Party on the playa expands as Burning Man goes virtual

LAST year, Burning Man announced that the theme for the 2020 incarnation would be “Multiverse.” The topic would be a serendipitous one.

Like other large gatherings, the annual temporary city that rises out of the silt of Black Rock City was canceled this year — at least in the traditional sense — because of coronavirus concerns.

The community of more than 70,000 has migrated online, where eight official multiverses aim to capture the art, spontaneity and human connection of the event scheduled to run Sunday to Sept. 6.

The multiverses are accessible through apps and websites that replicate aspects of the weeklong gathering through differing aesthetics and functionality.

BURNING

Some offer stylized Zoom meetings generated by chance encounters. Some provide 3D platforms for participants who usually camp together to communicate. Some offer virtual reality walking tours of the 7-square-mile footprint, and some allow artists to illustrate or innovate larger-than-life artworks.

“I think the virtual burn will be a little taste of home, and I’ll be able to experience that with my friends, but it’s disappointing for a lot of people not having the real thing,” says Nicole Balestrere, who in an alternate universe is packing up the last of her gear this week for her 12th Burning Man.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what people can create online,” Balestrere says. “But I’m not really excited for it — it won’t make up for being out on the playa and feeling the heat and wind and dust and meeting random people. But I will check it out.”

JD Estrada, a Las Vegas application architect and one of Burning Man’s regional contacts, is not only excited for the virtual incarnation, he is helping to build it.

Within the official Build-A-Burn application, Estrada uses Microsoft Paint to illustrate a two-dimensional area of the Burning Man city and populate it with homages to artworks and vehicles that Las Vegas burners have created.

“Monday evening of next week, I hope Las Vegas burners log in and walk around the space and interact,” Estrada says. “It has some of the functionality of a Zoom meeting, but with the bonus of fun, interactive space.”

In his 11th year participating with Burning Man, Estrada thinks the emphasis on using technology, rather than disconnecting from it, will be an asset.

“I spent my whole life in front of a computer. I’m a tech professional. I’m a gamer. I see this as a huge potential,” he says. “You can do things virtually that you can’t do in real life. You can build art to unimaginable scales that are spread out or incredibly small. Things that are not feasible logistically in real life are so much easier in a digital space. With VR, you can experience it in an immersive way.”

While the virtual event will inherently lack the survival elements of the playa, Estrada thinks the online multiverses will offer a fair taste of the event for the uninitiated.

“It’s difficult to have the same social interactions that you would there,” Estrada says. “But this year is more accessible. And the multiverses offer a good representation of the art and culture of Burning Man.”