The Hedgehog Temple
| The Hedgehog Temple | |
|---|---|
 The Hedgehog Temple displayed at Burning Man 2023 | |
| Artist | Members of Kurenivka |
| Year | 2023 |
| Medium | Sculpture |
| Dimensions | 7.0 m × 15 m (23 ft × 50 ft) |
The Hedgehog Temple is a 2023 art installation created by members of Kurenivka, the official camp representing Ukraine at Burning Man.[1] The installation was displayed at Burning Man 2023 in Nevada, United States. First conceived when Burning Man announced the 2023 theme, Animalia, the hedgehog is made out of 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) of rusty metal, with over 100 Czech hedgehogs in the center. Attached to the installation were stories of people who died in the Russo-Ukrainian war beginning the previous year, along with any of their personal items, with the hedgehog serving as a memorial to them. The installation also helped raise funds to send evacuation vehicles and medical aid to people in Ukraine.
Background
The Hedgehog Temple was created by members of Kurenivka,[2] the official camp representing Ukraine at Burning Man.[1] The installation was first conceived when Burning Man, a week long art festival, announced the festival's theme for 2023, Animalia. Yaroslav Korets, one of the artists, stated that Kurenivka wished to honor the Ukrainians who could not attend the festival because they died in the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War.[3] In.Labs Architects helped with creating the concept design and the final construction of the hedgehog. They had eight weeks to create the installation, visualizing it with Rhinoceros 3D.[4] The sculpture was finished in Kyiv, and was sent to the United States to be displayed there.[5] The hedgehog was assembled a week before the festival started.[4]
Description
The Hedgehog Temple, as the name suggests, is a hedgehog 23 feet (7.0 m) tall[6] and 50 feet (15 m) long.[7] The installation's frame is made of 6,000 pounds (2,700 kg) of rusty metal[6][8][9] covered in a camouflage net.[4] In the center, there were over 100 Czech hedgehogs created out of plywood painted to look like metal.[4] People sent Kurenivka stories of their friends or relatives who died in the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian War, along with personal items like clothes or jewelry, which were attached to the installation.[8][4] The installation was displayed at Burning Man 2023 in Nevada.[2]
Concept and themes
The installation served as a memorial to Ukrainians who died in the war.[5] Czech hedgehogs were used because "it became one of the symbols of defense" in Ukraine.[10] When the Russian invasion first started, 300,000 Czech hedgehogs were made to protect the homes of Ukrainians.[2] The installation also represents the importance of community and support. Using the installation, Kurenivka partnered with the Leleka Foundation[11] with a goal to raise funds to send evacuation vehicles and medical aid to the Ukrainian military.[6][3]
References
- 1 2 "Kurenivka: first Ukrainian camp on Burning Man. Art and music community". kurenivka.ua. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
Kurenevka is the first, biggest and most experienced official Ukrainian camp at Burning Man.
- 1 2 3 "The Hedgehog Temple". kurenivka.ua. Archived from the original on 24 April 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- 1 2 "The Hedgehog Temple: A Tribute to Fallen Ukrainians at Burning Man". kyivpost.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "The Hedgehog Temple". inlab-architects.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
- 1 2 "Honouring the dead: Ukrainian installation at Burning Man festival". Ukrainska Pravda. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- 1 2 3 "At Burning Man, installations from Ukraine were set up - Oj". odessa-journal.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ "Katie Hazard: Art is How We Got Here". Burning Man Project. Archived from the original on 11 May 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- 1 2 Brovko, Liza (7 July 2023). "Ukraine will present a war memorial made of anti-tank hedgehogs at the Burning Man festival". babel.ua. Archived from the original on 16 July 2026. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
- ↑ KURENIVKA - UKRAINIAN BURNERS - BLUE BULL (30 October 2023). The Hedgehog Temple | Ukrainian Memorial at Burning Man 2023. Event occurs at 0:17. Archived from the original on 13 December 2024. Retrieved 18 July 2026 – via YouTube.
- ↑ Buzovska, Marina. "Ukraine will present an art object made of anti-tank hedgehogs at this year's Burning Man". PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA. Archived from the original on 18 July 2026. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Zilli, Enrico (4 September 2023). "The Hedgehog Temple supports Ukraine at Burning Man 2023". ArchiPanic. Archived from the original on 29 September 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2026.