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A Burning Man Regional Community


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Effigy Design Submission

The UBS 2020 winning effigy design has been selected!

Congratulations to Picasso for his submission of MOON TOWER.

The effigy is a model of the moon, about 16′ in diameter, on a cylindrical pedestal about 6′ across and 6′ tall. The pedestal and moon are hollow, and the pedestal extends as a center column up through the core of the moon. The effigy cannot be climbed on the outside, but participants can enter the pedestal and climb up into the moon’s center column. There is a walkway inside the moon, around the column, at the equator, that can be accessed from inside the column. We plan to cover the outside of the moon with a thin translucent skin (possibly paper or vellum), and project images (starmaps, geometric laser images, possibly videos) onto the inside of the moon, where they can be seen from both inside and outside the effigy. We also plan to outfit the shell of the moon with LED strips and program a spherical light show on the surface.


Moon Tower will have an interior space that is climbable, will have video projection for participants to watch and animated lights for participants to be captured by (trip trap!) Moon Tower also offers multiple opportunities for community members to engage with its construction and decoration. specifically:

– covering the surface of the moon with craters (or other shapes and constructions) is a project a person or team could take on.

– designing the LED light show is another such project

– the center column is reminiscent of the tractor beam control tower in the original Death Star; a team could take on the job of decorating it, outfitting it with control panels, etc.

AutoCAD 360 View https://a360.co/2CidnFi

How design was judged?

Effigy designs were judged on:

thematic consistency – how well they reflect the theme of the event, “To the Moon!”

visual appeal – how pretty or interesting they are to look at, both during the daytime and after dark

interactivity – how will the effigy invite participants to interact with it? how engaging is it? how interesting?

safety – will participants be able to interact with the effigy without serious risk of cutting or impaling themselves, or falling from dangerous heights? if it’s seems climbable, will it stand up to people’s weight? if it has interior spaces, do they have adequate entries and exits?

burnability – is the effigy designed to catch fire easily, burn spectacularly, and collapse within a controlled footprint?

feasibility – can it be built in time, and for the allotted budget? if it has moving parts, will it work, and keep working for the length of the event? if the submitted plan includes a Build Lead, do they have the resources to complete the project?

If you have any questions, you can email them to ubs-effigy (at) houstonburners.org

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