Ukrainian artists spent almost a year preparing to exhibit the gigantic “Black Cloud” structure at Burning Man, the independent artistic event held annually in the American desert, in the state of Nevada. Oleksiy Sai created a large-scale structure, weighing seven tons and standing 15 meters tall, composed of 45 suspended black fabric clouds that occasionally rumble: thunder and lightning. It’s a signal to the world to prepare for imminent danger, rather than relax and close their eyes to threats. “Initially, we wanted this cloud to fly on drones, but after trying all options, we realized it wasn’t possible,” Vitaliy Deynega, the project’s general producer, tells Il Foglio. Having ruled out the drone option last winter, the artists decided to create a ground structure, which they then assembled at Burning Man on August 24, Ukraine’s Independence Day. “It was one of the largest objects in the desert, people came to see it from everywhere,” Deynega recounts. The artwork’s black color contrasted with the light sand, attracting attention, “everyone was curious to see what it was about.” But the cloud lasted only twelve hours. A strong storm, with violent wind gusts, tore the black fabrics covering the structure, scattering them across the desert. Another incident seemed about to stop Ukrainian participation: DJ Tapolsky, a famous Ukrainian DJ and soldier in the Ukrainian Armed Forces, was supposed to perform right next to the cloud, but upon arriving at Burning Man, he broke his leg. It could have been a disaster, but the Ukrainians recovered quickly and began asking themselves how to avoid losing the opportunity and exploit the moment to launch their message. “The cloud option was no longer feasible, it was unrealistic to sew it again,” says Deynega. Then a memory came to their rescue: during festival preparations, they often used the phrase spoken by Sarah Connor, the heroine of the film “Terminator 2”: “There is no fate, fate is what we make for ourselves.” Oleksiy Sai suggested cutting the pieces of black fabric collected in the desert into strips and creating the inscription “No fate,” as if it had been written with a pen on paper, going over each letter multiple times. The Americans, amazed by Ukrainian resilience, helped them mount the new installation. “They admire us because we didn’t give up and didn’t yield,” says Vitaly Deynega speaking by phone from Nevada. DJ Tapolsky set up his DJ set, despite his leg being in a cast.
“The Black Cloud story confirms once again that, no matter how bad the situation may be, if you commit fully, you can win,” emphasizes the Ukrainian producer who recounts how some Burning Man participants, whose artworks were completely destroyed, didn’t restore them, and preferred to celebrate a funeral for art. “We didn’t celebrate our funeral but, on the contrary, we were reborn,” says Deynega.
Returning from the United States, the Ukrainian creators of Black Cloud intend to reassemble the gigantic black cloud and exhibit it in various European cities: after what happened at Burning Man, it will be even more symbolic.
