Dreamland

Inspired by the wonder of childhood carnival rides, Dreamland is an immersive and interactive environment. A whimsical experience of vivid colors, dazzling light and flame transport participants to the world of spectacle and the carnivalesque. As participants interact with the sculpture, they discover that they control the movement of the piece by turning a circular, central railing, which moves the arms above head, imitating the mechanics of a swing carousel. During the day, spinning the sculpture creates shifting patterns of shade and light as the sun filters through a fabric canopy. A soundscape that echoes the boardwalk and bygone carnivals fades in and out. At night, the atmosphere becomes electrified. As the spinning arms reach different velocities, the piece comes alive with fire and light.

To listen to the atmospheric soundscape created by many different sound artists, visit our Soundcloud page.

Location: Burning Man Festival 2015 – Black Rock Desert, NV
Media: Mild steel (w/ finish), LED lighting effects, flame effects
Dimensions: height ca. 20’, footprint ca. 40’x40’.
Commissioning Agency: Burning Man & the Abundance Foundation

Dreamland photo gallery on Flickr

DREAMLAND IS A COLLABORATION

Dreamland is the result of a collaboration among over 40 different people contributing to engineering, design, wood, metal, fabric, flame effects, lighting, technology, logistics, project management, fundraising, marketing, crew care and a number of surprise elements yet to be revealed. FLUX’s process is radically-collaborative, allowing for each person’s artistic input to become an integral and valued part of the whole while maintaining the artistic integrity of the artwork.

Visual design partner
We collaborated on the design elements of Dreamland with our dear friend and remarkable sculpture artist, Kate Raudenbush. Based in New York, Kate focuses on large-scale allegorical environments are created as an experiential set-piece for elevated human connection and social dialogue. We are thrilled to be working with her to bring this piece to life.

Sound design partners
A core element of the Dreamland experience is the soundscape that draws participants in and envelops them in the space. Sounds of the carnival, the boardwalk and the sea coupled with ethereal music will be the soundtrack of the piece. We partnered with a handful of incredibly talented, renowned DJs and sound designers who are each creating a unique track for the piece. Our collaborators include: Flavio Lemelle, Simon Shackelton, Sleight of Hands,Myagi, Shengi, and Jem Stone, among others. To hear the atmospheric soundscape created by many different sound artists, visit our Soundcloud page.

Funding partners
Dreamland started its life as Carousel, a project funded by the Abundance Foundation for the Project Zero Perspectives: Making, Thinking, and Understanding educator’s conference at Lick Wilmerding High School in San Francisco in October 2014. FLUX was thrilled to partner with Abundance and Project Zero to create an interactive experience at the conference that engaged educators from across the country who are committed to design thinking and making in school curriculum.

Carousel evolved to Dreamland as a project for the 2015 Burning Man event. Burning Man has provided a generous grant for this project to support the enhanced interactivity and placemaking experience that Dreamland has become.