Imagine a lunar landscape, barren and vast, where the horizon blends into the colours of the sky. Then add a gregarious collection of sculptures, art cars, themed camps billowing silken flags, colourful characters, with the license to self express like never before, and the chimera of the gathering that is Afrika Burn comes to life.

Set in the starkly beautiful ‘empty’ landscape of the Tankwa Karoo, only 3.5 hours drive from Cape Town and the long straight road takes you past Sutherland, home of the largest telescope in the world, to a farm called Stonehenge, where farmer Henk resides. The first year he sat with us and watched the parade go past, in rapt fascination. Three years later he participates and was last seen wearing a tuxedo and purple sunglasses as another out of this world variety show sprung into being.

All the ‘burners’ ascribe to the ten principles that guide the event: communal effort; participation; civic responsibility; immediacy; de-commodification; gifting; radical inclusion; radical self-expression; radical self-reliance and to leave no trace. Last year’s theme was Time and inventive art installations rose up out of the ground like the captured moments we strive to hold on to. A massive to-scale shipwreck, complete with sharks fins in the ‘water’(sand) lay marooned alongside a field of psychedelic daisies made from recycled plastic bottles.

Children, and the artists, musicians, poets and dancers that made up the group of grown ups, were transported around the camp in a variety of art cars and bright, sometimes winged, bicycles. Participants were invited to scribble down their blocks to happiness and leave them at the Ego Booth which was later set on fire to metaphorically symbolize their release. And forget money, the only way to trade is through fair exchange or gifting which creates an openness and receptivity hitherto undiscovered anyone. Everyone who has attended the Burn is changed, by the beauty of the landscape and the charm of the participants.

This is the sister act of Burning Man in the USA, which has grown to host over 40 000 participants a year. It was conceptualized by an informal collection of individuals and organisations who questioned, and continue to question, mainstream, highly commercialized consumerist society and what it does to the functionality of community.

The burning of some of the sculptures during the nights acts as a symbolic statement and ritual attempt to release what binds us. The fires act as a symbol of transformation. It also represents a symbolic deconstructing of the norm, re-enforcing the transient nature of things. However you see it, the ‘sacrifice’ is beautiful, inspiring, exciting and a total celebration of creative spirit. Afrika Burns: April 22nd-27th 2010. The theme is Dreaming. Participants leave No Trace and bring everything they need out there including water. Location Tankwa Town – The Little Karoo www.afrikaburns.com