Duel Nature
by Kate Raudenbush
A twisted barricade of metal in the shape of an enormous double helix spirals over the surface of the playa. Everything about its coarse steel exterior suggests violence, fear and division. Struggling past the dueling 8-foot steel beams you find yourself surrounded by a different world entirely. 360 degrees of reflection envelop you in an unbroken, 30-foot wide, red organic spiral, the DNA of our shared genetic bond. 120 wings of glowing red mirror reflect our world, not just to ourselves, but to one another, binding our community together. Surrounded and united by this structure of duality, opposite worlds co-exist and collide within one form and within us: hope and fear. This dichotomy is a matter of perspective, but it is also matter of choice: which world do we choose to live in? Which world do we choose to create? This is the human condition. This is our Duel Nature.