【コラム】砂漠の都市──Burning Man（バーニングマン）の歴史・逸話・現代的意義

Column en History Rave

28 Sep 2025

【コラム】砂漠の都市──Burning Man（バーニングマン）の歴史・逸話・現代的意義

Memories of art and themes carved in the desert

Text: mmr｜Theme: To know the history of Burning Man is to understand that it is more than just a festival, it is a “future city and human experiment”

Burning Man is more than just a festival, it’s a testing ground for collaboratively creating a Black Rock City.It began on the beaches of the San Francisco Bay Area in 1986, and since the 1990s has been held annually in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.It’s a place where art, fire, technology, and a culture of gifting intersect, intersecting deeply with the Bay Area’s corporate and startup culture.

BURNING MAN 2025 - All ART

Origin and development: from the beach to the desert

Burning Man began in 1986 when Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a wooden effigy (The Man) at Baker Beach in San Francisco.From there, the number of participants increased, and after moving to the Black Rock Desert for the first time in 1990, the event transformed into a temporary city-building project in the desert.

2004 “10 Principles” and their impact

As the organization evolved, the 10 Principles'' (Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, etc.) proposed by Larry Harvey in 2004 organized the community's values and provided a cultural framework for the event.This is theideological core’’ of Burning Man and has spread to regional burns around the world.

Relationship with Bay Area/Tech

Burning Man has a long relationship with Silicon Valley.In the late 1990s, research points out that Burning Man has been used as a cultural infrastructure by the Bay Area’s creative industries, with anecdotes of participation by Google’s founders.The Stanford et al. study argues that Burning Man became the cultural foundation for a “new media industry.”

Participation and controversy of famous people/celebrities

Burning Man has long been a magnet for celebrities — entrepreneurs, artists, and even politicians (names like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos have been mentioned in the media).This can create friction between the principle of “decommodification” and the actual behavior of participants with wealth and influence.

Anecdote/Legend

When it was relocated in 1990, a police ban on burning on beaches was a turning point, and the decision was made to move to the desert. Burning Man

An interesting story that the roots of “Google Doodle” are related to the founder’s vacation announcement at Burning Man (the intersection of corporate culture and festivals).

Since the 2000s, giant “mutant vehicles” and sculptures made of fire have attracted attention and been featured in media around the world.

Inside The Outrageous Mutant Vehicles Of Burning Man 2022 | Forbes

Year	Magazine/Media	Notes/Relationship	Link
Books	Burning Man: Art on Fire (photo book)	A classic book that covers festival art	Amazon
Books	Once Upon a Time in the Dust (Roxane Jessi)	A travelogue that approaches the global Burning culture	Amazon

Contemporary implications and challenges

While Burning Man remains a hub of creativity, it faces commercialization, safety and environmental concerns, and the question, “Who is Burning for?”The community is stepping up sustainability efforts (Leave No Trace, art grants) and sharing knowledge in regional networks.

Burning Man 2025: The Man Burns

Theme by year (overview)

Since 1996, the event has had an “art theme” each year (for example, “The Body” in 2000).Themes give direction to artists’ and camps’ expressions and serve as triggers for dialogue in public spaces.The official archive records the yearly themes and installed art.

List of themes by year

Below, themes from 1995 to recent years are listed in chronological order.

flowchart TD A1995["1995 : Inferno"] --> A1996["1996 : Decommodification"] A1996 --> A1997["1997 : Fertility"] A1997 --> A1998["1998 : Nebulous Entity"] A1998 --> A1999["1999 : The Wheel of Time"] A1999 --> A2000["2000 : The Body"] A2000 --> A2001["2001 : Seven Ages"] A2001 --> A2002["2002 : The Floating World"] A2002 --> A2003["2003 : Beyond Belief"] A2003 --> A2004["2004 : The Vault of Heaven"] A2004 --> A2005["2005 : Psyche"] A2005 --> A2006["2006 : Hope & Fear"] A2006 --> A2007["2007 : The Green Man"] A2007 --> A2008["2008 : American Dream"] A2008 --> A2009["2009 : Evolution – A Tangled Bank"] A2009 --> A2010["2010 : Metropolis – The Life of Cities"] A2010 --> A2011["2011 : Rites of Passage"] A2011 --> A2012["2012 : Fertility 2.0"] A2012 --> A2013["2013 : Cargo Cult"] A2013 --> A2014["2014 : Caravansary"] A2014 --> A2015["2015 : Carnival of Mirrors"] A2015 --> A2016["2016 : Da Vinci's Workshop"] A2016 --> A2017["2017 : Radical Ritual"] A2017 --> A2018["2018 : I, Robot"] A2018 --> A2019["2019 : Metamorphoses"] A2019 --> A2020["2020 : The Multiverse (year of event cancellation)"] A2020 --> A2021["2021 : Reflective (virtual/hybrid)"] A2021 --> A2022["2022 : Waking Dreams"] A2022 --> A2023["2023 : Animalia"] A2023 --> A2024["2024 : The Great Unknown"] A2024 --> A2025["2025 : Tomorrow Today"]

1995: Inferno

Inferno in 1995 was an important year in that it spread the awareness among participants that ``Burning Man is not just an outdoor festival, but a place for ritual burning and spiritual rebirth.’’

From around this time, participatory experiences that combined fire and art became the norm, forming the basis of modern Burning Man art culture.

1996: Decommodification

1996 was the year Burning Man accelerated its transformation from a “festival” to a community experimental city.

The values that ``find value in the experience itself’’ permeated the participants, and supported the formation of later large-scale art works and themed cities.

1997: Fertility

1997 was the year that Burning Man’s symbolism of nature, life, and rebirth became the central theme for the first time.

The prototype of the “celebration of life and creativity” that has been inherited by subsequent themes (2004 Vault of Heaven, 2012 Fertility 2.0, etc.).

1998: Nebulous Entity

A theme that explores mysterious existence and the ambiguity of the universe and consciousness.Interactive works using participatory levitation or light stood out.

For example, it has been reported that there is a work called ``30-foot luminous float ‘Nebulous Entity.’’

1999: The Wheel of Time

The theme of the wheel of time/circularity.The city blocks and streets have been renovated with planet motifs.

2000: The Body

The theme is the expression and symbolism of the human body and body.There are many installations that test physicality, aesthetics, and the limits of the body.

Also, from this year, temple installations began to take hold, and installations that combined spirituality and structure, such as the ``Temple of the Mind’’ (or similar concepts), appeared.

2001: Seven Ages

Themes deal with the seven stages of life, growth and change, and intergenerational relationships.

In some cases, structures have been set up to symbolize the transition of life through multiple art and performances.

2002: The Floating World

With the motif of the floating world, the art is constructed from the perspective of expanding the temporary world and the extraordinary.

A structure with an underwater sensation, floating sensation, and fantasy appears.

2003: Beyond Belief

An exploration of religiosity, faith, mystery, illusion and transcendence.Both the theme and the art have more compositions that are conscious of ritual, prayer, and ceremonial spaces.

This year, the number of projects registered as theme art increased rapidly.

2004: The Vault of Heaven

2004 was the year when “cosmic vision” and “community prayer” were combined, and it is credited with being the forerunner of subsequent science/space themes such as “Cargo Cult (2013)” and “I, Robot (2018).”

NASA engineers from the Bay Area and people from the MIT Media Lab also participated, making it a symbolic example of the trinity of “science x art x spirituality.”

2005: Psyche

With the theme of xinxing/spiritual world, many works have appeared that deal with dreams, unconsciousness, and introspection.

2006: Hope and Fear

A theme that explores the conflicting axes of hope and fear.There were structures and media art that hinted at the fragility of human civilization and future orientation.

2007: The Green Man

A theme that reconsiders the relationship between nature and civilization.A composition based on the motif of the “Green Man” (an anthropomorphic figure of plants and naturally occurring plants).

However, in that year, his burning art ``Crude Awakening’’, which imitated a giant oil rig, caused controversy and was criticized.

2008: American Dream

American Dream/Questions about consumer society.There is a lot of art featuring themes of consumerism, mythology, and social structure.

2009: Evolution – A Tangled Bank

The themes are evolution, ecosystems, interbreeding, and interrelationships.The focus is on art that imitates complex structural arrangements and life networks.

2010: Metropolis – The Life of Cities

Urban theory: A theme that explores the vitality of cities.Art was developed that questioned architectural elements, the microcosm and arrangement of urban structures, and the interrelationship between cities and humans.

2011: Rites of Passage

The themes are rites of passage, transition, and transformation.Festival-like installations with elements of individual life changes and collective ritual spaces stood out.

2012: Fertility 2.0

A re-examination and update of 1997’s “Fertility”.The theme is creativity, rebirth, and budding into the future.

2013: Cargo Cult

Using the cargo cult (the gap between material culture and faith) as a motif, we re-examine modern consumer society, cargo distribution, and ritualization.

Many of the camps and structures express the gap between the “material being worshiped” and the “gift economy.”

2014: Caravansary

The motif is a caravanserai (caravanserai/trading post).The art was composed around the themes of movement of people and goods, trade, journeys and stops, and cultural exchange.

2015: Carnival of Mirrors

The theme of the carnival of mirrors is device, reflection, and illusion.Features mirrored structures, visual tricks, and festival-like devices.

2016: Da Vinci’s Workshop

A theme that explores art, engineering, invention, and fusion with reference to the Italian Renaissance.The component that intersects creativity and technology has been strengthened.

2017: Radical Ritual

With the theme of reconstructing ceremoniality and ceremoniality, emphasis is placed on ritual performances by participants and the construction of interactive festival spaces.

2018: I, Robot

The theme is robots, machines, artificial intelligence, and autonomy.Many works featuring cyberpunk style, mechanical structures, and interactive robotics appear.

2019: Metamorphoses

Focusing on metamorphosis, metamorphosis, and transformation, dynamic change, material transformation, and mold-breaking art expressions stand out.

2020: The Multiverse

Originally, the theme was the multiverse concept.However, due to COVID-19, the local festival was canceled.Exploring development in virtual/online space.

2021: Reflective

A hybrid/virtual/physical fusion approach with the theme of “reflection and reflection” amid restrictions on on-site events.

2022: Waking Dreams

With the theme of awakening and awakening, the composition was created with an awareness of the fluctuations between dreams and reality and the awakening perspective.

2023: Animalia

The theme is animality, wildness, and resonance with the animal world.The motifs are questions about ecosystems, physicality, and interspecies relationships.

2024: The Great Unknown

The theme is unknown and unpredictability, and a challenging composition is developed that visualizes uncertainty through art.

2025: Tomorrow Today

Focusing on the near future, future inventions, and social plans.Art that embodies “Tomorrow into Today”, prototyping, and design that induces a futuristic dialogue space.

Notes and supplementary explanations

The above list was constructed by referring to the theme descriptions from Burning Man’s official annual archive, as well as multiple fan and record sites.

The Temple (a place of prayer) and the Man itself are often designed in response to a theme, with elements that are independent of the theme but reconfigured every year.

Furthermore, the theme is not necessarily compulsorily applied to all camps/works, but rather functions as a “suggestionary framework”.

Conclusion: Future city experiment in the desert

Burning Man is a modern cultural experimental city that has evolved from Inferno (1995) → Decommodification (1996) → Fertility (1997) → Vault of Heaven (2004) → 2010–2025 theme, fusing spirituality, participatory art, decommercialization, and life expression.

The theme, which changes every year, and the large-scale artwork function as a device for participants to question their values and social relationships through their experiences.The ephemeral cities built in the desert are etched in the memories of individuals and continue to have a lasting impact on society, culture, and creativity.

That’s the essence of Burning Man: even when the desert bonfires go out, the spirit continues to burn into the next year and into our imaginations.

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