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Nova massacre tribute planned at Burning Man arts festival

“A lot of people are touched by it and very grateful,” the group Nova Heaven told JNS.

Burning Man
Burning Man in 2010. Credit: Kyle Harmon/Creative Commons.

At 6:29 a.m. on Aug. 31, a tribute is scheduled at the annual Burning Man arts festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for those who lost their lives at the Nova music festival, which Hamas terrorists began attacking at that same time on Oct. 7.

A group of producers and artists who were part of the Supernova festival is creating “a blend of healing journey and radical collective expression” called “Nova Heaven,” at the Nevada festival, which was founded in 1986 and reportedly drew about 73,000 “Burners” to its 35th annual event last year in Nevada, and 95,000 more people at events worldwide.

“This extraordinary team includes the designer of the iconic fabric pattern for the shade structure, the craftsmen who built the canopy in Israel, and the event producers who conceived the wooden spiral pillars and angel wings as a means to process their own healing,” Nova Heaven stated on Instagram. “Joining them are longstanding Burners, deeply moved by the tragedy at the Supernova festival, who seek solace and inspiration through their contributions to this gift of healing and remembrance for the citizens of Black Rock City.”

The installation at Burning Man “replicates the iconic shade structure of the festival while embodying the event’s core values of friendship, love and freedom,” the group added, noting that there will be 405 wood-carved angels hanging from the canopy bearing the names of the 405 attendees of the Israeli festival who were killed on Oct. 7.

The wooden angels create “a celestial and poignant display of remembrance,” the group said. “Illuminated from within, it casts a gentle, ethereal glow, offering a serene space for reflection and healing on the playa.”

Nova Heaven told JNS on Thursday that it had received a “large crowd and a lot of support” at the festival.

“A lot of people are touched by it and very grateful,” the group told JNS.

The Tribe of Nova Foundation, which is an organizer of the installation, referred to Nova Heaven as “holy.”

“The installation aims not only to preserve the memory of the victims but also to tell their story and the story of our community, which has endured one of the most severe terror attacks in history,” it stated. “The installation is designed as a place where every visitor can connect with the spirit of the Nova angels.”

The camp also features a large gate-shaped art piece decorated with “We will dance again,” and a spiral staircase with 100 English and Hebrew messages.

Burning Man runs until Sept. 2.

Izzy Salant is a Los Angeles-based journalist and social media/digital marketing manager at JNS.
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