San Franciscans launch crowdfunding campaign to build tree with 15k LED lights for Burning Man

A group of Bay Area locals headed to Burning Man this year are aiming to bring a massive installation project with them: an artificial, lifelike tree fitted with 15,000 LED lights, movement sensors, and sound capabilities.

The Tree of Ténéré, as organizers have named it, is based on a real tree in Niger that was around 300 years old before it was destroyed in 1973. It was long considered the "most isolated tree in the world." The plan now, for these artists and designers, is to reincarnate the legendary tree at this year's Burning Man, but with a high tech twist.

Lights on the tree, powered by a combination of a generator and solar energy, will be set to music, and sensors will allow people nearby to manipulate the movement of the lights, "to create beautiful light art in the canopy above," according to co-creator Patrick Deegan.

A rendering of the Tree of Ténéré at night. A rendering of the Tree of Ténéré at night. Photo: Courtesy Of Tree Of Tenere Photo: Courtesy Of Tree Of Tenere Image 1 of / 4 Caption Close San Franciscans launch crowdfunding campaign to build tree with 15k LED lights for Burning Man 1 / 4 Back to Gallery

"It's referential of a natural living creature," says lead artist Alex Green, "but it's surreal."

The tree will also designed to be extremely lifelike. It will be sturdy, so as to allow for people to climb it.

"We've designed and engineered Ténéré to be safe for climbing, and construction is already underway in Southern California," the Indiegogo page reads. "Made from hand-sculpted fiberglass and hand-painted resin, the bark looks and feels so real you'll think you're climbing a living tree...in the middle of the desert."

The project is an expensive undertaking, so organizers have launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise $80,000 to build it. As of Thursday afternoon, just over $18,500 had been pledged.

"I'm hoping the piece brings wonder, joy, relaxation, and inspiration to everyone who sees it," says Green. "We want it to be visually stunning but also have mythic and symbolic power. Technology and nature living harmoniously, rather than at odds with each other."

Alyssa Pereira is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at apereira@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @alyspereira.

