Burning Man
While the burning of the sculpture began on Baker Beach (San Francisco) during the solstice gatherings of the late 80’s, it was transformed by the spirit of the Cacophony Society into “Burning Man” when it reached Black Rock Desert in 1990.
The Cacophony Society had been hosting “Zone Trips” to far out (literally far out and away from civilization) places, and in 1990 went to the Black Rock Desert near Gerlach, Nevada.
Unable to burn the man on baker beach, Kevin Evans and John Law invited the sculpture along for Zone Trip #4 “A Bad Day in Black Rock” transforming the event into “Burning Man”, which would become the most notorious of The Burns. It grew, evolved, transformed and existed with unwritten community mores until 2003.
Recognizing that the event was growing at a nearly exponential rate, and that people were showing up who had no idea what ‘this whole participatory thing’ was all about; the Burning Man Org, outlined ten principles (stemming from the concept of immediatism) to guide the development of projects wishing to contribute to the Cultural Paradigm that Burning Man fosters.
These ten principles had gathered around Burning Man every year and were observed to be the core principles of the communities gathering there. These principles are one of the more articulate observations of the general Cultural Paradigm that shapes this event.
Remember — Community Mores are guild lines, not laws.
The Burning Man — Ten Principles
Radical Inclusion
Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community.
Gifting
Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value.
Decommodification
In order to preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience.
Radical Self-reliance
Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise and rely on his or her inner resources.
Radical Self-expression
Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient.
Communal Effort
Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction.
Civic Responsibility
We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws.
Leaving No Trace
Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them.
Participation
Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart.
Immediacy
Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience.