After what had happened to their original art car, the Mayan Warrior team have announced a new art car for Burning Man 2024. The original art car from Mayan Warrior ceased to function after a fire destroyed it in April while it was going to a fundraiser in the Punta de Mita resort, located in the Mexican state of Nayarit. The damage that the fire caused for that art car resulted in millions of dollars of losses. Mayan Warrior’s founder, Pablo González Vargas, told Billboard in an article from August that the fire caused to the original art car “was sad, but also liberating in a way”. One can say that the damage from the fire was a necessary thing for the team as Vargas also said, “because it’s a passion that started growing until we were almost, like, a little bit slaves to it”.
*Featured Cover Photo Credit: Nicholas Hess
The new art car from Mayan Warrior brings out influences from the original model
The new art car from Mayan Warrior that Burning Man attendees will see next year will have many similarities from the original model. Notably, the new art car will have the same theme and design as the original art car, as well being about the same size. However, this new art car will work more as a mobile stage for live, multi-disciplinary musical and cultural performances.
The announcement represents a change of direction for the team, especially with the team now decreasing the number of fundraising events they will attend with the art car from 12 events to just 4 in the United States. According to the latest interaction that Pablo González Vargas just had with Billboard, he stated, “We will slowly transition into a more diverse spectrum of musical and cultural performances. The goal over time is to have more live acts with real instruments that can provide new experiences”. For fans of the wonderful community-like atmosphere that Burning Man brings out each year, many eyes will be placed on this new model, especially as it represents a grand step into a bright future after a devastating setback in the past.
Photo of the damage caused to the original model
