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Burning Man pays tribute to Nova Festival victims

Huge art installation at desert rave honours victims killed by Hamas at Nova Festival

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Nova festival is commemorated at Burning Man with a huge art instillation created by Israel artists (Photo: Instagram)

A large-scale installation and several events at the Burning Man festival in Nevada will pay tribute to the Nova Festival victims.

The “Nova Heaven” installation at Burning Man in the Black Rock Desert features the words “We will dance again” and mirrors the Nova Festival design.

The installation includes 405 wooden laser-cut angels, each with the name of an October 7 victim, and six wooden spiral staircases engraved with messages in Hebrew and English, including “kindness creates miracles,” “love conquers all” and “music heals hearts”.

Burning Man is a week-long counterculture festival, which begins on Sunday and runs until September 2. It draws 70,000 people to the desert, where attendees, or Burners, create a temporary city called Black Rock City. Electronic music, like the trance played at Nova, is a common feature of the festival.

Israeli organisers have planned events around the installation to honour Nova victims, including Israeli DJs, music from handpan drummer Noah Katz and “healing sound experiences,” such as a gong performance from David Shemesh.

Organisers said, “The music will be the tool that will connect all the participants, tell the story of the murdered, and convey the message of hope, unity and renewal.”

At 6.29 am, the same time that Hamas attacked Nova, Burners will pause to honour the victims of October 7.

The events will be protected by “guardians,” recruited by the organisers to watch over the installation in shifts and ensure “meaningful connections are made to the art".

The installation was co-created by the team behind Nova as well as longtime Burners and members of Tribe of Nova, a support group for October 7 survivors and bereaved loved ones.

In an Instagram post, Tribe of Nova said: “The Nova Heaven performance was born out of a deep mission and a desire to send a message of understanding, peace, love, unity and holiness, and to commemorate the 405 Nova Angels, who were brutally murdered at the Supernova Festival, and the Pesidak event on October 7.

“The performance is intended not only to preserve the memory of the murdered but also to tell their story and the story of our community, which experienced one of the worst terrorist attacks in history.”

The group added, “We see this performance as a place for gathering, healing and finding strength to continue forward. We invite everyone to join us on this journey, where we will connect to light, memory, and the strong and holy spirit that unites us all.”

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