Ukraine shares powerful art installation at Burning Man festival

Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai’s massive sculpture is made from real war artifacts collected from liberated territories

This year’s annual Burning Man festival features a powerful art installation by Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai about humanity’s growing insensitivity to the damage of war.

Titled “I’m Fine,” the massive 7-meter high and 19-ton installation is made up of various real war artifacts from liberated territories, according to Ukrainian World Congress. Among the objects that make up the sculpture’s enormous lettering are shattered fences, satellite dishes and street signs peppered with bullet holes.

Its message is said to be a play on the Ukranian response to the question: “How are you?”

Created by Sai in collaboration with Vitaliy Deynega, the founder of the media project Ukrainian Witness, the exhibit was assembled by a group of 25 people.

In a post shared on Facebook, Deynega wrote: “People stand and look. Sometimes for a very long time. The braver ones touch the sharp edges. Many cry. It seems our idea worked and will be heard by tens of thousands of people here.

“Our absolutely inadequate life situation has become normal for us; we have learned to be strong and celebrate life even under these circumstances. We react less and less to rockets and death, sorrow and the tremendous effort required just to avoid losing our minds from the fears of war and the guilt of not doing enough.”

Singling out the “pedestrian crossing” signs, he explained: “There are only twelve of them. This represents people killed by Russians at the beginning of the war simply for crossing the road or riding a bicycle on errands. There are two ‘caution children’ signs. One was removed near a completely destroyed school in Kherson Region by the Russians.”

Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai’s ‘I’m Fine’ art installation at Burning Man festival (Ukraine World Congress)

In an interview with Babel, Sai said: “People fully understand the work, and when I explain it, they understand even better. Many people approached, thanked, and shared what they have done and are doing for Ukraine. The audience here mostly perceives this war as their own.”

The week-long iconic Burning Man festival, which is running now until Monday, September 2, brings together thousands of people to celebrate art, self-expression and community in Nevada’s wide-open Black Rock Desert.

This year, the event’s opening weekend was marred by tragedy after a woman was found unresponsive on the grounds of the festival. The unnamed woman’s death is being investigated by local authorities.

“Our thoughts and condolences go out to the family and friends affected by this loss. The participant has been identified by the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office,” organizers said in a statement.

“The safety and well-being of our staff and community are paramount. We are cooperating fully with local authorities as they investigate this incident... Out of respect for the privacy of the grieving family, we will not be providing further details at this time.”