Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023, encouraging Visitors to Make their Own Exhibition

04/09/2023. [The Black Rock Desert Playa - NV] USA 27.08 > 04.09.2023
metalocus, ANTONIO CORREDERA
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Museum of No Spectators is a pop-up museum project founded in 2019 by architect John Marx and artist Absinthia Vermut that challenges the traditional museum experience. A truly inclusive space for all, The Museum of No Spectators encourages visitors to participate in the creation of its annual exhibition.

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of Burning Man between 2019 and 2022, The Museum of No Spectators reformatted and debuted initially as a virtual exhibition space in the metaverse. The Museum of No Spectators made its Black Rock City debut in 2022.

Burning Man is an annual event that takes place in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. The event is known for its radical self-expression, participation, and gift economy. Burning Man is a week-long experiment in community and creativity.
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
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Museum of No Spectators has returned to Burning Man 2023 with new artwork and features.  

The museum, which was founded in 2019 by architect John Marx and artist Absinthia Vermut, encourages visitors to participate in the creation of its annual exhibition. Lonnie Graham returns as curator/director of cultural inclusion.  

“The Museum of No Spectators is a place where everyone is an artist,” said Marx. “We want people to come and share their creativity, regardless of their skill level or experience.”

The 2023 iteration of The Museum of No Spectators includes artwork from, Madelon Vriesendorp, Hank Willis Thomas, Deborah Willis, and other notable artists alongside spontaneous onsite contributions from the public.  

This year, the museum built by volunteers has expanded on its 130 sqm (1,400 sqft) steel frame and aluminum-clad structure, at once enlarging the gallery space and providing the finished effect of a beautiful iridescent glow in the sun.

The Museum of No Spectators was thrilled with the positive response to its incorporation of poetry in 2022. In response, the collective is expanding its poetry and spoken word programming for 2023. The museum offered daily readings and workshops and coordinated for several poets to participate. The Museum of No Spectators also provided blank pages of paper to audiences to encourage extemporaneous writing. And, the museum included a new stage for performance art.
 


Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham.


Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham.

Project description by John Marx

The exhibition is subdivided into eight themed galleries:

Social Justice: Truth, Lies, and Reconciliation.- features artwork that challenges viewers to think critically about these issues.

Snark: Tell it like it is….- with a wry smile including artwork that uses humor and wit to explore social and political issues.

The Poetic Moment.- Moments of grace and inspiration showcase artwork that captures moments of beauty and inspiration in everyday life.

Life’s Journey — Introspection.- invites visitors to reflect on their own lives and experiences through artwork that explores themes of personal growth and transformation.


Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham.

Past, Present + Future.- looks at the past, present, and future of art and culture through a variety of different artworks.

Abundance.- celebrates the abundance of life and creativity in the world through artwork that is both visually stunning and thought-provoking.

People: Sharing Your Humanity.- encourages visitors to connect with each other and share in their commonalities through artwork that celebrates the diversity of human experience.

Art on Playa — Gifting Shop.- is a space where visitors/participants can create and display artwork.

Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
Museum of No Spectators Returns to Burning Man in 2023. Photograph by Lonnie Graham
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More information

Architect and Artist
John Marx. Absinthia Vermut.
Curator
Lonnie Graham.
Organization
Burning Man. Museum of No Spectators.
Builder
Wes Skinner.
Area
130 sqm (1,400 sqft).
Dates
From August 27 to September 4, 2023.
Location
The Museum of No Spectators is located on the Black Rock Desert Playa at Burning Man 2023 in Nevada. USA.
Photography
Lonnie Graham.

John Marx

John Marx is Chief Artistic Officer of San Francisco-based Form4 Architecture, responsible for developing the firm’s design vision and language.  He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

He advocates philosophy, art, and poetry in the thoughtful making of place through the compelling power of form, aware that architecture is a balancing act between self-expression and collaboration.  

Marx is the author of "Études: The Poetry of Dreams + Other Fragments," a compilation of his watercolors and poetry, as well as "The Absurdity of Beauty", a treatise on 2nd-Century Modernism, and "Towards Abundance: The Delightful Paradoxes of Gender".  

In 2017, John became a Laureate of the American Prize for Architecture. He also won the 2017 Upstart Award which honors the most innovative, disruptive, and creative business professionals throughout the SF Bay Area.

John Marx showed his work at the Venice Architecture Biennale in Italy in 2016, 2018, and  2021.
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