In The Akashic Field | #51
My Burning Nest art proposal for 2025
In my last newsletter, I promised to share my proposal for my upcoming art piece. To decide who gets funded there will be a voting process where the UK burner community gets to decide. As such, I don’t yet know if I have or will receive funding, though I am extremely optimistic based on receiving funding for the last two burner events!
More on the process:
Here is the main body of the proposal:
In the Akashic Field is an invitation to step beyond the visible world into the aether - an unseen realm holding the forces that connect us all. You are invited to reflect, manifest or just be. It is an interactive large-scale installation that is made up of three parts:
Gateway to the Aether: A shimmering gateway of light marks the threshold between the physical and the metaphysical. Those familiar with this concept know that access to the Akashic Field and its records is through astral projection, an out of body experience where the astral body separates from the physical body. Like stepping through a veil, this light passage mirrors the journey into the Akashic Field—a cosmic library of knowledge and energy that holds the stories of all who have lived.
The Akashic Vault: At the heart of the installation lies a glowing podium, a symbolic "universal supercomputer." This is the keeper of answers, inviting participants to ask their deepest worries, seek advice, or reflect on their lives. A culturally sensitive, ethical generative AI bot powers the Akashic Valut. Through the means of typing or voice, the Akashic Record will provide answers for those who dare to seek them. It is powered by 5G tethered through a hidden mobile device inside the podium.
The Celestial Canopy: Above, a canopy of delicate cloth—painted with celestial motifs of stars, moons, and planets—invites upward gazing to dream, and lose oneself in the infinite aether and cosmos. Materials engineering and aesthetic design is inspired by a 2024 Burning Man installation called Sky Gazing. Art collective, Poetic Kinetic created this aerial art as a shade and peaceful haven for stillness, connection and reflection much like what Celestial Canopy aspires to do. Upholding the canopy are a total of eight ancient columns with four on each side.
Whether asking the AI a question, lying beneath the stars, or quietly observing, everyone can engage as much—or as little—as they wish. Twenty to thirty people can comfortably be in the space at once.
As with previous Burn installations I have made, I hope that my art can be a medium to reflect and admire the beauty of the universe and ourselves. As an extension of my practice being an immersive learning designer, I create art to connect with others, to invite them to connect with themselves and for art to not just be passively admired but deeply meaningful and interactive. The participant brings their own interpretation and it adds to the experience.
Key Elements:
Practical Considerations:
Night Lighting: Eco-conscious solar powered LED lights will illuminate the base and columns for safety and visibility. Battery powered lights will serve as an emergency back up
Weatherproofing: The columns will be solid enough to hold themselves up but reinforced with lag bolts. Last year, lag bolts worked really well for holding up the doors as well as the frequent force of people opening and closing them throughout Nest. The Akashic Vault will be a podium created with wood housing an internal shelf built at a height well above the potentially wet ground. This is where the computer, internet tethering and other electronics will live. A monitor will be visible for interaction but protected under a layer of clear pyrex.
Transport and Setup: All materials fit in a van, and fellow Burning Nest attendees have committed to building it together.
Leave No Trace: As in the previous year, the number of lag bolts will be meticulously recorded so that the same amount is removed. All aspects of the installation will be striked on the last Monday with loose bits cleaned up and brought to a storage facility in London. It is planned for another install at London Decompression. Wood will be burnt on-site with the effigy or temple. All material is sourced secondhand where possible and wood will be shared into the temple or effigy burn. Anything else that remains will be transported off site to leave no trace.
Let me know what you think! And if you are based in London and want to help me build it please let me know :)
Caryn
Oh my word Caryn, this looks *spectacular*!! I hope you get the funding and it'll come to pass. I've had a couple of guided experiences where someone read my records and it's been transformational.