I'm Fine (Burning Man installation)
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![](#/media/File:"I'm_Fine"_Burning_Man_Art_Instillation.png)
I'm Fine is a 2024 art installation created by Ukrainian artist Oleksiy Sai. The installation was displayed at the Burning Man festival in Nevada, United States. 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]
The 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. The installation's title was inspired by the "This Is Fine" internet meme, which featured a dog calmly sitting in the middle of a burning room, representing being composed and resilient in a tragedy. [3][4]
Description
The installation spells out the phrase "I'm Fine" along with a smiley face emoticon. The installation uses 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. The sculpture measures 32 metres (105 ft) in length, 7 metres (23 ft) in height and weighs approximately 19 tons.[2][5] The sculpture was assembled on-site by a team of 25 volunteers, many of whom were active military personnel on temporary leave the Ukrainian front lines to participate in the installation.[2]
Exhibition
I'm Fine was displayed at Burning Man 2024,[5] 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.[6] 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]
Along with the installation, DJ Anatoly Tapolsky performed a DJ set in front of the sculpture on August 28th. The performance utilized recordings of Ukrainian people's voices answering the question "How are you?".[4][1]
Reception
The 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.[7]
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
The Instillation symbolized the destruction in Ukraine caused by the 2022 Russo-Ukrainian war.[4] Among the materials used in the instillation were 12 pedestrian crossing signs. Vitaliy Deynega stated that the signs "represents people killed by Russians at the beginning of the war simply for crossing the road or riding a bicycle on errands."[8] 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]