Giant ‘No Dancing’ Burning Man Sign Coming to Golden Gate Park
Soon Golden Gate Park visitors will be greeted by a massive “NO DANCING” sign on JFK Promenade, across from the roller skating rink Skatin’ Place near 6th Avenue.
The giant sign stands 20 feet high and spreads for 115 feet, but the artwork isn’t a Footloose-esque ban on dancing. In fact, to celebrate the installation of the tongue-in-cheek sign that debuted on the playa at Burning Man this past summer, will be a pop-up dance party on October 28, 2023 from 4:30-7:30pm with 6:30-7:30pm being a silent disco.
Event update – please note that the event was originally scheduled from 5-8p, but now we are told it’s 4:30-7:30p
The new art piece is the latest installation to join JFK’s Golden Mile, a car-free promenade with art installations, pop-up events, a beer garden and more. The sign will remain in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the next 12 months.
The project by San Francisco-based arts and technology organization Looking Up Arts entitled Over Ruled describes it:
“Large red letters command “NO DANCING” from afar but don’t be fooled by the message. Passersby are encouraged to flout the rules and shake their tail feathers to their heart’s content. The outer layer you can see from far away, and people think it’s cheeky that someone would tell you not to dance.
Then you look closer, and you see there are nine real stories of nine lives affected by rules or repression, assembled as a petition for restorative justice and social acceptance. Every human being follows a path to become their true self; for some the way is short, and for others long. We hope people who enjoy this piece will join us in accepting this alternative theory of justice in pursuit of a more equitable society.
Over Ruled is a large red sign composed of 12’ fabric letters supported by a metal frame, readable from 3,600’ day and night. Triangular metal legs hold each letter 8’ aloft for visibility and passage underneath. Block capitals resemble Gotham Black font, sewn from a single layer of ripstop nylon. The legs also hold perpendicular fabric panels, containing the text of impactful stories collected from the community. Ground-mounted white spotlights evenly illuminate each letter, making them clearly visible in true color at night. Spotlights also cast enlarged shadows from participants onto the letters, so dancing crowds are sometimes visible on the letters.
Over Ruled features stories of imprisonment, termination, expulsion, and banishment, and the consequences that accrue disproportionately to people of color, reinforcing equity gaps. This is embedded within a piece which seems lighthearted at a distance, specifically to surprise participants when they approach.
We hope this twist ending provokes true contemplation, and openness to alternative theories of justice. Restorative justice is the foremost of these theories, which provides better outcomes for both individuals and communities–but it requires community support to be properly adopted, so popular acceptance is crucial for realizing the benefits.
Those who approach the lettering more closely will see the printed stories from the community about their run-ins with rules. Blank sheets of fabric in the support structure and chained Sharpies encourage participants to add their own stories.
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