“I quickly realized it’s the people that bring life to the artwork at Burning Man. Unlike those found in a museum or gallery, the creative achievements of the playa were conceived and constructed with the intent of human interaction. They were created specifically for climbing, touching, marking, wearing, giving and receiving, and in many cases, eventual destruction. They exist as sites of photo shoots, weddings, dance parties, transportation, wayfinding, sexual encounters, sleeping, bathing, mourning, and more. So rather than being protected from the masses, the artworks relied on them to achieve full actualization. And this was a curatorial revelation.”
From Going There to Knowing There: A Curator’s Shift in Perspective