The Existential Dumpling at Transformus 2023!

Hi! My name is Bexx and on behalf of The Existential Dumpling art team, thank you for taking the time to read our GoFundMe! Read on to find out more about what The Existential Dumpling is, who we are, and why we’re asking you for $$$.

THE PROJECT:

The Existential Dumpling is a roving experiential art piece/dim sum restaurant that models its aesthetic from Mr. Kim's flying boat/restaurant from the 90’s cult classic film “The Fifth Element”, and is built off of our existing custom built Sprinter van.

When stationary we will offer a full service sit-down food-truck experience—with proper flatware for up to 4 people at a time—at the food truck's high top, with an overflow tea service area for those in the wait queue. Participants will be greeted by us in costumes that will attempt to honor designer Jean Paul Gaultier's fashion of the film and offered iced barley tea with spicy Sichuan cucumber salad to munch on while they select their choice of dim sum from the menu. After ordering, patrons will receive a small bowl of miso soup while they wait for their food to cook. The final touch of the participant's meal is receiving a fortune cookie alongside their dessert that contains an existential/phenomenologically-focused fortune inside that they can leave with.

Our overall goal is to create a highly detailed and curated EXPERIENCE for every participant.

The Existential Dumpling will purposefully not be placed on Transformus’ map. Instead, it will be located at a different place each night, just off the beaten path—a beacon of light in the distance which intrigues the passerby to further investigate and embark upon a fortuitous culinary journey of presence and connection. Our goal in deciding placements for The Existential Dumpling is to find spots where plenty focused solely on their destination may wind up passing on by, but that those who intentionally seek it out or stumble upon it will have a defining and memorable experience of their burn. We hope that word quickly spreads about the project, prompting a quasi scavenger hunt of "find The Existential Dumpling" for Transformus' participants, akin to the experiences one faces more often at Burning Man, such as attempting to locate a roving art car in deep playa, or unearthing other hidden gems.

The project's intention is to help it's participants slowwww downnnn and truly become engaged in their present experience by giving priority to 1 of the 5 senses that is often overlooked at a burn--taste. Furthermore, by nature of staying still in a peaceful place where conversation can flow freely, we expect that the interactions our participants will have will have meaningful depth and lead to lasting relationship building.

WHO WE ARE:

Bexx (HI, me again. :P): I am a decade long dedicated burner, whose first burn was Transformus. I’ve been helping put together that cold weather burn you all either love or hate called Frostburn for quite some years now, wrote by MA thesis about regional burning man events, and last year I got to attend TTITD and perform with the Black Rock Philharmonic, which was so squeee!! In my life outside of the burning world, I am a musician, a project manager, a dancer, a community organizer, a yogi, a farmer, a dedicated dog mom, a femme Jewish queer, a kazoo enthusiast, and an all around goober. I have over a decade of experience in the restaurant industry and went through the process of becoming food-safe certified back in 2012 (therefore, aware of proper food handling and storage methods, which is super relevant for executing this project).

Matt: My partner Matt, the lead builder for this art grant, is a professional general contractor who specializes in building beautiful decks, porches, remodels, and bars. He is the lead builder for this art grant, and as the introvert to my extrovert, is super stoked to have a dedicated project to dive into for the full length of the burn. He is a musician, a bluegrass aficionado, a philosopher, an IPA-lover, a roller blader, and a once-upon-a-time GIS scholar.

Carter: Our dear friend Carter helped design our logo and is the lead builder for our signage. He is a long time member of the TLC (finally retired last year), a certifiable prank monster, a Southern gentleman, a cat lover, and does not want to hear you complaining about the weather at a burn goddamnit. :P

Our on-site volunteers: Too many to list. They’ll be serving up tea, keeping you engaged with conversation, and helping our kitchen run smoothly. :D

WHERE THE $$ YOU CONTRIBUTE IS GOING:

We are asking for funding from our Transformus community, to supplement the grant we received from the TFUS CGT, to help cover unplanned and increasing costs associated with putting together this project, primarily 1.) MORE FOOD 2.) CHEST FREEZER TO HOUSE MORE FOOD SAFELY 3.) BIGGER TEA SERVICE AREA 4.) BETTER LIGHTING FOR BIGGER TEA SERVICE AREA. 5.) A TRAILER + GAS TO GET IT ALL THERE 6.) COSTUMES. I elaborate more fully below:

Since our original grant was submitted, our project has gotten considerably larger. We are increasing both our ability to serve more people and the variety of culinary offerings. (YAY! Moar dumplings, buns, mochi, and more!) As a result, for food safety reasons, we have decided to purchase a deep chest freezer, which also requires a generator to run (our previous much smaller plan would have used coolers + dry ice). We are increasing the size and scope of our tea service area to accommodate a larger wait queue/hang space. As a result of all this bigger stuff, we are now planning to rent a trailer to get this project down to Tfus (whereas before, we were just going to stuff it into our existing van). We are also attempting to dress our "staff" in costumes that take inspiration from the film, which, if you know the film, is a feat!

We hope you’ll consider donating to The Existential Dumpling, and we can’t wait to be present with you and cook you up some nom-noms soon!

Love,

Bexx and The Existential Art Team