Documented artwork / participatory architectural installation

Catharsis

A modular timber amphitheater and gallery with seven gateways and repeating fractal geometry. Created for participatory art and performance, the structure was designed to be dismantled and reassembled after Burning Man.

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Documented work. Current availability, ownership and installation requirements must be confirmed with the artist.

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At a glance

Year / version: 2022
Materials: timber, metal hinges, nets
Documented setting: outdoor
Dimensions: Not documented
Dimensions apply to: Not documented
Availability: Unconfirmed

Places & versions

Installation history

Historical presentations. A past installation does not establish the current location or suitability for a new site.

2022
Black Rock City, Burning Man
Event
Burning Man
Start year
2022
Date meaning
listing
Installation details checked 2026-10-17. Supporting source ↗.
Installation source

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Research notes for project planning

How this work was made and presented

Studio documentation for Catharsis, Black Rock City, 2022

An amphitheater with a repeatable assembly system

Catharsis combines gathering, performance and display space within a repeating timber structure. The studio describes sevenfold symmetry as a way to simplify fabrication and assembly, using 60 modules and engineered metal hinges. Nets connect spaces above the structure, while benches provide places to leave bicycles. These details make the work a useful precedent for a programmed public space, where circulation, participation and the assembly system develop together.

Mamou-Mani — Catharsis project ↗ · Reviewed 2026-10-10

For your project brief

Which approved configuration, public access plan and assembly sequence would the artist propose for the intended site?

Big Art Partners planning prompt

2020 virtual Catharsis, described in March 2021

A digital presentation before the physical build

In a March 2021 interview, Mamou-Mani explained how the pandemic interrupted fabrication plans and moved Catharsis into the 2020 BRCvr environment. The team adapted its model for Unity and AltSpace, balancing visual detail against performance. He also described disassembly as a potential shared ritual and a way to move the structure between communities. This account documents the project’s development, rather than confirming that any proposed later destination hosted it.

Burning Man Journal — interview with Arthur Mamou-Mani ↗ · Reviewed 2026-10-10

For your project brief

Could a site-specific digital walkthrough help the host, artists and public understand circulation before a physical installation is agreed?

Big Art Partners planning prompt

Interactive art installations ↗Outdoor sculpture & installations ↗Art documented at Burning Man ↗