Temple of Brad Pitt

a sculpture by Geodesic Temple at Burning Man 2019
URL for this page: http://tobrit.geodesictemple.com

Summary

The Temple of Brad Pitt channels the famous Hollywood actor. It captures Brad Pitt’s aura, extracts the essence of his being through data gathering and redisplays it as a data portrait and performative sculpture enabling Burning Man 2019 participants who enter a special apparatus to briefly experience bradpittization, or, in other words, what it is to be him.

Physical description

The Temple of Brad Pitt (TOBRIT) is composed of 4 distinct elements representing 4 distinct states of transformation nested into each other much like Matryoshka dolls.

The Temple

Following Geodesic Temple’s design principles, a complex made of structural octahedra is the central architectural element of the Temple and visually defines it.

File:20190219TOBRIT.skp

Spire test at Disorient Country Club, upstate NY, May 2019

The Purgatory

The main feature inside TOBRIT, this semi-private chamber serves as preamble and waiting room to the Ark. It can hold a dozen people and is a receptacle for offerings. Some believe that the grander the offering, the fuller the ensuing bradpittization.

Member

File:20190507.Purgatory.skp

Connector

Final version 20190717

Connector test 20190603

File:20190507.PurgatoryConnector.skp

Frescoes

Frescoes on the inside walls of the Purgatory (4 surfaces on the inside), part hieroglyph, part graffiti, describe and illustrate through allegories, metaphors, quotes and parables the process of becoming Brad Pitt. They guide the attentive player through the metamorphoses.

File:20190426.Purgatory.skp

The Ark

Material: Steel
Dimensions: 7 ft. x 4 ft. x 1 ft.
Weight: 270 lbs.

A metal vessel designed to host one person at a time hovers inside the Purgatory. Entering the Ark is the next step on the journey to become Brad Pitt. Although it is possible to experience some level of bradpittization anywhere inside the Temple, players are encouraged to deposit their bodies inside the Ark for best results. Make sure you lift the Veil before positioning yourself inside the Ark.

The Ark inside TOBRIT

The Ark after the burn of TOBRIT (BM19)

Fabrication of the Ark

File:20190120TheArk.skp

The Encephalus

Designed to host the head of the person inside the Ark, this exiguous space is the theatre of the second metamorphosis. It is recommended to stay in the Encephalus for the amount of time it would take a bird to fly from Marina Del Rey to Santa Monica Pier or from Yau Ma Tei to Sheung Wan or from Le Senequier to La Voile Rouge.

A place to quiet the mind and expand consciousness; to let go and explore the infinite within. The place for enhanced bradpittization, the Encephalus is where most players will experience the deepest sense of being Brad Pitt. The most sacred space of the Temple. Pro tip: lift the Veil as you enter the Encephalus.

Measurements of TOBRIT

Overall dimensions: 41' (Width) x 41' (Length) x 51' (Height)
Components: (7) 4' edge octahedra, (24) 8' edge octahedra, (1) 20' edge octahedra
Weight: TBA lbs (24x 8'OH (kiln-dried 2x4x8' + Simas connectors + hardware)) x 162lbs = 3840 lbs) + (30x 5/8” 48"x96" plywood board x 84lbs = 2520 lbs) + (15x 2x4x20') + (24x 2x4x16') + (10x 2x4x10') + (5x 3/4" 48"x96" plywood board) + (7x 4'OH (kiln-dried 2x4x4' plus Simas connectors)) + (4x 2x4x16') + (steel cable, bolts, nuts, washers, screws)

Placement of TOBRIT on playa: 6300' 12' 18" (Brad Pitt's birthdate: Dec. 18, 1963)

Interactivity

Playing along with the Metamorphoses theme of this year’s event, TOBRIT addresses questions of presentation and interpretation of data as well as the role of belief in the transformation of self.

The piece offers two distinct metamorphoses.
First, the visual metamorphosis of information takes data from one state of representation to another. Concatenated through different filters (iterative process), different output streams (generative design), the same data produces different results. One is the existing primary source (Brad Pitt himself) from which the data is extracted, the other is the sculpture which is constructed based on data collected from the primary source.
Secondly, the ontological metamorphosis, experienced by individuals entering the Temple and positioning their physical bodies inside the Ark, leaving their own selves to become Brad Pitt for a few seconds of eternity.

The interactive dimension of the sculpture resides in the realization of one’s interdependence with the piece: to get something out, you must first put something in. In other words, you have to believe. The player needs to travel through the four nested elements of the sculpture (Temple, Purgatory, Ark, Encephalus) to complete her metamorphosis into Brad Pitt. The installation is transformative and performative, to be played like an instrument and, as such, is a metaphor for Burning Man itself.

DO
- Recognize that a sense of being Brad Pitt will meet the user willfully entering this sacred space with openness, determination and conducive intentions.
- Relax when you stand inside the Ark.
- Quiet your mind when inside the Encephalus.
- Stay in the Encephalus until you stop being aware that you are in the Encephalus at which point your bradpittization will likely have taken place.

DON’T
- Speak loudly inside the Temple.
- Disturb the bradpittization in progress.
- Expect a figurative representation of Brad Pitt.

Mission

TOBRIT projects the visitor inside the aura of the actor, allowing her to experience Mr. Pitt from within, what it feels like to be him, what it means to be Brad Pitt.

TOBRIT is a portrait of Brad Pitt by numbers. Data gathered from a variety of sources linked to the actor’s life such as, psychological profile, names of characters he portrayed in movies, astrological theme, face recognition parameters, etc. are fed to the AI engine to help determine the physical characteristics of TOBRIT through generative design and recursive processes.

Positioned at the intersection of science and alchemy, mysticism and mathematics, physics and spirituality, TOBRIT embarks on the courageous task of opening a door of perception for the player, and provides a download that, once experienced, is unlikely to be forgotten.

Philosophy

Just as in the age of mechanical reproduction only the aura of the artwork remains as Walter Benjamin argued, TOBRIT points at a not-so-distant future when its aura is the only remaining sign that humanity as we know it ever existed. The human race, dematerialized, reshuffled, is not eliminated but perpetually rehashed.

TOBRIT, an example of meta-metaphore, provides the user with access to an instance of this state of perpetual transformation. The little that seems possible to us today is trivial achievement in the grand scheme of things. Everything is possible. The key is inside each and every one of us. Go for it! Choose to believe.

When we burn the Man, we burn the ultimate receptacle of the projections of all burner. We all individually incinerate our own version of the Man which resides in every one of us. Other playa art works designed to go up in smoke are conceived by participants as subjective proposals of more specific needs to be disposed of.

As we burn the Temple of Brad Pitt we will obviously not burn the iconic Hollywood actor himself but what he represents, namely a symbol simultaneously gigantic and insignificant of conformism. We will also burn the envy and petty desires to be something that we are not, desires that infiltrate insidiously our most sincere and authentic ambitions. Brad Pitt, as the epitome of Hollywood, seems particularly suited for that role.

Lights

TOBRIT lights are 100% solar-powered. Consciously not participating in the LED arms-race that we are witnessing on the playa we are partisan of a less-is-more and greener approach. To that end we are using an evolution of our wholesome Solpix v.0.3, the distributed solar lighting system used on Temple of Incompletion at Burning Man 2018.

Striving for striking subtlety, the color palette consists of an array of whites with temperatures ranging from Soft White (2700K – 3000K) to Bright White/Cool White (3500K – 4100K) to Daylight (5000K – 6500K).

Burn

TOBRIT burns on Friday August 30th, 2019 at 9pm.

Burn Description

The burn is based entirely on consuming the wooden piece completely with fire, igniting several structurally strategic points to help its collapse and make an exciting, timely burn.

The art will be placed on decomposed granite for the burn shield. We will set a perimeter well prior to the burn and fueling and maintain guardians until the fire has completely gone out per FAST / perimeter guidelines. The wooden structure will be supplemented with additional firewood and 2x4s placed to organize burn. It will be fueled with diesel gas as an accelerant. There will only be one ignition using wired e-matches to ignite several points to consume the structure. Road flares on metal poles will be available to ignite the base as a backup.

- Perimeter Safety Zones
The radius of the perimeter will be 125' and will require a crew of 55, that's 1 person every 15' plus 4 quadrant leads. An additional 50' for the art car perimeter. Perimeter members were identified by specific T-shirts and only staff with clear Open Fire Lanyards were allowed inside the perimeter (images http://wiki.disorient.info/index.php?title=Temple_of_Incompletion)

File:20190619TOBRITperimeter.skp

- Fire extinguisher locations
Fire extinguishers will be present during fueling and ignition with the Open fire team and additional fire extinguishers and blankets available at the 9 o'clock perimeter rally point.

- Location of first aid kit with burn supplies
9 o'clock perimeter rally point

Safety Plan

Please provide the safety plan for installation, no matter which flame classification(s) your artwork will utilize. This plan should describe all the measures that your crew will employ to ensure that your project will be safe for participants, performers, and crew, both during and after construction, and during any burn and subsequent clean-up. At a minimum, it should cover:

- Fire extinguishers will be present during fueling and ignition with the Open fire team and additional fire extinguishers and blankets available at the 9 o'clock perimeter rally point.

- List of Safety Data Sheets to be kept with the installation
Only relevant to diesel fuel accelerant, will be with fuel depot and Open Fire team

- Safety training for crew members
We have experienced Burn Lead, Perimeter Lead, as well as Rangers (? Do we need OSHA type certs?). All perimeter supervisors will attend perimeter training at FAST and volunteers will either attend FAST training or specific perimeter training provided at camp or prior to the burn.

- Safety-specific crew roles and responsibilities
We will have one perimeter lead with 4 perimeter quadrant leads. Open Fire team will be limited to badged/lanyard staff. During fueling one person will fuel while supervised by one with a fire extinguisher and one floating backup. If manual ignition is necessary two staff with two additional people with fire extinguishers will provide ignition.

- Safety procedures and protocols
All perimeter volunteers will be trained. Burn lead will comply with all FAST requirements and will follow direction. The piece will not be fueled until approved by FAST team based on weather or other considerations. Fueling will be done following best practices, from the inside out and not allowing anyone to become trapped.

- Safety features, if any, built into the project
The structure is incredibly strong based on its geometry.

Emergency Response Plan

- Evacuation will be to the 9 o'clock perimeter rally point.

- Gaseous fuel is not part of our burn plan. Liquid fuel leaks will be evaluated and as previously mentioned the burn will not be fueled until under supervision of the FAST team. Any staff participating in fueling will not be part of the ignition team and over-exposure to liquid fuel will result in removal to the perimeter.

- Unplanned fires will result in evacuation of the piece until or if we are allowed to return by the Burn lead / FAST team.

- Structural evaluation will be completed prior to any entry or ascent of the project for purposes of adding wood/fuel.

- Injuries will be sent to the 9 o'clock rally point initially. Perimeter lead will have HAM radio support. Additional Ranger support will be present.

Open Fire Fuel Type and Amounts

- 10 gallons diesel gas

- Dry Fuel. Dry paraffin and burlap will be applied to joints in the upper structure to concentrate heat. 20 lbs of paraffin will be split into 30 pucks along with 100 yards of 9" burlap roll.

Additional Wood

- 2.5 cords of firewood (1 cord = 128 cubic feet)
- 300 2x4x8

Lanyards

Quantities:
Burn: 10 units
Perimeter: 70 units

Templars

Director/Exec. Producer: The Eye of Disorient
Producer: Ria R.
Design Advisor: Lowroad
Metal Fabrication (Ark, connectors): Simas B.
Generative design: Nick C.
BM Artery Liaison: Ria R.
Engineer Liaison: The Eye
Purgatory Assembly Lead: John F.
OH Assembly Lead: Pinky
Fresco: Kirby

Lights: Solpix v.0.3 evolution
Design: The Eye
Electronics: Matt M.
Assembly: Jacob J.

Burn Lead: Johnny B.
Perimeter Leads: Naim B., Brandon S.
Fire Safety Liaison: Yahel (TBC)
LNT Lead: Jason 1969

Logistics: So On It
Purchasing: Nitro
Legal: Jonny B. Bad
Identity/Graphics: The Eye
Fundraising: Jasmine Y.
Documentation: Clark Kent

Built Crew: Margaux R., you (Choose "GeoTem" in your Disorient camp registration or contact the.eye at disorient dot info if you want to get involved)

Perimeter Crew: (Choose "GeoTem Burn" in your Disorient camp registration or contact the.eye at disorient dot info if you want to get involved)

Production

Pre-Playa

Shopping List

Fabricate Ark, ship with NYC container (Simas, NJ)
Fabricate 6 metal connectors for Purgatory frame, ship to Disorient Los Angeles (Simas, NJ)

Order wood for Purgatory members (Nitro) deliver to Los Angeles for prep, location TBD, pick-up with 26' truck on way to BRC
Order all other wood (Nitro) pick-up with 26' truck on way to BRC (truck crew)
Order hardware for Purgatory (bolts, nuts, washers, screws, rigging hardware), Disorient Los Angeles
Fabricate 12 members for Purgatory frame, Disorient Los Angeles
Design Fresco for Purgatory walls, Kirby

Purchase 400 solar lights, ship to Jacob J. (Fresno, CA) for assembly
Fabricate 400 circuit mod for lights (Disorient Guangzhou, China), ship to Jacob J. (Fresno, CA) for assembly
Mod 400 lights with custom circuits (Fresno, CA)

Assembly sequence

1. Assemble Purgatory frame (one large octahedron (OH)) following octahedron 101 assembly sequence (3x 45 min VR)
2. Roll Purgatory (large OH) on the ground to find comfortable position to install wall framing and floor framing. Purgatory will roll a couple of times to complete all framing (2x 45 min VR)
3. Lift Purgatory in place, hold it with 4 wire cables, one at each corner (4 ground anchors, 1 hour crane)
4. Install all 8’ OH - (8) legs made of (2) OH each below Purgatory equator and (8) single OH above Purgatory equator
5. Install steps
6. Complete installation of plywood on floor and walls
7. Install Ark
8. Install crown with spire (1.5 hours crane + 1.5 hours boom lift). Lights installed on crown and spire before they are lifted
9. Install lights on rest of structure

Playa schedule

Monday
- Set up TOBRIT camp
- Set-up workspace
- Clean-up TOI's Simas Connectors

Tuesday
- Build 8x 8' OHs
- Assemble Purgatory frame (one large octahedron (OH)) following octahedron 101 assembly sequence (3x 45 min VR)

Wednesday
- Build 8x 8' OHs
- Build Purgatory wall frame and floor frame. Roll Purgatory (large OH) on the ground to find comfortable position to install wall framing and floor framing. Purgatory will roll a couple of times to complete all framing (2x 45 min VR)
- Paint Purgatory Fresco
- (4) Anchor screw in ground to hold Purgatory (4 ground anchors)

Thursday
- Install 8x 8' OHs
- Build 9x 8' OHs
- Raise Purgatory. Lift Purgatory in place, hold it with 4 wire cables, one at each corner (1 hour crane)
- Build Purgatory stairs
- Build Purgatory floor and walls
- Paint Purgatory Fresco

Friday
- Install 8x 8' OHs
- Build Crown 7x 4' OHs + Spire (include fire platform for burn)
- Install Purgatory Fresco
- Install Ark inside Purgatory

Saturday
- Install 8x 8' OHs
- Install Purgatory Fresco
- Install 400x Lights

Sunday
- Install Crown (1.5 hours crane + 1.5 hours boom lift)
- Install 200x Lights
- Install TOBRIT banner

Additional notes/ideas in source code

Preliminary Drawings