I'm Fine is a 2024 art installation created by Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai and displayed at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, US. The sculpture, measuring 32 metres (105 ft) in length and 7 metres (23 ft) in height, was constructed from war-damaged materials collected from liberated territories in Ukraine, including bullet-riddled street signs, destroyed fences, and damaged satellite dishes.[1][2][3]
Background
editThe installation was created as a collaboration between Oleksiy Sai, Ukrainian media project Ukrainian Witness, and its founder Vitaliy Deynega, alongside Ukrainian DJ Anatoly Tapolsky.[1] The work was developed to communicate the reality of the ongoing war in Ukraine to an international audience at one of the world's most prominent art festivals.
Description
editThe installation spells out the phrase "I'm Fine" using authentic war debris collected from various liberated areas of Ukraine. The materials include street signs, solar panels, satellite dishes, city signs, and fencing, all bearing visible damage from bullets and shrapnel.[2] The sculpture weighs approximately 19 tonnes and was assembled on-site by a team of 25 volunteers, many of whom were active military personnel fighting on the Ukrainian front lines.[2]
Exhibition
editI'm Fine was displayed at Burning Man 2024, which took place from August 25 to September 2, 2024, in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. The festival's theme that year was "Curiouser & Curiouser," inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.[4] The work was positioned within the temporary city of Black Rock City, where it served as both an artistic statement and a focal point for conversations about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.[3]
Reception
editThe installation attracted significant attention from festival attendees and international media. Observers noted the emotional impact of the work, with many visitors reportedly moved to tears when encountering the damaged materials.[5] The installation was covered by major international publications and highlighted as one of the notable artworks of the 2024 festival.[6]
Project leader Vitaliy Deynega described the public reaction, stating that visitors would "stand and look. Sometimes for a long time. The braver ones touch the sharp edges. Many cry."[5]
Cultural significance
editI'm Fine represents a notable example of war art and political art being presented within the context of a major international festival. The work's use of authentic war materials as artistic medium reflects contemporary approaches to conceptual art and social practice art. The installation's placement at Burning Man, known for its principles of radical self-expression and community, provided a platform for Ukrainian artists to communicate their experience of war to a global audience of tens of thousands of participants.
The title "I'm Fine" serves as an ironic statement, contrasting the common social pleasantry with the devastating reality represented by the damaged materials, highlighting the disconnect between public discourse and wartime experience.[3]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b "Ukrainian artists install huge "I'm Fine" sculpture at Burning Man". Artsy. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "Ukraine shares powerful art installation at Burning Man festival". The Independent. 27 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b c "Powerful 'I'm Fine' Burning Man Sculpture Symbolises Ukrainian Resilience". 27 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "Burning Man 2024: Curiouser & Curiouser". Burning Man Journal. 27 October 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ a b "Ukrainian Installation "I'm Fine" Debuts at Burning Man 2024". Odessa Journal. 26 August 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.
- ^ "„I am fine": Oleksiy Sais Installation bei Burning Man". Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. 1 September 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2025.