About the Project

COR is a large-scale, interactive art installation that the Barcelona Burning Man community is aiming to bring to Nowhere 2014, a Burning Man regional event taking place from the 8th to 13th of July in the Monegros region of Spain. In the spirit of the CORE (Circle of Regional Effigies) projects for Burning Man, this piece will serve to represent Catalonia at the international gathering.

We have been working with local artists, designers, techies, and creators to produce this installation. Our goal is to create something that captures the intersection of Burning Man culture with the spirit of Catalonia, bringing both of these cultures together and sharing them with more people through Nowhere and the neighbouring community where the festival is held. After the event, the piece will be installed in a public space in the Monegros region, to be shared with the broader local community.

The full title of the piece is "COR Pur Trencat Bategant", meaning “Pure Broken Beating Heart” in Catalan. 

The design is based on the concept of deconstruction, which challenges the traditional assumption of certainty, identity and truth. While to deconstruct can be a frightful process if one resists it, it can also bring us closer to our very essence. Thus the sanctuary-like space filled with reassuring heart beats in the interior of the installation. Once one surrenders to the process, they are on their way to once again reconstruct, re-create, play, and evolve.

The video below, produced by team member Aleix, beautifully illustrates the concept behind the piece as well as providing glimpses of the Nowhere environment that will surround it.

One of the things that makes Burning Man so different from most festivals is the art; art that is not limited by the constraints of a museum, but instead is made for an outdoor space. This allows us to create art that can be larger than a building; art that evokes a different experience from day to night, or with wind or rain; art that can be touched; art that interacts with its users and challenges their understanding of reality; art that brings people together both to create it, and to experience it in interesting and unexpected ways once it's complete.

We are excited to create and share such an installation on this scale here in Europe.  In the daytime, the sheer size of it will create shade from the hot sun. People will be able to spend time inside and write on the interior walls. At night, the piece will come alive with the sound of a heartbeat and illumination. There will be touch points and other interactive elements that enable participants to alter the heartbeat.

We invite you to help make this project a reality.

We have a small group of dedicated volunteers and have some funds raised, but we'll need more of both to bring this project to life.

What We Need

To create a piece of this scale with interactive technology, we need a total of 7000€. That will pay for:

• Building materials - this is the bulk of our costs. Includes purchasing and cutting the wood for the structure, hardware (bolts & screws) to assemble it, and paint.
  
• Technology needed for interactive elements such as microcontrollers, LED strips, sensors and speakers.
• Transportation to get the materials to the site, and then to transport the piece (partially disassembled) to its final home in a neighbouring community in the Monegros region.
  

With the precision drafting software used for the design, we have created a very precise calculation of the cost of materials. The modular design allows us to construct it on site at Nowhere without needing a warehouse space here in Barcelona. Once we have completed our fundraising in May, we will purchase the materials to construct the piece on site.

We have already raised the amount needed to create the interactive technology for the installation, through donations from project volunteers as well as an art grant from Nowhere.  We have a team of talented makers and engineers who have started working on developing the interactive sound and light elements.  The funds we have raised so far will enable them to work on the technology while our fundraising campaign is still going on.

Now we need to raise funds for the materials to build the structure.

We are planning several local fundraisers in addition to the online fundraising that will take place over the next month and a half to cover the cost of materials.  (Join our mailing list to learn about upcoming events if you're in or near Barcelona.)  We're also looking into some ways to scale down the piece or other ways to cut costs if we are unable to raise the full 7000€.  We are confident that with 3900€, we can at least create a smaller version of the installation, but we would love your help to reach our 7000€  goal so we can realize the project in its full glory!

What You Get

• We will love you forever if you donate at least 5€ ! Redeem your group hug at a local COR event or at Nowhere.
  
  
• Contributors of 10€ or more will get a color sticker with the COR logo.
  
  
• In addition to the color sticker, contributors of 20€ or more will have their name engraved on a plaque that will be placed on the installation. You will literally become a part of the piece !
  
  
• In addition to the color sticker and your name on the piece, contributors of 50€ will receive a laser cut pendant with the project logo, made with love and recycled wood by team member Ugo Riboni. The pendant diameter is 46mm.
  Note: we can only mail stickers and pendants within Europe. If you are going to Nowhere, please help us save postage by picking it up on site. Items that are not distributed at nowhere will be mailed in late July or early August.
  
  

• In addition to the perks above, contributors of 100€ will receive a private tour of the piece at Nowhere with the designers on hand to show you exactly what went into the concept and design.

• In addition to the perks above, the first four contributors of 250€ will receive one Tier-1 ticket to the BBB: the Barcelona Burning Bash Weekend, on May 9-11. This is Barcelona's regional Burning Man event, a weekend for the burner community to come together to play, share our talents, and inspire each other.  The event is likely to sell out, and the Tier 1 tickets provide the nicest sleeping quarters available. These tickets normally sell for 97€ each. 
  

  Note: this event takes place before the end of the campaign, and is only available through May 5 - we will contact you to make arrangements so you can attend or gift the ticket to someone else.

• In addition to the perks above (sticker, pendant, name, tour, and BBB ticket), the first contributor to donate 500€ will receive a one-of-a-kind laser-cut wooden scale model of the piece, which has working lights and interactivity similar to what the final installation will have. This model - called a maqueta - is now touring different events to show people the design.

  Note: due to its size, 100x70cm, we cannot cover the shipping costs of the maqueta. It would need to be picked up locally in the Barcelona area, or at Nowhere, or we could discuss how to ship it to you at your expense.
  

The Impact

While we have put a lot of effort into designing a meaningful, interactive installation for Nowhere, our intention for this project has always been for more than those who will be able to interact with the piece directly.  Though we are far away from Burning Man, which takes place once a year in the desert of Nevada, USA, we are inspired by it as more of a movement and culture that is infused into our daily lives.  This is something that we hope will inspire others by engaging with local community members throughout the project.

We invite you to volunteer if you'd like to get involved in the project, and we are planning fundraisers that will include workshops teaching new skills to people.  We also want to share the piece itself with the community in the Monegros region of Spain where the festival is held. As part of the Growing Nowhere project, we are working with local leaders to have it placed permanently in a nearby town after the festival is over for the community to experience.

Other Ways You Can Help

Aside from contributing to this fundraiser, there are several other ways you can get involved:

Spread the word:

• Please share this campaign with your social media and email networks.  You can find us on Facebook
  
• Tell your friends and family in person, especially those who don’t spend much time on social media
  

Volunteer:

We will need people on site at Nowhere to help with the build, translators to help us with materials (English to Spanish, English to Catalan), and other tasks. See our volunteer spreadsheet or contact us at volunteers@burn.cat to learn more about ways to get involved.

Thank you for reading!!  We hope to see your smiling face at an upcoming event.

<3, 

The COR Project Team