The document describes the Crossroads of Curiosity project, which involved British artist David Normal creating an art installation for the British Library inspired by Burning Man. It details the planning process, building of the installation, and event that was held, which included talks and performances related to Burning Man and interactive art. The installation would remain on display for five months.
1. Crossroads of Curiosity
The British Library meets Burning Man
Open House – Boston Spa
Friday 12th
June 2015, 1400 - 1530
Mahendra Mahey
Manager of British Library Labs
4. http://labs.bl.uk 4
#bl_labs
Snipping out images
from 65,000 Digitised Books
Face recognition
Mechanical Curator
Flickr
Worked better for female faces
than men’s
Press
http://mechanicalcurator.tumblr.com
> 260,000,000 views
> 380,000 tags
http://www.flickr.com/photos/britishlibrary/
1,020,418 images
need tagging!
Creative uses of images
http://goo.gl/qPPgxX
5. http://labs.bl.uk 5
#bl_labs labs@bl.uk
David Normal…
•Visual artist
•Specific interest in collage art
•Was looking for a source of digital 19th
Century
illustrations
•Found our collection through Facebook posting
8. http://labs.bl.uk 8
#bl_labs labs@bl.uk
Burning Man and after…
•Initial contact with David Normal and Nora
McGregor in Summer 2014, continued with
Labs after…
•David gave talk at Library in October and
December 2014
•Proposal to commissioning board: David
Normal, Mahendra Mahey and Jamie Andrews
approved late 2014
•Claire Robe joined March 2015
9. http://labs.bl.uk 9
#bl_labs labs@bl.uk
Funded by…
• British Library
• Eccles Centre for American Studies
• Friends of the British Library
• Burning Man Global Arts Programme
• Kathryn and Lewis Shepherd
• And others
28. http://labs.bl.uk 28
#bl_labs labs@bl.uk
Event details
•Talk from David Normal about Art Work
•Larry Harvey in conversation with David
about the literary influences on Burning
Man
•Viktor Wynd, Cabinet of Curiosities
•Mandra
•DJ Yoda
29. http://labs.bl.uk 29
#bl_labs labs@bl.uk
Event Details
•Rob Sherman – Interactive Fiction Writer
in Residence
•Bob Nicholson – The story of a joke from
Nevada that went viral in the 19th
Century
•Moving Europe – Burning Man inspired
troop of performers and musicians
•Others…