The Illuminated Gates are a series of interactive gates modeled after traditional Japanese torii. Torii are generally used at the entrances to Shinto shrines to the sacred space. Burning Man is a profane and sacred experience for its participants, and we want to offer this path to the community to illustrate a deeper connection with the spiritual world. By passing through the gates, we hope that participants are inspired to convert current worldly problems (the profane) into inner light – igniting the divine connection within themselves (sacred). We hope that this path acts as an invitation to enter the temple you’re already a part of, the sacred space within.
The project can be experienced by any one individual, and also highly encourages group participation. We encourage individuals to use the space to reflect on the divine energy they are always moving within, but also to be aware that those who are also enjoying existing in the same evolving space. The gates have deeper talents than just being a meditative area. From near or far, the gates offer interactivity and illumination that are inviting, and not enclosing. We want this project to provide a platform for Burning Man community for community reflection, interactivity, and connection.
During the day, the gates stand with traditional torii colors, black and vermillion. At night, they glow brightly to be seen far across the Playa. The gates are not merely static sculptures on the landscape; they pulse and shine each individually equipped with hundreds of RGB LEDs that interpret the energy of those nearby. The gates each sense movement within their area and 3D-mapped LEDs wrapping the structures react to those who are passing. They encourage group activity and reward collective participation. The result is a dynamic playful landscape with patterns sprung from participants spilling across the rest of the gates in an interactive storm of throbbing color. Lighting has an amazing ability to affect even our most subconscious moods. In this way, we want the technology of The Illuminated Gates to absorb walker’s intention and share it with the environment, creating a truly community-based interactive space.
With sensors mapped across each individual gate, we have a accurate reading of whether participants are under a gate structure. A simple hand wave or parked biked won’t fool it.
The goal of our LED programming is to call attention to the interaction between participants and the passage through the torii gates. Individuals will form a relationship will the gates, understanding that passing through them or standing under them for periods of time will elicit different reactions.
Inspecting the LEDs that pulse rich waves of colors intelligently across the entire environment, participants will also discover that passing through the gates will heighten and spawn this content. When a participant stands underneath a gate, diffused LED light washes bright around the gate, glowing brighter and brighter, as if it has been activated, only to dim when the gate is empty once again.
*Note* RGB LEDs shown in images are WHITE for sake of conceptual clarity.
As well as being highly responsive and entertaining for an individual to pass or stand between the gates alone – the real beauty of the programming unfolds through collective cooperation.
When multiple participants stand beneath each of the 6 gates long enough for them to all become “activated”, the center starts to become highly illuminated. This will be the only circumstance that the center lantern structure becomes fully illuminated. This center also houses a “map” which features LEDs strung along the circular base of the lantern. This indicator will show the active participant status of each gate, relative to their position on the circle.
In addition, special patterns can be unlocked by synchronized movement and cooperation by participants. The speed and quantity of participants in the area will create different effects through the gates. These realtime animation effects will be evident to BRC residents across the playa, not just to those inside!
When there are no participants, ambient and generative driven effects will illuminate the gates, beckoning attention and shining pretty even when left alone. The gates will feature vibrant animations with a high framerate that are tailored specifically to the shapes of the torii. Running rich next-generation graphics, the effects will be noticeably incorporated across all 6 gates and the center lantern. Content will splash across the entire landscape, as each LED is calculated in 3D and mapped to the exact dimension of the Illuminated Gates. Different content will run from dusk till dawn; cycles being triggered by days of the week and time of the day.
The LEDs that light the gates are a dazzling array of high-definition RGB LEDs. Each gate will feature three bright spot/wash arrays, as well as sporting 488 individually addressable RGB LEDS that cover the legs and the lower crossbar. The entire array of LEDs, when seen from afar, will appear as a bright video screen gracefully scattered as individual pixels across the landscape and onto the torii gates themselves.
The Arbor Borealis installation will be a hidden space off the main track where apo-goers will discover a serene environment of light and sound. High-intensity LEDs will be hung above head height in a 3D network amongst the woods.
