Burien held a public gathering Saturday evening to celebrate the temporary installation of five sculptures at Burien Town Square. Some of the sculptures were set ablaze and fire dancers performed.

Cranes installed the five sculptures at the Burien Town Square's temporary art space Thursday and Friday.

At the center of the interim art space, a dramatic 30-foot-high sculpture called "The Passage" was installed. Originally debuted at the Burning Man Arts Festival in 2005, the sculpture depicts a mother and child walking together "to share and explore life."

Created by Dan Das Mann and Karen Cusolito, the dramatic figures are fabricated out of recycled and scrap metal.

The figures loom 30 and 20 feet tall.

Also installed was "The Fire-Pod," an 11-foot-high steel sculpture with six claw-like tendrils and 12 firing points that shoot out flames. The sculpture also debuted at Burning Man.

"Synapse Naust," a 16-foot-high fire cauldron designed by Charlie Smith, Jamie Ladet and a group of Seattle artists, into which you can toss logs and the burning fire illuminates the detailed patterns cut into the sides of the structure, was also placed in the art space.

The other sculptures were "Tree Spire," a 15' tall tree with a circular bench around the base of the tree created by the Iron Monkeys and "The Nemata," a hollow-formed bronze sculpture.

The Burien/ Interim Art Space (B/ IAS) is a year-long experiment to showcase art and serve as a community-gathering place at the Town Square.

Described as an "artist pea patch", B/IAS represents a possible solution to a common problem caused by the current stalled development industry. The one-acre parcel of land, to be developed into condominiums by Urban Partners, would have sat empty for at least a year until construction on the company's delayed project resumed, if not for the vision of Burien Arts Commissioners Dane Johnson and Kathy Justin and a number of community partners coming together to make it happen.

Urban Partners has donated the lease of the space. GGLO, the firm who designed Burien Town Square where B/IAS is located, contributed to the project by hosting a design charrette to explore how to turn the former asphalt parking lot into a dynamic space that engages people. Other partners include Ignition Northwest, the City of Burien and 4Culture as well as numerous community volunteers.

Johnson said plans are underway to have other artwork "planted" temporarily at the spot.