Above & Below
Above & Below
A Burning Man Honoraria Project by Sean Orlando
Above & Below is a large-scale immersive art installation by Sean Orlando, debuting at Burning Man 2026 as an official Burning Man Honoraria project.
Created by Sean Orlando, with fabrication by Engineered Artworks and produced in partnership with the Five Ton Crane Arts Collective, the piece continues a long exploration of immersive, story-driven environments, spaces built for curiosity, wonder, and discovery.
At the base of the installation is a furnished, dreamlike home filled with objects, stories, and mysteries. Rooms are layered with artifacts, maps, photographs, and fragments of narrative, clues waiting to be noticed and stories waiting to be assembled. From there, a climb upward leads to a hidden space in the sky: a glowing Victorian cottage suspended 40 feet above the playa. Inside, find a place to pause, gather, and look outward across the desert and into the stars.
Connecting these two worlds is the beanstalk itself – a winding, climbable structure that transforms a familiar fairytale image into a monumental, engineered form.
Above & Below invites participants into a world that is both familiar and strange: a journey from the intimate to the expansive, from memory to imagination.
Above & Below draws from stories as old as the beanstalk and the house in the clouds, connecting memory, imagination, and invention. It reflects a belief that the spaces we build can hold meaning, and that structure itself can become a place of wonder, discovery, and shared experience. Part home, part machine, part dream, the work continues Sean Orlando’s exploration of large-scale immersive sculpture and story-driven environments designed to invite curiosity and connection.
Project Inspiration
Above & Below is a deeply personal piece, a sculptural self-portrait of the artist. It imagines the life of an inventor and maker who creates a magnificent and otherworldly shelter for himself and his daughter. The relationship portrayed in this piece mirrors Lead Artist Sean Orlando’s own experience of building a world rooted in wonder, storytelling, and community for his daughter to grow in and be held by.
The installation reflects a world nurtured by curiosity and care, an environment rich with art, invention, and play. It draws from a life and career devoted to building imaginative spaces, where interactivity, immersiveness, and a sense of discovery are always at the center. Above & Below is a place where art is a lived value, and community creativity is the built foundation of all of our experiences.
At the base of the sculpture’s 40’ high beanstalk-like structure is a series of intimate and imaginative interior spaces: a library of stories and knowledge, a workshop filled with tools and toys, and a laboratory for experimentation. Artifacts, maps, and curious objects fill the environment, echoing the spirits of great innovators like Ada Lovelace, Leonardo da Vinci, and Marie Curie.
Together, each chamber and artifact of Above & Below, each map and mysterious instrument, constructs a living narrative that invites participants to explore, to play, and to reconnect with their own sense of wonder.
A project this big takes a community!
Meet the team behind this magical world.
Sean Orlando
Sculptor & Lead Artist
Sean Orlando is a Bay Area sculptor known for large-scale public art and immersive sculptural environments. His work merges engineering, storytelling, and placemaking, creating installations that invite curiosity, wonder, and shared experience. His projects have been exhibited at institutions including the deYoung Museum and installed in public spaces across the United States.
Five Ton Crane
Fiscal Sponsor
Five Ton Crane is a collaborative arts collective and nonprofit known for creating ambitious, large-scale installations and immersive environments. Their work spans public art, Burning Man Honoraria projects, and cultural institutions, with a focus on collective making and experiential storytelling.
Engineered Artworks
Fabrication Partner
Engineered Artworks is a Richmond, California–based sculpture fabrication studio specializing in large-scale sculpture, public art, and kinetic and immersive installations. The studio brings together artists, fabricators, and engineers to realize complex projects from concept through installation.
Michelle Satkin
Project Management
Michelle has spent a decade managing global supply chains and launching new products in factories across the world. As the project management lead for Above & Below, she manages the massive logistical puzzle of getting our vision to the playa. A five-time Burner, Michelle works behind the scenes to ensure every element of the project is build-ready by the time we hit the desert in August.
Jen Colasuonno
Admin / Camp Consultant / Frozen Oasis HUB Liaison
Jen Colasuonno is a creator, collaborator, and organizational guru. A 5 Ton Crane member since 2009 and former circus arts performer, she now supports the creative output at Engineered Artworks, Captive Spark, and Form & Reform. A woman who wears many hats, Jen can often be found at Seaport Studios perfecting spreadsheets, jumping through paperwork hoops, or organizing community events.
Jay Kravitz
Executive Producer
Oakland-based artist Jay Kravitz has been a driving force in the Bay Area art scene since 1990. He played a key role in shaping The Crucible, helping build out the space while developing skills in welding, blacksmithing, and fabrication, and producing its major fire arts events.
He is a core member of Five Ton Crane, contributing to large-scale works such as the Raygun Gothic Rocketship and the Steampunk Treehouse, and currently serves as Executive Director of Engineered Artworks.
Tania Seabock
Interior Co-Lead
Tania Seabock is a Bay Area artist and decorative painter whose work bridges classical craftsmanship with large-scale immersive environments. Trained in traditional European techniques, she specializes in trompe l’oeil, faux finishes, gilding, and detailed surface work.
She has contributed to collaborative projects within the Burning Man community, The Crucible, and Five Ton Crane, and most recently served as lead painter for Naga, the monumental sea serpent sculpture in Golden Gate Park.
Jacquelyn Scott
Interior Co-Lead
Jackie has been a member of Five Ton Crane since 2015, and involved in many large scale art pieces on and off playa. She was lead artist on Naga and The Captainess, as designer of the shipwreck and interior of the Captainess’ quarters. She is also one half of JacJac, a miniature art duo.
Mike Chiappetta
Volunteer Coordinator
Mike has been with the Five Ton Crane art collective since 2015 and is on the board of the non-profit. He has been affiliated with numerous art projects including La Victrola, Naga and the Captainness, Storied Haven, The Capitol Theatre and also creates fire with the Guild of Prometheus. After a 40-year career as a Silicon Valley sales executive, Mike brings a business perspective along with his fabrication experience to help guide Five Ton Crane artists to successful installation.
Mike Keeler
Project Producer
Mike has been involved in some wonderful big art projects both on and off the playa, including The Folly, Paradisium, Sonic Runway, Carillon, and especially the last few Temples. Helping build both the art and the community is what makes it most meaningful and fun. He’s been especially adept at embracing the chaos and bringing a little zen to the process.
David Shulman
Special Ops Team
David is a long-time Bay Area artist and creative collaborator and a co-founder of the Five Ton Crane artist collective, a 501(c)3 organization. He is a CFO with a creative streak; a business-minded artist; a team-oriented doer. His skillset spans basic fabrication and electrical systems up through executive production and project management. David has been involved with every major project of Five Ton Crane, and many creative commissions at Engineered Artworks.
Joyce Shulman
Special Ops Team
Coming soon . . .
Amanda Denz
Communications & PR
Amanda has been supporting Sean and Engineered Artworks for the past few years, helping bring their work to a wider audience. She is excited to support Above & Below through storytelling, documentation, building momentum ahead of the playa, and sharing the magic with the wider world.
Sam Ausden
Electrical and Logistics
C-5 Loadmaster, I’ve moved many things. Rugby player. Builder. Designer. Electrician. Carpenter. Plumber. Campervan Builder. Stage Builder. Founder of Zero House Co: Net Zero Energy Tiny Homes on Wheels.
Stephanie Shipman
Carpentry Lead
Above & Below marks Steph’s 12th large-scale install on playa… MA’AM
Renée LeBlanc
Fundraising
Coming soon . . .
And many more artists and volunteers pitching in!
Want to be part of the project? Sign up here.