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17 Renaissance-Inspired Creations Appearing at Burning Man 2016

The annual Burning Man festival is known for its impressive creations that, for just one week, are part of a community in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. Larger than life in stature, they’re seen and explored by thousands of attendees who all unite under 10 guiding principles including self reliance, participation, and inclusion.

The pieces this year vary in size, materials, and technical approach, but they’re unified under the theme of Da Vinci’s Workshop. Although this might sound limiting, it has proved to be limitless as sculptures and buildings are inspired by the 15th and 16th century Italian Renaissance. “Our story will focus on the republic of Florence,” the festival explains, “for it was here, in a city-state of about the same size and population as Black Rock City, that humanist ideals, a rediscovery of science, and funding from a newly moneyed class of entrepreneurs fueled a revolutionary cultural movement that redefined Western civilization.”

Most of the works at Burning Man don’t specifically pay homage to Da Vinci, but some come close—one recreates the artist’s famous Vitruvian Man on a circular frame as it stands tall on an octangular building, while another reveals the Mona Lisa on a perspective-based geometric installation. See how others interpreted the theme, below.

Above photo credit: @burningman

Video credit: @carla_noel

Photo credit: @lml89

Photo credit: @cliffbaise

Photo credit: Liu Jian

Photo credit: @michael.holden.photographer

Photo credit: @dougdoddphoto

Photo credit: @sweatshoplaborer

Photo credit: @dougdoddphoto

Photo credit: @mr_gq7

Photo credit: @uncle_sven

Photo credit: @accidentalhobo

Photo credit: @lavidafallera

Photo credit: @hmacpherson77

Photo credit: @tkanzaveli

Photo credit: @the_bethness

Photo credit: @michael.holden.photographer

Burning Man: Website | Instagram
via [ArchDaily]

Sara Barnes

Sara Barnes is a Staff Editor at My Modern Met, Manager of My Modern Met Store, and co-host of the My Modern Met Top Artist Podcast. As an illustrator and writer living in Seattle, she chronicles illustration, embroidery, and beyond through her blog Brown Paper Bag and Instagram @brwnpaperbag. She wrote a book about embroidery artist Sarah K. Benning titled 'Embroidered Life' that was published by Chronicle Books in 2019. Sara is a graduate of the Maryland Institute College of Art. She earned her BFA in Illustration in 2008 and MFA in Illustration Practice in 2013.
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