In 2012, I was humbled and honored when National Treasure was selected to be one of 2012’s C.O.R.E. structures (Circle of Regional Effigies). I was the head designer, CEO and director of operations for this project. We received a partial grant from Burning Man to create it. It was the first year a DC area project had been included in the CORE projects. The Circle of Regional Effigies (CORE) was comprised of 34 wooden effigies created by Burning Man Regional groups from around the world. Guided by the Ten Principles, CORE teams worked together throughout the Spring and Summer to create art that celebrated their Regional identities and showcased the collaborative artistic efforts of their community members. The CORE Project is a celebration of Burning Man’s Regional Network and of the work that groups throughout the world are doing to nurture and support the Burning Man ethos as a global cultural movement. 24 of the effigies were placed in a ring 600 feet around the base of the Man and there were two circles of five effigies facing out towards Center Camp. All of the CORE projects burned simultaneously at 9:00 pm on Thursday of the event. It was a fantastic convergence of art culture and celebration!
Our documentary:
The Washington Monument is among the most iconic structures in America. It is a symbol of our unity as a nation and our American culture both past and present. With this in mind, we thought, what better symbol is there to represent Washington D.C. at Burning Man than a structure that pays homage to this monument? Just as Burner culture is a bright and lively reflection of American culture; our structure was a bright and lively reflection of the monument.
Our sculpture was a 20ft tall obelisk with a framework of wood. It was covered in a thin fabric skin we decorated on playa with dye dye and batik by local artists and members of our community. There was a bubble machine inside the monument which released bubbles during the day. At night a series of LEDs inside the monument sent colorful patterns across the desert landscape of Black Rock City. There was also be a fire cannon that shot flames out the top of National Treasure.
The Washington Monument was completed in 1884. However, even in 1884 diversity was present in American culture. People from all over the world donated stones for the Washington Monument to be built, event Native Americans and the Pope! All of these building blocks are inside the monument as symbols of our collective culture. We wanted to know: What does our culture mean to you? We wanted National Treasure to represent many aspects of our complex modern culture. We collected letters from all over the country with people describing their view of our culture. All of these letters and ideas were placed within the sculpture much like the founding bricks of the Monument. On Thursday August 30th, all of the letters were burned inside our sculpture as our offering. Yes, as a dedication our culture, thoughts, feelings and ideas will be inside of our sculpture when it burns. The burning was a symbol of rebirth, honor and dedication.
Our kickstarter:
Burning Man File:
Click to access national-treasure.pdf
Press:
Kelly Ann Kalac 