Israel's Burning Man: A Photographic Journey Into the Magic of Midburn

Thousands of Israelis and hundreds of visitors from all over the world came together in the Negev desert for the fourth annual Midburn Festival, the Israeli offshoot of Burning Man and the country's largest community arts festival.

The five-day festival, which was held from May 28 to June 2 near Sde Boker, is filled with incredible art installations and thousands of colorful revelers.

Midburn's variety particularly stands out against the barren desert backdrop. Photographer Elad Malka came to document it, bringing his 3-year-old son along. “It looked to me as if the effort people made with their costumes was especially great this year,” he said.

The magic of Midburn is that it allows anyone, regardless of age, to be who he or she really wants to be, without having to answer to anyone. Participants adopt imaginary identities and investment extraordinary energy into the smallest details. In most cases participants make the costumes and accessories themselves.

About the Haaretz's Hebrew photo blog: Daniel Tchetchik has worked at Haaretz since 2003 as a feature and culture photographer. He founded and edits the Haaretz photography blog. His work has been exhibited in Israel's leading museums and he has had solo exhibitions abroad.

From Exposure: Haaretz Photo Blog. Follow on Facebook