 report has a bit more of an introduction: http://marc.merlins.org/perso/bm/2002
  • My 2014 has more up to date tips, have a look at them: http://marc.merlins.org/perso/bm/2014/#Tips
  • http://www.burningman.com/media/doc/preparation/tip_sheets/bm08_tipsheet.pdf
  • http://overyonderlust.com/must-know-burning-man-tips-for-newbies
  • http://sfist.com/2012/08/27/bay_area_burners_bestow_burning_man.php
  • http://www.anybodyburns.com/bmhintstips.htm
  • Thanks

    Thank you to everyone who contributed to burning man by:
  • Root Society and BAAAHS for the great art cars and lovely trance.
  • designing/bringing/building art installations, as well as art cars
  • building camps that were offering music, drinks, fries, crepes, brownies magic or not :), or anything else
  • volunteering anywhere
  • sharing with others in any other way. This page was my way to share back with you, please share and enjoy :)
  • See more images for Burning Man 2019, Metamorphoses

    More pages: August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 September 2022 August 2022 August 2019 April 2019 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 October 2017 September 2016 August 2016 September 2015 August 2015 August 2014 September 2007 September 2006 August 2006 September 2005 September 2004

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