Documented artwork / kinetic fire installation

Helix

A tree-shaped kinetic fire installation with six rotating flame orbs and an illuminated gathering area below. The structural base includes bench seating, and the artist documents appearances at Burning Man and several music festivals.

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

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Image: charlesgadeken.com ↗

At a glance

Year / version: 2013 (documented Burning Man installation)
Materials: Not documented
Documented setting: outdoor
Dimensions: 25 ft high; 25 ft canopy; six fire orbs, each 3–5 ft in diameter.
Dimensions apply to: Dimensions of the Helix configuration described on the artist’s project page; shipping envelope and required operating clearance are not specified.
Availability: Unconfirmed

Places & versions

Installation history

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

2013
Burning Man
Event
Burning Man
Start year
2013
Installation details checked 2026-10-17.
Installation source
2015
Symbiosis Gathering
Event
Symbiosis Gathering
Start year
2015
Installation details checked 2026-10-17.
Installation source
2016
Rock on the Range
Event
Rock on the Range
Start year
2016
Installation details checked 2026-10-17.
Installation source

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Research notes for project planning

How this work was made and presented

Studio description of the sculpture.

A canopy with two viewing scales

Gadeken’s Helix page describes a twenty-five-foot tree and canopy, with six rotating fire orbs ranging from three to five feet across. LED light spreads beneath it, while benches form an observation ring around its base. The composition joins a distant canopy spectacle to a closer seated experience, with operating details requiring a site-specific discussion.

Charles Gadeken: Helix ↗ · Reviewed 2026-10-11

For your project brief

How would the proposed presentation connect distant views, seating and the operating area?

Big Art Partners planning prompt

Selected Helix exhibitions, 2013–2023.

A decade of different event settings

The artist’s résumé records Helix at Burning Man and Escape from Wonderland in 2013, Symbiosis Gathering in 2015, and several music and corporate events in 2016. It also lists Transfix and Escape Halloween in 2023. These dated entries establish repeated presentation, while leaving the precise configuration and production responsibilities at each venue undocumented.

Charles Gadeken: résumé ↗ · Reviewed 2026-10-11

For your project brief

Which earlier presentation best matches this brief, and what changed between deployments?

Big Art Partners planning prompt

Outdoor sculpture & installations ↗Art documented at Burning Man ↗Kinetic sculpture and installations ↗