History

A Brief History of Disorient

- Late 2000, a small group of veteran burners with art and music backgrounds get together in a loft downtown NYC to create a camp at BM
- Intention to combine community and art collaboration
- Leo suggests we call the camp Disorient
- 2001 First Disorient camp at BM, about 50 campers - success
- First Disorient fundraisers in NYC, small parties that evolve into 1000+ people raves throughout the aughties
- D1 was revelatory. We decide to do Disorient camp again at BM 2002
- 2003: Our Passion for house music brings us to the 10:00 corner
- 2004: Large Sound Camp area on 10:00. First Disorient Sign 83’ long
- 2005-2007: Attracted to the deep playa and yearning for mobility, we create the Disorient Express (DEX). DIS Sign mounted on a side of the DEX, ORIENT Sign on pallet rack in camp. Disorienting to have our camp frontage roaming around BRC and deep playa.
- 2007: First GlamTech event in NYC
- 2009-2010: Disorient Art Car Wash as camp frontage at BM
- 2011: 2:00 corner, First Geodesic Temple defines a 100’x 100’ dance floor. After organizing parties in NYC for 10 years we are drawn to greater pastures. First Country Club camp out upstate NY, now a yearly week-long event.
- 2014: First Bedouin Tech camp out in Dubai
- 2016: First Fun Tsang camp out in Hong Kong
- 2017: Teatro Di Sorient at BM
- 2018: Temple of Incompletion, first large Geodesic Temple burn at BM
- 2019: Temple of Brad Pitt
- 2021: First Burning Mantap, a "Disorient Unplugged" beach event in Bali

Fun Facts

- Disorient has been on the Esplanade every year since its inception except in 2004, 2008 and 2018.

- Number of Disorient campers at BM has varied from about 50 our first year to 328 in 2014. Inspired by Dunbar's number we now try to stay between 150 and 200 campers.

- Disorient is a training camp. We turn campers into DOers. They learn with us then, if inspired, go out in the world to create their own camps. Many BM camps and major BM events around the world were started by DOers.