Dezeen Magazine

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

These seven star-shaped lights appeared in the flat expanse of Nevada's Black Rock Desert during the 2012 Burning Man festival (+ slideshow).

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

Starlight was designed by Erich Remash with Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle. Inspired by the theory that the Egyptian pyramids were arranged in the shape of the constellation Orion, the designers placed the lights in the same formation.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

Above: photograph by Gleb Tarro

"Burning Man held a lottery for ticket sales this year and it was a disaster. Many longtime participants acted as if it was the end of the world or as if the 'sky was falling'," explained Remash. "If the sky is falling, why not create heaven on earth, I thought?"

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

Each star is constructed from plywood and contains 22 compact fluorescent lights.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

All seven stars were installed at Burning Man, but they've also travelled to other festivals in smaller groups.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

We previously featured photos of the construction and burning of a huge timber sculpture at Burning Man.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

Other light installations we've featured lately include an arcade built from beams of light and a dome of light-sensitive metal flowers.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

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Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

Above: photograph by Jesse Rather

Photographs are by Erich Remash except where stated.

Here's some more information from the designers:


Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson + Chad Ingle

Starlight is a modest sculptural installation that was installed at Burning Man 2012 and four other festivals. Seven 12 foot diameter plywood stars were placed in the Black Rock desert mapping out the constellation Orion, creating a sense of place and a "heaven on earth" effect.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

Starlight was a do-it-yourself project designed by a few but constructed and funded by many. The stars are designed to look good day and night and to appeal from great distances in order to draw in the curious. Repetition, scale and tension are used to combat the overwhelming scale of the Black Rock desert while getting the most from a budget of roughly $5,000.

Starlight by Erich Remash, Jeremy Berglund, Don Peterson and Chad Ingle

The stars were constructed of plywood and fir blocking. Panels and patterns on the stars were cut by CNC. Each star was given a unique lighting pattern to differentiate one star from the other.