"Before going into battle, ancient Celtic warriors dyed their bodies with woad; Aztecs painted the chests of sacrificial victims blue before offering their hearts on the altar. The story of indigo is (at least in part) a story of slaves, uprisings, and suffering. However, there will always be blue at the carnival." (Maggie Nelson, "Bluets")

In a world where free territories are shrinking, queerness and femininity often find themselves marginalized. Just a few years ago, queer writers depicted "blue" with brutal honesty; now, we pay tribute through our art. As queer women, we are often outsiders with untold stories. We invite you, as fellow outsiders, to indulge in pain, bondage, and abandonment.

Blue Shackles

Our installation, Blue Shackles, uses blue strings to symbolize a cruel, entangled world: dense, inescapable, and suffocating. The reality is even harsher—thicker, heavier, more painful. As women, we are taught from a young age to be obedient, stable, self-sacrificing, and loyal, preparing us to be wives, supporters, and comforters. Curiosity, ambition, and rebellion are seen as threats to this framework, and anything that brings us pleasure is deemed immoral.

You, same as the patriarchal world, are contradictory.

Steel frames are wrapped, threatened, and tangled by impermeable strings of desire, standing tall and majestic like markers in the desert, yet providing whips to the other groups. You perceive them as massive as a sweeping sandstorm, yet unpredictable, leaving you nowhere to hide. Desires traverse "them," and "they" traverse your body. But in this simulated world of Black Rock City desert, in this void we have built with our own hands, you can even see its structure, traverse its texture one by one. You use your feet and skin to navigate the mirrored walls of this world like skin; it will prick and strangle you. The pain, intensified by density, becomes as thick as a blanket. You will see—it strangely transforms into a kind of wrapping, a kind of solace!

(You walk inside, tangled in blue ropes)

We invite you, from all directions of the wilderness, to walk into the blue net. Like children setting sail from the sea of inner desire, you will enter a fog full of reefs and barriers. Those who leave pass through the fogs of extinction and revelry, seeing weeds reborn, the ground and seabed inverted, and murky oppression descending like a storm. Your skin and soul will merge with the impermeable jungle, shining painfully in the dark. You will see glowing orbs, grains of light from lighthouses in the fog, elusive yet reflecting the dense forest and fury of the universe. These orbs, representing ourselves, are forever rolling and escaping, never to be trapped.

We invite you to bravely enjoy the game with us. In this eternal blue forest, one day, we will forget the dense terror, and fully immerse ourselves in this crazy contradiction, adventuring with our own small orbs of light. It is light, it is flame, the indestructible world that will ultimately become our eternal paradise.

Builder details

Our builder camp consists of 18 wanderers, architects, artists, poets, and musicians, forming the Art Support Camp in the Burning Man desert.

Installation layout plan.

About creators and community

We are a goup of queer, artists, architects, poets, and exiles on the fringes of the framework. (Xiaowen Xu, Yingan Wang, Wei Wei, Sijia Li, Fiona Yu, Qiuyun Chen, Shuo Tang) We share the connections through our community - 706. 706 is a Chinese community that originated in Beijing and has since expanded globally.

Donor awards

Tier 1 - donate $25 - $50

Thank-you postcard: We will mail you a specially designed thank-you postcard featuring the art concept of the installation.

Tier 2 - donate $51 - $100

Themed stickers: Original stickers designed to reflect the core themes of LGBTQ+ and feminism.
Includes ALL rewards from Tier 1.

Tier 3 - donate $101 - $250

Personalized handwritten postcard: We will have a sincere online chat with you to understand your interests, then handwrite and mail a handmade postcard uniquely for you.
Includes ALL rewards from Tiers 1 and 2.

Tier 4 - donate $251 - $1,000

Invitation to private parties: Access to all private parties hosted by Blue Shackles communities for two years (May 2024 - May 2026), ensuring at least two festive gatherings per year.
Themed tote bag: A canvas bag themed around the art installation.
Themed poster: A poster themed around the art installation.
Includes ALL rewards from Tiers 1 to 3.

Tier 5 - donate $1,001 - $2,000

1:1 Dinner (In Bay Area): Enjoy an intimate dinner with one of the five creators of your choice. You can select which creator to dine with, gaining deeper insight into the creative process and discussing aspects of the project or Blue Shackles that interest you most.
Includes ALL rewards from Tiers 1 to 4.

Tier 6 - donate > $2,000

Special Dinner (In Bay Area): Participate in an intimate gathering with all five creators post-Burning Man, providing a unique opportunity to discuss the project and future collaborations in-depth.
Influence on the 2024 project: Play a direct role in shaping the future of the installation. You will have the opportunity to suggest or vote on specific elements for the 2024 installation and receive monthly invitations to art discussions about the 2024 Burning Man art.
Includes ALL awards from Tier 1 to Tier 5

No matter the tier, we promise all donors 1:1 reach-out and our sincere gratitude.

Blue Shackles - 束缚之莲

By 706 North America

Blue Shackles - 束缚之莲

Feminism Art Installation, Burning Man 2024