(This) Timeline S.U.X. by Just John. 2026 Burning Man.
A reproduction of a Möbius strip depicted on a Roman mural, created several centuries before August Ferdinand Möbius was born in Germany. Purportedly, a Timeline Selection Utility Xylopyli (Timeline S.U.X), operated by The Temporal Agency, an entity that is fictitious. The graffiti "This" was added to the placard by an unknown vandal — a juvenile play on the phonetic resemblance between "S.U.X." and a certain English expletive.
The main challenge in building a replica Xylopyli (Greek: xylo wood - pyli gate) from ancient depictions is the source material itself: low-resolution Roman mosaics and coins, likely copied from lost Greek works, which were themselves drawn from secondhand accounts and oral histories. Examples are shown here.
Another challenge is structural. The curves required to bend layers of wood into a loop with a half-twist limited the strip width to 3″, so wing segments had to be cut and attached along the edges. The piece is surprisingly strong, though whether it will survive Black Rock City remains to be seen.
Lastly, there is the ethical and moral weight of building a replica time portal. What if the Xylopyli actually works? According to the block universe theory, or the multiverse, it already does — in some instances, in some branches, this object is doing exactly what it was built to do. Which raises the question: should this power belong to the general public rather than a self-appointed few? The Illuminati assumed the answer was no. (This) Timeline S.U.X. exists on a timeline where the replica Xylopyli is an art piece at an outlandish art and music festival held in the desert. On the other side of the Xylopyli, it is a functional wormhole, a gateway to an alternative timeline in the block universe, and used by The Temporal Agency: a crowd-sourced, Illuminati-like organization dedicated to repairing the discord of broken timelines.
Final sanding and addition of Zodiac symbols is ongoing.
Funding goes to offset production and placement expenses, pursue temporal restoration, and purchase playa gifts.
