Art of Black Rock City 2026
Totem of Transformation, The Shifting Balance
Alvise and the Hippo Love Art Society — Calgary, Canada

About
The installation presents a totemic stack of animals drawn from symbolic traditions across cultures. A tortoise supports a globe, with a deer, an owl, and butterflies rising above. Inspired by stories of the world carried on a turtle, the work reflects on humanity's relationship with the Earth. Each animal embodies a quality: the deer, gentleness, the owl, wisdom, and the butterfly, transformation. Constructed using reclaimed and repurposed materials, the piece reflects on consumption, sustainability, and the possibility of renewal, offering a quiet meditation on the balance between human activity and the living world.
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.