This is a proposed art installation for Burning Man 2024, focused upon radical acceptance of everyone who attends the festival and demonstrating that through messaging and invitations for personal connection. Burning Man offers a sublime experience of potential transformation, connection and experiences outside the mundane, yet those depend, to a large degree, upon the creation of a safe space for each person to be able to reveal their most vulnerable self, to perhaps to take risks and step outside their comfort zone. Heart Connection aims to help along that journey.

The essence of Heart Connection is to create a constant messaging to each person that they are loved, that they are part of the community, that there is a connection. Burning Man recognizes the importance of this personal shift, starting with the smiling “welcome home!” proclamations that greet one upon entrance. This is a shift from the outside world, where a person can oftentimes fade without notice – not here in this special space, where intentionality lifts up what might be, could be. Here, each person is sacred, honored, welcomed, loved. “You are loved” is declared by the installation, day and night. Even during those darkest hours, when our personal demons love to attack to weaken, that declaration of a simple truth shines brightly. You are loved.

The space the envelopes this messaging is intended to mirror one of the small planetary spheres that Le Petit Prince visited. Each planet allowed for intimate conversation, for the consideration of new understandings, and for a unique experience. This planet of love will be 10′ from side to side, encapsulated by a brightly lit spherical circle, and with its own landscape of dynamically-changing flowers, sounds and other elements that respond to each visitor. Too, an artifice, suffused with art, integrated with artistic displays of encouraging wisdom from various traditions, will be directed towards reminding each person of their being loved and valued.

Within the playa, the art installation will interact with participants in a new, unusual fashion: those who indicate interest in being connected with the installation will become part of the art sculpture’s network. The infrastructure of the art installation will be comprised of sensors, microcontrollers and other devices that will create a network allowing the exchange of information. Individuals will be able to become part of the installation by having some personal identifiers (Playa name, for example) entered into the database, connecting that person with the heart-shard which will be custom crafted for them, and gifted to them. The art installation, that is, the planet of love, will recognize that individual when they draw near- they will be greeted with messages of love custom-tailored to them. The planet will respond to their being their, physically. They will be intimately reminded of being part of the experience, part of the community, in a very personal, interactive fashion.

In this way, people are recognized – in person, by other people (including me, as I interact with them and craft the heart-shards, gather information to add to the database), with the art installation, with the messages. In this way, we all are reaching out to each other and supporting each other in new, positive ways.