Burning Man 2025

Burning Man 2025 carried the spirit of a World’s Fair — not about consumerism, but about art, imagination, and collective action. The theme asked us to look past the myths of utopia and dystopia and instead explore a “protopia” — a future that gets a little better, step by step.

This year was different for me. For nine years I’ve volunteered with The Artery, Burning Man’s art department, but arriving late and leaving early meant I couldn’t contribute in the same way. I had a wonderful burn, though I missed giving back alongside the other volunteers I usually see just once a year.

I also slowed my photography practice. The first days I shot film, being more selective, and it changed how I experienced the city: less about chasing every image, more about pausing and absorbing.

The desert tested us with storms and rain, yet Black Rock City rose resilient as ever. To me, that’s the heart of Burning Man — facing challenges together with creativity and community. These are my best images of the week: a personal record of art, weather, resilience, and hope for the future.

Burning Man 2025 ran from August 24 to September 1, 2025, in Black Rock City, Nevada.

the Man Pavilion's"The World Fair of Unity" was created by artist Mark Rivera. Inspired by world fairs, Rivera's design serves as Black Rock City's global cultural center, highlighting the event's theme of Tomorrow Today.
Cosmic Cuddle by: Miki Masuhara-Page and Cosmic Beings from: Portland, OR
One Tin Soldier by Mark Deem and The Misfit Toys from Bolinas, CA
Temple of the Deep by Miquel Arraiz from Valencia, Spain
Mycelia by Daniel Popper from Cape Town, South Africa
Guma by Harper Clark from Petaluma, CA
Nova by Chuck Sommerville from Folsom, CA
The Point of Unity by Mykolaiv Kabuki from Dnipro, Ukraine
Orbs by David Oliver from Ventura, CA
Kauyumari Ceremonial Center by Leyla Brashka from Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico
Un Nuevo Camino by Mark Rivera aka Kinetic from Santurce, Puerto Rico
The Quantum Existence by STuro from Reno, NV
The Sphinx Gate by Mareesa Stertz, Tania Abdul, Jason Chase, and the Sphinxters from San Francisco Bay Area
Lady Helene by Taproot Arts Collection from Asheville, AC
Compost Playground by: Jen Reed from: DeRiddler, LA
Dispensing Influence by: Gerry Laures, Antwan Alderon, Daquan Carathers and the Black Flame Collective Queen, NY
Reborn by Clinton Lesh from Bozeman, MT
Black Rock City Chicken Ranch by The Followers of Floyd from: Cordova, AK
Patches by Hope & Nate Andersen - Stardust Alchemy Studios
Aquatica by: Anna Gribovsky from: San Francisco
What Lies Beneath by Reno Core Project from Reno,
Forty Winds Further by Heather Laurie & The Full of Tricks Crew from Bend, OR
Framing The Future by The Dusty Booty Ranch from Seattle, WA
Stormborn: The Tyrant of Lighting by Andrew Frank, Emerson Casey, Nero, Josh Hess, Josh Ishihara, Kevin Dyllong & Greta Hanger From Reno, NV
What Lies Beneath by Reno Core Project from Reno,
Vessel of Love by Alberto Marcos from Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica
Staircase to Exordium by Joe Lilley from Oxford & London, UK
Merman by Andril Krapyvchenko and Wonder Workshop Crew From Kyiv, Ukraine
Lady Helene by Taproot Arts Collection from Asheville, AC
The Point Being by Jordan Tenney from Salt Lake City, UT
The Lighting Tower by Pepemaniak from Rome, Italy
Reflecting the present by Darrell E. Ansted from Boulder, CO
Event Horizon by Ben Bartlett from San Francisco, CA
Riding The Thermals by Mel Meow & Florian Stadler AKA The Neverending Source Los Angeles and Sydney, AU