Migrations: How GALE Pacific Helped Bring a Vision to Life

GALE Pacific fabrics were used in an installation for Burning Man 2023, creating a beautiful piece that provided shade during the day and a great LED lighting experience at night.

This project takes imagination and creativity to new heights. Lead Artist Olivia Guehtling, with Mar Ricketts, Lead Artist & Designer, and Trevor Blackann, Engineering & Fabrication Lead at Guildworks LLC created an installation for the famous Burning Man festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. The festival’s 2023 theme, “Animalia”, celebrated the animal world and humans’ role in it. The trio created a bird installation, the first in their “Migrations” series.

The team needed a sustainable, weather-proof, long-lasting material to bring their idea to life. They chose GALE Pacific’s  Apex fabric, to offer shade during the day and a striking LED experience at night. “Migrations” also featured at the Reno International Art Show in mid-September, winning Best in Show (Large Sculpture). There are plans for more upcoming shows.

Mar Rickets said, “The fabric covering serves as the bird’s feathers, forming a membrane on a steel frame. We wanted to work with a new cutting-edge material, more environmentally responsible but also long-lasting. Apex has all these properties and is lightweight. The way the light shines on it gives it a softer look, unlike the glossy look of PVC. The LED lighting radiated the light beautifully, leaving no hardline reflections.” 

This artwork, inspired by birds’ migratory patterns, serves as a poignant reminder that migration is an intrinsic characteristic shared by all living things. It symbolizes hope, reflecting humanity’s look to birds for insights into optimal migration destinations. The installation included audio, inviting viewers to engage with personal migration narratives and contribute their own by leaving notes.

GALE pacific is proud to contribute to this installation, demonstrating the limitless potential of the right fabric and  showcasing how creativity and imagination can be transformed into tangible, awe-inspiring experiences.

To learn more about Apex or other GALE Pacific fabrics visit GALECommercial.com or email hello@galepacific.com.