Art Placement Submission Process
Well before the annual event, the Art Team engages in a dialogue with individual artists. This four-step process begins with the Art Guidelines, which communicate the unique social responsibility inherent in all Burning Man art.
After reviewing the guidelines, an artist's next step is to fill out the
Questionnaire and Registration Form on the Burning Man web site. A completed form gives the Art Team needed information about a work and forms a reference point for the start of a dialogue about its role in the city as a whole. Form input is stored in a Filemaker Pro database, which is tweaked from time to time in an attempt to refine information requirements.
The Art Team also asks each artist to submit a diagram or plan to fill out the picture of the project. This documentation can be as simple or complex as necessary. Always, the art may change from its plan by the time it arrives on the playa, but information submissions begin to clarify the artist's needs. Excitement builds each year as diagrams and renderings start to elaborate how the art will unfold on the playa each year.
Submission of the information form and diagram initiate a series of
conversations with each artist.
- Where would the artist like the work to placed?
- How will the artwork be built and stabilized within the potentially
harsh environment?
- Will it be burned during the event? If so, how will the playa surface
be protected?
- How does the artist plan to clean up after the event?
Experience has taught that there are many more questions to ask, and
each artist may face special challenges. Full information allows the Art
Team to provide effective help. The dialogue inherent in the process also
builds personal relationships that encourage people to learn and embrace
social responsibilities.