Burning Man's NYC Decom: Enter the "Carnival-Party"
NYC Halloween Parade: Tradition vs. Commercialism
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New York's Burning Man community has come of age…
Whatever the hell that means, this year's "Decompression" event was an all-night
barnburner like no other. Themed "Shipwrecked", NYC's most creative
were out in force.
A harbinger of a good thing that has arrived, this new form of interactive art party, birthed in the Nevada desert, was put together with great effort, by dozens of people donating time, inspiration and love to create a truly special night.
Dubbed "decompression" because these events, held all over the country after the Labor Day finale of the weeklong Burning Man event, allow "burners" to effectively decompress back into mundane society. Following the credo learned at BM, participants band together to create a slice of the desert playa in both environment and spirit.
Throughout
this huge, high ceilinged Brooklyn warehouse overlooking the skyline of lower
Manhattan, participants transformed this rough, empty space into a living environment
with wild art instillations, performance spaces and a variety of quirky and
comforting theme zones.
Because of the growing notoriety of Burning Man, the many out-of towners commuting
into the city for the party and the word-of-mouth generated by the army of participants,
this year's event attracted way more people than expected and the party quickly
reached beyond capacity.
With the line-waiters being warmed by artistic "burn-barrels", the door greeters doling out hugs and the large industrial elevator gradually funneling folks up to the party, the party was in full gear by 11pm. And there was a LOT to do and see…
There was a bunch of theme areas including the inflato-octopus tent held up
by air pressure with several rooms where people grooved to tunes or awaited
massages. Another was the "Beaucoup de Buck$" camp, where faux-rich folk in
black ties and gowns mockingly sized people up from behind their velvet rope.
Photographer extraordinaire J*Roam documented the party's many styles in her
most fantastic photo booth. There were rides to ride, art to ponder and many
unique folks doin' their thang', like only the burner gang can.
This party kept going and going… Absolutely the place to be, people kept coming in after 4am and the party was still kickin' when I stumbled out at 6. With so much to see and so many friendly folk giving and sharing, it was hard to get bored. With innebitions dropping, people relating and lots of props to spark conversations, I expect this type of party to continue to grow as a genre.
Hard to easily reproduce, these interactive theme events need a core group of creative participants rallying to the cause. To be successful, a sense of community needs to be built around fun, inspiration and teamwork. An obvious profit-motive (outrageous entry fee or expensive drinks) is poison to this formula.
In
NYC, such events are being thrown by the burner-established non-profit group
SEAL (Society For Experimental Art and Learning) and the Brooklyn artist group
Madagascar Institute. There are also the monthly Rubulad parties. Party spaces
tend to be rough warehouse environments in Brooklyn or Queens with little formal
advertising besides word-of-mouth and forwarded e-mail announcements. Others
seem to be popping up as folks see the potential of these types of parties and
experience the true sense of community that they promote.
Stay tuned...
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To See J*Roam's most excellent photo booth pics, go to: http://jeromepix.com/decom2002/
*NOTE: Decompression Events are not formally organized by Burning Man, LLC but by regionally based enthusiast groups. NYC's party was organized by the not-for-profit, Society For Experimental Art and Learning (SEAL). www.sealspace.org.
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Arguably New York's most festive night, this year's Halloween dawned on a city
ready for a real party. With a drag of a year behind it, the city was primed.
With parties scheduled at every bar and, seemingly, half the loft spaces in
Manhattan, the parade was the pre-party for a city prepping for an all-night
binge. 
Themed "Play", this year's parade payed homage to that portion of the human spirit that understands what it is to be a child. While all Halloween lovers know what is meant by play, the parade organizers actively brought together group acts that embodied game play and other forms of lighthearted entertainment.
Most interesting, was the parade's centerpiece. "Chessmen" was an extraordinary
group theme in both workmanship and message. This group was comprised of two
full sides of white & black chess pieces (32 people) with "shade" features that,
when rolled up, revealed masquerade styled revelers underneath. Their dance,
reenacted numerous times as they made their way up 6th Avenue, signified how
opposing forces can be united when they "Play" (especially when in costume,
we might add).
Other interesting costume concepts included Madame Futura, a woman who created a large (foam core) fortune booth and doled out bawdy fortunes, the "Alien Rooster Guy" who put a live fake-bloodied rooster sticking through a hole in his shirt mocking the birth scene of the original Alien film and the group that dressed up as Coney Island's Cyclone roller-coaster.
Originally a street party in Greenwich Village, this event moved to its 6th
Avenue Parade format in the 80's. An event dedicated to the art and celebration
of this day of no limits, the parade organizers, lead by Jeanne Fleming for
the past twenty-ish years, has resisted the lure of commercialism in favor of
maintaining its artistic integrity.
In a city where nothing is ever easy, this year's parade had its own set of difficulties related to the times and its mission. With most traditional fundraising going towards WTC related causes, the Parade's coffers were practically empty this year. Without a budget for art supplies and many creative and logistical resources, the organization limped into October on the backs of people doing it all for the love and devotion to this most sacred night.
In a world where all aspects of life are being increasingly crowded by advertisers looking for more innovative ways to effect "consumer buying behavior", we are continuously bombarded by slogans and imagery that do not add any value to the human experience. As our world is mall-ized, it is most important that some folks draw the line against commercial encroachment in order for society to stay vibrant with a range of ideas and innovative thinking.
Thus, Costume Network strongly advocates the Halloween Parade's mission to keep this event focused on the unique creativity of the individuals and groups who contribute their ideas, energy and lunacy to all. Sort of an anti-Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, this event's trick to survival (in its present form) will be in its ability to raise the appropriate funding from sources that wish to support this goal.
With
a seemingly artist friendly administration in City Hall, and a city that is
developing a stronger sense of community, the environment seems right for this
event to continue it's positive path... With a little help from its friends.
What can you do?… While there are plenty of ways to donate your time and money, everyone can contribute by PARTICIPATING in the night. Got a creative costume idea or group theme? Want to help carry puppets or join an established group? email us or check the parade's official site at www.Halloween-NYC.com.
If you live outside of the NYC area, this is the week to visit. If you wish to see the parade, it does get very crowded at curbside, so we recommend, of course, wearing a costume so that you can join the sea of marchers and really be part of the most fun night that the good ole' US of A has to offer.
They say this event is NYC's #7 Tourist attraction. Let's give it a promotion.
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