The Moonlight Library
Burning Man 2025

The Moonlight Library is a site-specific work created for Burning Man 2025 that explores the question, "What does it mean to be human?"
This piece explores that question through an immersive, interactive experience that centers around our ability to author our own stories. To be human is to engage in the grand experiment of life — trial and error, growth and regret, joy and sacrifice. It is the process of becoming, and the fragments of self we leave behind as we change. This exhibit honors that tension — the balance between who we were and who we choose to be. It is about our ability to reflect, to evolve, and to rewrite the narrative of our lives. The Moonlight Library, visible to the human eye as a desolate ruin suspended between realms, serves as a liminal archive of collective memory. And in this moonlit moment, participants have the unique opportunity to look at their own story from the viewpoint of their last chapter… and author their own changes to their narrative.
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We are grateful to be a recipient of an Honoraria Grant from the Burning Man organization for this piece.
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Contribute
The Moonlight Collective is seeking artists, builders, and collaborators for our build at the Loom in Oakland, CA. Volunteer to become part of this exciting project!
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We are also taking charitable donations. If you would like a tax-deductible donation receipt, we encourage you to donate through our 501c3 Fiscal Sponsor NXT ART. Please contact us if you are interested in donating to help us bring this piece to the Playa in 2025.
Artists
Core team
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James Gwertzman // Lead Artist
Casey Marvin // Creative Director
Kow Kao // Lead Designer
Paul McDaniel // Technical Director
Erin O'Brien // Project Manager
Lya Shaffer // Lighting Designer
Sam Bethell // Construction Lead