Burning Man

I chose Burning Man because it represents a uniquely functional gift economy. Burning Man is a weeklong festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada with over 40,000 participants. During this festival the desert is transformed into a temporary metropolis called Black Rock City. The participants of this event are called “burners,” and have established a unique culture of funky costumes, amazing art, and a gift giving economy. Thousands of tents are set up and themed camps are organized where services such as food, massages, and musical performances are offered for free as gifts. Practically everything at Burning Man is free, there is no buying or selling allowed once you go beyond the gates so you don’t use money for an entire week. This event creates a community that revolves around the aspect of gift giving, creating something specifically for the people of the community. Giving art as both a visual gift as well as a gift that is useful represents an escape from mass production, or a “market economy.” The culture at Burning Man represents a resistance to oppressive social and economic conditions and constraints that characterize mass consumer society. It operates in a structure common to more “primitive” societies where things were produced for their intrinsic usefulness in people’s lives. A capitalist commodified culture results in the disappearance of individual voice and a weakening of personal or individual relationships, and their replacement with “commodity” relationships. Even if you don't attend this festival, Burning Man emphasizes a culture and lifestyle that can be adopted by anyone who wants to escape the mass market society we live in today.