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Architecture

Gallery: The art and architecture of Burning Man 2017

By Rich Haridy
September 12, 2017
Gallery: The art and architecture of Burning Man 2017
The path to the temple that will burn (Credit: Shiyang Huang, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
The path to the temple that will burn (Credit: Shiyang Huang, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
View 31 Images
The path to the temple that will burn (Credit: Shiyang Huang, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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The path to the temple that will burn (Credit: Shiyang Huang, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
The man that will burn
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The man that will burn
It's sometimes hard to tell if something is metal or wood at Burning Man
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It's sometimes hard to tell if something is metal or wood at Burning Man
A stunning wooden swan
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A stunning wooden swan
Called the Tree of Tenere, this tree contains leaves of LED lights, each light programmable to display different colors and patterns
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Called the Tree of Tenere, this tree contains leaves of LED lights, each light programmable to display different colors and patterns
This art car is covered with intricate hand carved wood work
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This art car is covered with intricate hand carved wood work
Remain calm, it's just a giant astronaut puppet
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Remain calm, it's just a giant astronaut puppet
It wouldn't be Burning Man without at least one giant pyramid
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It wouldn't be Burning Man without at least one giant pyramid
An interesting art-car seemingly made from an old plane fuselage
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An interesting art-car seemingly made from an old plane fuselage
Nothing like a giant wooden owl just sitting in the middle of the desert (Credit: Rusty Blazenhoff, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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Nothing like a giant wooden owl just sitting in the middle of the desert (Credit: Rusty Blazenhoff, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
The extraordinary temporary city that is Burning Man (Credit: Rusty Blazenhoff, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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The extraordinary temporary city that is Burning Man (Credit: Rusty Blazenhoff, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
Another look at the strange plane fuselage art car (Credit: Anastasiy Safari, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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Another look at the strange plane fuselage art car (Credit: Anastasiy Safari, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
Planes, trains and automobiles - they're all here (Credit: Shiyang Huang, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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Planes, trains and automobiles - they're all here (Credit: Shiyang Huang, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0)) 
OK, we're not sure what this one is
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OK, we're not sure what this one is
A pirate ship, on a car, underneath a zeppelin. Yes, it is all those things (Credit: Jeff Terrell, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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A pirate ship, on a car, underneath a zeppelin. Yes, it is all those things (Credit: Jeff Terrell, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))  
Looking like a satellite dish, this giant gramophone is surrounded by lonely street lamps (Credit: Jeff Terrell, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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Looking like a satellite dish, this giant gramophone is surrounded by lonely street lamps (Credit: Jeff Terrell, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
Aqueous, by Jen Lewin – an interactive landscape of meandering pathways of light (Credit: Jeff Terrell, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
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Aqueous, by Jen Lewin – an interactive landscape of meandering pathways of light (Credit: Jeff Terrell, Flickr (CC-BY-NC-ND 2.0))
Things can quickly veer into Mad Max territory at Burning Man
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Things can quickly veer into Mad Max territory at Burning Man
A barbie doll death camp with Ken dolls holding machine guns surveying the perimeter
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A barbie doll death camp with Ken dolls holding machine guns surveying the perimeter
This piece is made entirely out of pennies!
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This piece is made entirely out of pennies!
Take a load off
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Take a load off
Are the people small or the feet gigantic? Sometimes it's hard to tell at Burning Man
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Are the people small or the feet gigantic? Sometimes it's hard to tell at Burning Man
Interesting light structures
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Interesting light structures
Another giant puppet
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Another giant puppet
Watch out for pirates. They're everywhere!
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Watch out for pirates. They're everywhere!
A gorgeous giant structure
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A gorgeous giant structure
We're not sure what this is but it will haunt our dreams
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We're not sure what this is but it will haunt our dreams
Cookies are good enough for me!
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Cookies are good enough for me!
Just sitting on the porch
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Just sitting on the porch
Lovely shot of 'The Man' at sunrise
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Lovely shot of 'The Man' at sunrise
Amazing art piece
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Amazing art piece
View gallery - 31 images

Beginning as a ceremonial bonfire to mark the summer solstice in 1986, Burning Man has grown into a giant annual community and arts event. The festival has transcended its counterculture roots to become an extraordinary celebration of elaborate, and temporary, art installations.

In recent years the event has exploded in popularity with some complaining it has lost touch with its original spirit. When Elon Musk commented in 2014 that Burning Man "is Silicon Valley," he wasn't kidding. The wealthy class now permeate the DNA of the event, and while this may validate accusations of gentrification, it also has amped up the scale of the art and installations.

The psychedelic wonderland of Burning Man has served up everything from the giant husk of a Boeing 747 to huge yachts with wheels designed to sail through the desert. If you look at a crazy installation from Burning Man and ask "Why?," the only answer we can offer is, "Because they can."

Take a look through our gallery of images, from the inspiring to the confounding. This is Burning Man 2017.

View gallery - 31 images

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3 comments
Rich Haridy
Rich Haridy
Rich has written for a number of online and print publications over the last decade while also acting as film critic for several radio broadcasters and podcasts. His interests focus on psychedelic science, new media, and science oddities. Rich completed his Masters degree in the Arts back in 2013 before joining New Atlas in 2016.

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3 comments
james77
It would be nice to see proper captions for the photos. The first picture is the Temple, the second is the Man (not some random structure). There are also a couple pics from '16....looks like y'all didn't even go and are just trying to get in on the hype...but it also looks like y'all are interested. Maybe see ya in '18?
CoachFerg
The hypocrisy of the people that populate Burning Man is rather amusing. They gather together to create a huge carbon footprint in the name of what? Also, is there anything that's hip that baby billionaires will not appropriate into their tech culture?
It seems to me that Burning Man originally began as an homage to the past - the celebration of the seasons as practiced by mankind for eons. To make it a high tech event with all the trappings of the commercialism seems antithetical to the spirit of the event.
Altairtech
Weird comments below the pictures. Hint; You don't HAVE to comment each picture, it's art! Just look at it and enjoy. Interpretation of each piece is up to each individual.