We received a grant from Burning Man Honoraria 2022 to build the sculpture Colors of Nostalgia and bring it to the Playa! Each year Burning Man funds art projects, this year they received 433 Letters of Intent and invited 281 projects to submit full proposals, with 88 projects coming to BRC in 2022 including our Colors of Nostalgia! Our Honoraria conceptual art "Critonium Clock" was successfully built and installed on Playa in 2019 and exhibited at Decompression in San Francisco.
Colors of Nostalgia is a vintage photo booth structure with decorated spaces designed by Alena Starostina and Alyssa VanZandt. The purpose is to experience different time periods that display photos, vintage pieces, artifacts and items related to specific time frames. It has four entrances to select from - 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s.
In this art installation we'll have photo/video collages displayed inside of the photo both to represent a period of time from the past and to create a nostalgic feelings from that decade. We'll include photographs and videos capturing happy moments of people from mixed racial backgrounds, different age groups, different genders, sexual orientations and identities, physical abilities, religious beliefs, various social & cultural categories. The purpose is to understand & embrace the dimensions of diversity contained within each individual.
"Colors of Nostalgia" represents the full spectrum of colors that constitutes conceptually a broad spectrum of diversity in demographic and philosophical differences of groups and individuals that encompasses acceptance and respect.
Even though memories are never an exact representation of the past they are dynamic and always changing fascinating journeys. We read in articles that we have to feel present, live in the moment. It often appears that living in the moment is the most difficult thing to do as someone may have stronger sentimental longings or wistful affections for the past. As time passes our perception of past changes, becomes more beautiful, significantly powerful, gains a magical appearance. These images as framed art pieces decorate walls of our consciousness filling our lives with bittersweet emotions as we replay these meaningful moments in our minds. These excessively sentimental feelings typically make us more optimistic and inspired about the future. Nostalgia triggers something in the brain to create the illusion of a time travel. Our nostalgic reflections buffer our existential experiences as we willingly book a trip through time and our pleasurable memories seem to always meet us there. This photo booth is a vintage photo kiosk that contains interactive self-operated displays with vintage cameras and film processors. The purpose is to create a unique environment with sentimental longing for the past by surrounding a person with vintage objects, decorative pieces, sounds and smells from a specific time period. The displays are designed to create an emotional drift that has broadened to the notion of longing for or missing aspects of a unique experience from the past.
Alena Starostina was born and raised in Ukraine and moved to the US to pursue her dreams. Her sculpture "Dream Boat" installed on De Anza campus and art pieces displayed at Burning Man 2018, 2019, her art was purchased by Euphrat museum, Cupertino. Alena's artistic style approaches beauty of nature through a prism of different styles, forms, and texture. She's a winner of international art/design competitions "Image & Form", Saint Petersburg.
Alyssa VanZandt is a mixed media sculptor living and working in the bay area. A Chico State alumni, welder and woodworker, she enjoys many forms of art, particularly large scale installations.
side view
top view
This grant only covers partially the costs of the materials and we need your support to make this conceptual art to be installed on Playa this year. Please support our project by donating to our fundraiser.