Art of Black Rock City 2026
Can You Read My Lips?
Will Johansson — Berkeley, CA, United States
About
A 14-foot-wide LED sign on the deep playa. Five lines of light, each reading "CAN YOU READ MY LIPS?", flicker across its face. First slow and tentative, then chaotic and overwhelming, like the fatigue of trying to keep up with many voices at once. At the peak the whole sign holds bright for one second, then resolves into a sixth line: "CAN YOU READ MY HANDS?" The piece is by a Deaf artist whose first language is American Sign Language. The lipreading the question asks for is the lipreading he does every day; the hands at the end point to a fuller language than mouths alone can carry, and a quieter question about whether better is possible.
Where to find it
Installation placements go on the map August 30. Check back then to find this one out there.
Compiled from Burning Man Project’s public art listing. Not affiliated with, endorsed, or verified by Burning Man Project.