Burning Man Temple 2023 will be a giant desert flower, "Temple of the Heart"
04/02/2023.
[Black Rock City - NV] USA
metalocus, ANDRÉS BLANCO
metalocus, ANDRÉS BLANCO
Burning Man 2023 edition attendees will be treated to a giant desert flower that’s home in the "Temple of the Heart" designed by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay. The event has been located since 1991 at Black Rock City in northwestern Nevada, a temporary city erected in the Black Rock Desert about 160 km (100 miles) north-northeast of Reno, USA.
It will be the festival’s first physical temple since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic three years ago. As outlined by Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey in 2004, the event is guided by ten principles: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy.
The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the ultimate night of Burning Man, which is the Saturday evening before Labor Day, in USA.
It will be the festival’s first physical temple since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic three years ago. As outlined by Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey in 2004, the event is guided by ten principles: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy.
The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the ultimate night of Burning Man, which is the Saturday evening before Labor Day, in USA.
Design rendering of the Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay
Aerial view rendering of the Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay
The 2023 Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay.
Rose Altar rendering of the Heart Chamber by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay
Interior rendering of the Heart Chamber by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay
Interior rendering of the Heart Chamber by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay
Night view. The 2023 Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay.
A sketch of the temple courtesy of Ela Madej
A brainchild of Polish-born, San Francisco-based entrepreneur-artist Ela Madej and the co-lead and architect Reed Finlay, the Temple of the Heart is defined as a space for communal healing, a site to process grief and reconnect with emotions.
The panelled roof of the Temple has Eastern European influences. Inside, the Heart Chamber sits underneath Polish lace-inspired panels at the centre of the structure, which will have the centrepiece of the Rose Altar structure, a glowing room decorated with hundreds of flowers made by fellow artist-burners, where a column carved with flowers grows towards the sky like a lighthouse and a sundial.
According to Ela Madej, its “warm feminine energy,” are intended to elicit feelings of acceptance, protection, and maternal love.
Night view. The 2023 Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay.
The adjacent Heart Chamber is the Temple’s main gathering space. The skylight panes are decorated with floral motifs that will shade meditations, choirs, and the BRC Philharmonic, as well as other events. There’s built-in seating to take it all in.
Encircling the Heart Chamber are ringed series of 12 alcoves. The openness and fluidity of that portion also satisfy a need for movement around the structure. Finally, an exterior fence is enacted at a distance with four entrances finished off with further rose-like ornamentation.
This year's Burning Man opens on August 27th.
The panelled roof of the Temple has Eastern European influences. Inside, the Heart Chamber sits underneath Polish lace-inspired panels at the centre of the structure, which will have the centrepiece of the Rose Altar structure, a glowing room decorated with hundreds of flowers made by fellow artist-burners, where a column carved with flowers grows towards the sky like a lighthouse and a sundial.
According to Ela Madej, its “warm feminine energy,” are intended to elicit feelings of acceptance, protection, and maternal love.
Night view. The 2023 Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay.
The adjacent Heart Chamber is the Temple’s main gathering space. The skylight panes are decorated with floral motifs that will shade meditations, choirs, and the BRC Philharmonic, as well as other events. There’s built-in seating to take it all in.
Encircling the Heart Chamber are ringed series of 12 alcoves. The openness and fluidity of that portion also satisfy a need for movement around the structure. Finally, an exterior fence is enacted at a distance with four entrances finished off with further rose-like ornamentation.
This year's Burning Man opens on August 27th.
More information
Temple design
Ela Madej and Reed Finlay.
Burning team
Ela Madej, Reed Finlay, TJ "Tree Jay" Lee, Drew Moxon, Archie Japaridze, Elyse Lefebvre, Ajesh Shah, Nonstop Symon.
Venue / Localitation
Black Rock Desert, Pershing County, Nevada, USA.
Dates
From August 27 through September 4.
Organizer
Ela Madej
Ela Madej. Originally from Kraków, Poland, Ela now lives in San Francisco, CA. She’s been to Black Rock City eleven times since her first burn in 2012. She has been on the building crew for Hotel California’s 3-story wooden structure since 2018. Her playa name is Light.
At the 2022 burn, Ela felt a deep calling to create a feminine Temple. As a new mom, she was moved by the idea of creating a vessel that can physically hold space for thousands of people and help them feel loved and accepted while they’re going through hard times. The heart is where we experience grief, but it’s also where we can ultimately transform pain into peace.
With the Temple, Ela also pays homage to her family and her beloved Eastern Europe.
At the 2022 burn, Ela felt a deep calling to create a feminine Temple. As a new mom, she was moved by the idea of creating a vessel that can physically hold space for thousands of people and help them feel loved and accepted while they’re going through hard times. The heart is where we experience grief, but it’s also where we can ultimately transform pain into peace.
With the Temple, Ela also pays homage to her family and her beloved Eastern Europe.
Reed Finlay
Reed Finlay. Reed is an architect, designer, and new father residing outside Los Angeles, CA. He is a creator of spaces for wellness, transformation, and growth, believing in the power of design to elevate our experiences and hold space for deep emotional work.
In 2019, Reed was inspired to one day contribute to the playa. As a member of the La Calaca build crew, he was mesmerized by the complexity and artistry of the build. Visiting the temple each day, he was struck by the power this space held in supporting people through grief, remembrance, and ceremony. He is humbled by the privilege of being part of this team and having the opportunity to serve those that experience the temple.
Through his work on the temple, Reed is honouring the memory of his friend Paris and all those fighting through mental illness and emotional turmoil, hoping this space may be of some solace.
In 2019, Reed was inspired to one day contribute to the playa. As a member of the La Calaca build crew, he was mesmerized by the complexity and artistry of the build. Visiting the temple each day, he was struck by the power this space held in supporting people through grief, remembrance, and ceremony. He is humbled by the privilege of being part of this team and having the opportunity to serve those that experience the temple.
Through his work on the temple, Reed is honouring the memory of his friend Paris and all those fighting through mental illness and emotional turmoil, hoping this space may be of some solace.
