Events Starting this Weekend: Burn2

The big art and community event starting this weekend is Burn2 (opening at 12 noon SLT on Saturday 1st October).  I’ve been over there filming (there will be episodes of Designing Worlds and Metaverse Arts from Burn2) and – quite frankly – it’s awesome.  There are superb builds – and fascinating ones – the two don’t have to be the same thing, but overall the quality is extremely high.

Burn2 has had a slightly checkered history – intially it was heavily supported by Linden Lab (who provided the sims free of charge – many Lindens were keen Burners, including Philip Rosedale).   In terms of size it probably reached its peak in 2009 when there were, I believe, over 30 sims of art and community – and anyone who wanted a space could participate in the land race and grab a free plot.  After that, the Lab and the team behind the Burn decided to go their separate ways and now the event is funded by participants.  This year it is occupying four sims and yet, bizarrely, there is still a real sense of space on the playa (the desert where the event takes place). With contraction has come an intensification of exhibits and although I regret the cheerful anarchy of the large Burns of the past, the quality of what is presented here is completely awesome.

The best way of getting around is either on foot or on one of the great vehicles that are supplied by the DMV (the Department of Mutant Vehicles). These range from the comparatively sedate bicycles and rickshaws to the completely wonderfully weird.  Check out the sofa, the egg cups and the pink elephants …  There’s also a lovely balloon trip, designed by Bar Tenk, which will introduce you to the different builds and give you some stunning views.  But be prepared to get off and walk – many of the builds demand interactivity or – at the very least, close inspection.

The 2011 theme for BURN2 in Second Life mirrors the 2011 Burning Man theme: Rites of Passage. As Burn2 organisers say: “There are moments of crisis and frisson in our lives which inform us that we’ve somehow crossed an inner threshold and are changed. Thus moving from one state of being into an unknown other obliges us to face our innermost insecurities, and it requires faith, a willingness to leap off the ladder of ordered existence. Our theme this year invites participants to join with others in creating rites of passage.”

And it’s fascinating to see the varioed ways in which the Burners have risen to the challenge of the theme!

Important landmarks:
Landing Point:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/244/59/25
This is built to model as closely as possible the actual real life arrival point at the Burning Man festival at Black Rock, Nevada. Close by here are the Reception Area and the Museum. It gives you a great (and exciting) perspective on all that’s to come.  Of course, you can just tp to any spot you choose, but there is something very special about replicating the real life arrival.

The Man
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Silver%20Seed/23/27/25
The Man, the great wooden statue that will burn, is, of course, the centre of the Festival, and it’s located at the centre of the sims.

Center Camp
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/54/232/25
A key arena for the musical (and other) events that will be happening throughout the week. There are many DJs and live shows and also The First Question with Pooky Amsterdam and Hydra Shaftoe will be coming live from Burn2 at 4pm SLT on Sunday 2nd October. In addition, this year you will be able to follow many of the Burn2 events through a Livestream camera, thanks to Howdy Coulter – details of the schedule for this are here and you can watch the stream itself at: http://www.livestream.com/burn2.

The Temple (built by Damanios Thetan):
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Black%20Rock/218/180/25
The Temple is a stunning beautiful build – and it’s also a powerful and mystical place.  Here, as at the real life Burning Man, vistiors are able to leave messages of hope, of farewell to loved one or to places, people and problems left behind, are see them go up together in the great Burn – the messages that have been left in the bowl of fire appearing briefly before being consumed by the flames.

Schwag tent
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Deep%20Hole/75/182/25
If you want to freebies – and there’s some great fun stuff here – the head for the Schwag tent!

Art
There are ten invited artists and they have produced some wonderful and not-to-be-missed creations – their details appear below.  But, to be honest, there are other sxhibits that are presented around the event that are of equal skill and beauty (and I am sure the invited artists would agree!). Wherever you go, really, you will find something quite, quite stunning! I would love it if people visiting Burn2 would add in the comments below what they have discovered at Burn2, and what their favourite installations are!

Still, make sure you don’t miss these:
Oberon Onmura – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning Man- Hualapai/186.281525/6.080467/24.515833/
Trill Zapatero – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning Man- Black Rock/225.673996/119.097641/24.527849
RAG Randt – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Silver%20Seed/154/7/25
Yman Juran – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Hualapai/128/200/2
Cienega Soon – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Black%20Rock/92/164/2
Starlash Sweetwater – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Hualapai/78/156/25
Maya Paris – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Hualapai/105/35/24
Rebeca Bashly – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Black%20Rock/80/117/24
Claudia222 Jewell – http://slurl.com/secondlife/Burning%20Man-%20Silver%20Seed/143/215/24

Community
One of the imprtant things about the Burn – as any Burner would tell you – is not just the Art and the Events but the Community that grows up around the Burn.  At Burn2 this can be seen in builds that make no pretence to Art but are there to share something with visitors who may decide to stay for the week abd become part of the Community themselves.  On aspect of the community is the lamplighters who process around the camp, playong drumns and celebrating fire.  The Lamplighter Villages are well worth a visit – you can even play some drums! You can learn more about the Lamplighters here.

The Burns
The culmination of the Burn is, of course, the burning of the Man and of the Temple.  Unlike real life, when once the burns have taken place, the event is finished, Burn2 allows for repeated burns, so that maximum number of people can attend – both in terms of numbers and in terms of timeframe. So these will take place over a three day period:

Man Burn 1:  Europe Burn
Gather:   SLT, Sat, Oct 8, 11:00am
Burn:       SLT, Sat, Oct 8, 11:30am

Man Burn 2:  USA Burn
Gather:   SLT, Sat, Oct 8, 7:00pm
Burn:       SLT, Sat, Oct 8, 7:30pm

Man Burn 3:  Aust/Asia Burn
Gather:   SLT, Sun, Oct 9, 3:00am
Burn:       SLT, Sun, Oct 9, 3:30am

Temple Burn 1:  Europe Burn
Gather:   SLT, Sun, Oct 9, 11:00am
Burn:       SLT, Sun, Oct 9, 11:30am

Temple Burn 2:  USA Burn
Gather:   SLT, Sun, Oct 9, 7:00pm
Burn:       SLT, Sun, Oct 9, 7:30pm

Temple Burn 3:  Aust/Asia Burn
Gather:   SLT, Mon, Oct 10, 3:00am
Burn:       SLT, Mon, Oct 10, 3:30am

If you want more information, see:
– Website:                    http://burn2.org
– Events                        http://burn2.org/events_calendar
– Flickr:                        http://www.flickr.com/groups/burn2/
– Twitter:                     http://twitter.com/#!/BURN_two
– Facebook Group:     https://www.facebook.com/groups/burn2/
(must have Facebook account)