Once a year, our Creative Grant application form opens – and with it comes a flood of amazing projects and plans from our community. Every time, we’re blown away by the range of concepts and structures that are put forward – and in the 2020 round, even more so as we’re seeing some truly inspired artwork ideas that are going to come alive in Tankwa Town this time round.
We’re very proud to announce that supporting this year’s batch of Creative Grant Recipient Projects was a Grant pot of R1,2 million – the largest yet. But this is not the only funding that our organisation provides for art and creative projects: keep an eye out for announcements about our ArtSpark initiative (we have more good news coming soon).
So, without further ado, here are the Creative Grant Recipient Projects for 2020! (massive thanks to all Collective crew members that have stepped up to make their artwork dreams into a reality with us this year!).
Project: Afrika Cubed
Collective: The Creative Case
Location: Cape Town, SA
Artwork Description:
Giant wooden cube built with an interior spiral staircase to allow you to climb inside to the top. There will be many ways on the outside that you will be able to climb upon sit on the cube. The artwork is somehow inspired by the Rubik’s cube as it will have coloured transparent windows at various intervals. Citizens will be able to write on the surfaces, share stories, let go of information, as the cube will burn. There will also be portions of the cube surface that are “unfinished”. The citizens will be encouraged to contribute the the finishing of these surfaces. There will be a mini amphitheatre-style arrangement on the one side of the cube. Citizens will be able to interact with any activities that will appear at the cube.
Project: Bananoctopus
Collective: Why not bananas?
Location: Russia
Artwork Description:
The object is shaped as a half-peeled banana,that is out of control of evolution and mutated into an octopus, standing on 4-5 legs stylised as banana peel pieces. Up to 20 people can comfortably lay down and chill underneath the banana, hiding away from the sun. On the inner parts of the banana there are speakers in the form of octopus suction cups from which the music sounds.Under the art object in the middle will be a DJ place. Corded phone headsets will be hung on the banana peel walls so they are reachable to the people who pass by. If one of the corded phone headsets on one of the secondary objects (of which we write below) is picked up, a headset on the wall lights up. Whenever somebody picks up the lit up phone, a voice call is initiated. Phone calls can be made both ways, from secondary object to the main one and vice versa. The object will shine in the night like a torch of fire. Due to the rack structure, it will pass light from inside. Bright contoured light we will emphasise his eyes and tentacles.
Why Not Bananas on Instragram
Project: Connection
Collective: The Connection Collective
Location: Gauteng, SA
Artwork Description:
Four heads, standing 4 m tall, join foreheads, creating a heart in the centre. They sit on a round platform. They are reflective silver, speaking of the beauty of how we are refections of one another. It will be a place to tell stories. Signage will invite people to use the space to connect and tell the stories of their lives. Life changing moments, funny moments, near death experiences, profound moments that have shaped who we are. There will be cables, that when held together create current. In the day, make music play and at night, lighting will create radiating lines from the heart at the centre. It only works if people are all holding the connection together. The vision is to use the very technology that is isolating us, to keep us together, facilitating conversation and the chance to be mirrors for one another. Depending on who I find to collaborate with, the lighting could be next level. I would love to be able to program LEDs to create stunning patterns. The base will be made of painted ply wood. The Heads cut from ply which will be clad in abs that has mirror vinyl applied.
Project: Dragon Mania
Collective: Dragon Mania Collective
Location: Cape Town, SA
Artwork Description:
The Dragon head, build has just been upgraded to a dance floor, with the head being the middle of the stage. A wooden skeleton and then clad in ply and pallet wood. In the gaps will be lined with led lights lasers and lights in the eyes, smoke machines with colour smoke to pump out the nose.The dragon will be placed lying on its back with it’s belly up, the belly will be created from wood and material to create a shaded dance floor. The legs and tail will be at the back and will also be made from wood and materials.
Dragon Mania Facebook Page
Dragon Mania Fundraiser 2 (Feb 21st 2020)
Project: The Nest Of Magical Creatures
Collective: The Nest Of Magical Creatures
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Artwork Description:
A giant nest at the top of a tall 6m-high flamingo leg. The sound attached to the artwork consists of bird and animal calls. It’s a simple structure that one can immediately associate with a bird’s nest at the top. Something that one would have seen in real life, but greatly exxagerated in size.
Nest Of Magical Creatures Facebook Page
Project: Gaia’s Song
Collective: The Gaia’s Song Collective
Location: Johannesburg, SA
Artwork Description:
The earth is singing to us, but… are we listening? Using the proportions and structure of the cochlea of the ear and the shape of a shell, we will create a sacred space where a collaborative healing song can be co-created between mankind and Earth Spirit.
Gaia’s Song on Facebook
Gaia’s Song on Instagram
Project: Pop – Up Art Studio
Collective: The Tankwa Town Art Appreciation Society
Location: Cape Town, SA
Artwork Description:
We will run a daily spontaneous Pop-Up Art Studio on the Binnekring. We will do this by setting up easels and art materials at various places of interest – particularly at some of our favourite artworks. We will encourage spectators to become participants and evolve into artists. By providing an environment where anyone can arrive, sit and create a beautiful sketch, pastel drawing or painting we will be able to get average burners to interact with their surroundings, engage with fellow artists and create something beautiful in a fun way. Once an artwork is complete, we will encourage the artist to either keep, gift or burn their work. This is a great way to get people to live the AfrikaBurn principles (particularly radical self expression, immediacy and gifting) and foster a sense of the ephemeral and create connection. In 2020 we would like to double the size of our art studio to 12 easels, 12 stools and also provide higher quality art materials – especially for our more advanced artists (i.e., a few canvasses for professional portraits, thicker paper, pens).
The pop-up art studio is impermanent and will be set up in a new location on the Binnekring every day.
Tankwa Town Art Appreciation Society Facebook Page
Project: Prometheus
Collective: The Nest of Magical Creatures
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
It’s a giant butterfly built on a scissorlift. it can articulate it’s wings, and rise 15 m in to the air. The scissorlift basket is entirely hidden by the carapace. The wings are lightweight and semitransparent. At night, the wings come alive, because the entire skin of the wings is covered in 10,000 LEDs and controlled with a sequencer.
This thing is big – really, really big.
Prometheus & The Nest Of Magical Creatures Facebook Page
Project: Sonus Arbor
Collective: The Willow Room Collective
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
“Sonus Arbor” is an interactive, multi-sensory installation, combining architectural structure, meditative music, and motion capture technology. Made out of bamboo, ropes, ribbons and gum poles, it incorporates surround-sound speakers. Its structural design, based on that of an acacia tree, has a central column functioning as the main support unit. Our structure is motivated by the sense of shelter, protection, and community of the acacia. The ribbons and bamboo-chimes act as visual and tactile stimuli, attracting curiosity and wonderment, encouraging exploration and interaction, simulating the vines of a willow. They compel the participant to slow down while in the space, wading instead of running, encouraging a slow tempo. They also serve as items of affordance, providing a participant with a very subtle visual cue to interact with it. This guides one through the environment and affords one with physical interaction. The sonic world is triggered by motion capture webcams and sensors, complemented by the other acoustic sounds.
Sonus Arbor Facebook page
Sonus Arbor Instagram
Project: Space Grandma’s Tea House at the Nexus of the Universe
Collective: The Space Grandma’s Tea House at the Nexus of the Universe Collective
Location: United States
Artwork Description:
An intergalactic art gallery and tea oasis brought to Earth to serve tea, showcase art, and foster friendships. There is only one rule, “Everybody is Welcome at Grandma’s Tea Time.” Space Grandma and a rotation of her friends will host in character/costume. The tea house is a seven sided stationary “UFO” structure that is approximately 5.5 meters wide and a little over 3 meters tall. It is primarily made of CNC cut marine grade plywood & steel that will be bolted together. It will have leather cushions on a bench that wraps most the interior, a tea serving counter for guests to sit at, and a central fireplace that will be propane (with proper ventilation built in). Art will hang on the walls along with several small interactive sculptural pieces. There is also hand made 77 page book of art, stories & tea recipes from Space Grandma’s world. The exterior will have lace on the wood then clear lacquer. There is a turbine on top centre and a ring of 7 acrylic domes around that for natural light. It will be lit to glow softly in blue/green/purple colours at night. There will be various musicians showcased on different evenings and small events such as a tea-sandwich party or soup night. I also plan to bring American friends to South Africa for AfrikaBurn and then South African friends to Burning Man so their can be a cross country/event exchange.
Links
Space Grandma’s Website
Space Kitten’s Website
Space Grandma’s Facebook Page
Project: Sudara
Collective: Uhlu
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
Bahan is a series of 3 human figures standing at 4 m in height and facing one another in a circle. The positioning of the figures creates a central space where people may pass through, pause or congregate. The piece will have elements of repetition in the visual language whilst allowing 3 different personalities to be expressed through details such as the facial features and headpieces. By night the figures will be lit from the inside, creating a landmark on the Binnekring landscape.
Project: The Code
Collective: OWN WAY Collective
Location: Russia
Artwork Description:
This art-piece is about relationships and their internal code. Did you know that 2 parts of DNA constantly communicate with each other? They copy, repair and exchange. Just like us, humans. And just like us, together they keep building the world during this never-ending experiment. We want to cherish it with this art-piece. It’s a DNA chain made out of figures of dancing man and woman. It is made out of wood and has lights to shine in the dark. 7 meters 72 cm tall.The sculpture surface is covered with 6 mm thick plywood and withes (willow twig).
OWN WAY Collective’s Facebook Page
Own Way’s website
Project: The Vaginarium of Dreams
Collective: The Vaginarium of Dreams Collective
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
The Vaginarium of Dreams will be a giant flowery vagina slide (approximately 3 m high) made out of timber and plywood with an LED display representing the clitoris which will light up when a button (symbolic of the ever-illusive g-spot) is pushed by the often overly eager slider. There will be a “red tent” built inside the base of The Vaginarium of Dreams which will be a safe space for women to gather, share and receive the ancient teachings and wisdom of the divine feminine with daily guided talks and sacred ceremonies. There will also be materials available to write stories or paint a picture of your sacred flower illustrating the beauty of vaginas in all shapes, forms, colours and sizes which will be displayed in the red tent.
Project: The Washing Line 13
Collective: Scared Crow Abductions
Location: Worcester
Artwork Description:
A derivative from The Washing Line. Number 13 she will come, the number of luck, did you notice that? Perception carries the KEY. Arts of laughter, arts of gander, make your arts, arts to BE. Hopes are Sight, single handed I, I will bring the WL13 to the burn! Thou realist you all on with my own hands I will bring what I can, with few hands I can bring 10 fold, with many hands I may just bring it all!
But then you realise, you always remain on your own. Radical Self Reliance.
Project: The Zissou House
Collective: House of Zissou
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
The artwork is a two story house cut in half like a cross section. Made like a film set, Imagine Theatrical rooms each with different wallpaper and lighting, garage bands playing in an actual garage to the people outside (or inside), meeting the mechanic working in the garage (or better yet, get handed some overalls and a script, and BECOME the Mechanic for a short while… no one needs to know).
It will be a solid timber frame and lightweight facade materials. From the front, the house appears normal, from the back, the house is like a set, fully visible. EVERYTHING in the house that is on the cross-section line will be cut in half… this means everything from the bicycles on the wall in the garage, to the sofa in the living room and the pictures on the wall. The idea is that each room has three ‘doorways’, always giving the user a constant option, allowing the house to flow, without the need for in/out doorways and any congestion. Climb through trapdoors and up bookshelves into the room above you, pull on a rope that moves a chandelier, or switches that change the lights in another room… or just watch it all happen from the outside!
From the outside, the house and its inhabitants will be completely observable, creating the option to either view the ongoing flow of the house and the people interacting within in, or to join in and become the artwork as you flow through the maze-like bisected objects everywhere to remind you that it’s not your ordinary house. Each room has the potential to be completely themed and inhabited by characters. The goal is to have scripts written and outfits for different characters for different rooms for different days and events/themes…. and we’ll hand these out to our theme camp members… or just to keen strangers looking to pretend they are something they aren’t for a few hours.
Project: Time Burns
Collective: Camp Phoenix
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
We are punctual people. The Burn is all about time. We are fascinated by the mechanics of pendulum clocks. The artwork is a short circular stair leading to a wooden clock (mechanics all wooden) suspended between an arch.
Project: ILUKULUKU Temple of Curiosity
Collective: ILUKULUKU TRIBE
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
The ILUKULUKU Temple of Curiosity is an interactive structure built out of a scaffolding base adorned with neon geometric patterns and shapes hand painted onto plywood. The colourful ambience created by the colour, pattern and words will bring a vivid change to the Tankwa landscape and also alter peoples perceptions of spaces into places. The structure comes alive by night when UV light reflects on the patterns.
ILUKULUKU Facebook Page
ILUKULUKU Website
Project: The Puppetorium
Collective: The Lunatic Fridge
Location: Johannesburg
Artwork Description:
We will be converting a little horse type trailer into a puppet theatre on wheels, 1 side of the trailer a window will double as a shadow puppet screen, on the other side a flap will open into a hand puppet theatre. At the back of the trailer we will hold the peepshow, actually a black light/UV show, viewed through peep holes.
Project: Twisted Da Vinci
Collective: Die Brandnetels
Location: Worcester
Artwork Description:
Scaling up the central Da Vinci dome of our 2019 project 2.3 times, and creating another one 1.7 larger. The two scaled up dome structures will be augmented with a few of the coloured triangles we’ll be using for the 14th ‘Burn.
Project: Woven
Collective: The Woven Collective
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
This artwork is an aesthetic visualisation / exploration of ‘making’ and the interconnectedness of all things — by means of weaving. It is inspired by both humans and birds as ‘makers’ — the hand that weaves the thread and the bird that weaves its nest. The social weaver bird — as its name suggests — is a creature who builds its home in collaboration with its community. In much the same way, I want to build and create this artwork with a group of people — some close-knit already (such as my team of fellow artists/designers in Langa), and some invited to join in on the project along the way. Weaving and handcraft is a highly social activity.
‘Woven’ will comprise of a number of steel frames (3x2m each — and using between 6-10 of them), arranged in an aesthetically beautiful way, and covered with white sail fabric woven into panels, as well as some actual weaver nests. It will be a spatial installation exploring weaving as a means of connection, sociability, and the idea of the interconnectedness of the universe.
Our Workshop Facebook Page
Project: IMBADU – The Gathering
Collective: Imbadu (The Gathering) Collective
Location: Cape Town
Artwork Description:
It’s a giant wooden potjie pot that is gonna be a workshop space where people gather and learn about different cultures.I plan on hosting live bands playing traditional music and theatre that is geared towards giving people an understanding of different ways people interact and celebrate their different heritage.
There will be a musical play that will take place during the festival inside the potjie. The play will demonstrate how oral tradition kept the village going and the gatherings which facilitated unanimous decision on a problem whether it’s behavioural, abuse or a crime. The village gathered to discuss and come up with a way to deal with that particular problem.
Project: Mankala
Collective: Mankala
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Artwork Description:
Mankala will be returning to its original proposal to build a modified Zulu Boma. It will house African music, dance & storytelling workshops and interactive performances. Each evening will be closed by a DJ playing African music.
Mankala Facebook Page
Project: Dust Bunny Disco
Collective: The Dust Bunny Disco Collective
Location: Cape Town,SA
Artwork Description:
The Dust Bunny Disco is a telephone booth sized mini disco with interactive disco ball, lasers and smoke machine while listening to your selected track. People will select their track, go inside and be able to boogie and create their own teeny weeny disco.
Project: Eyethu
Collective: The Eyethu Collective
Location: United Kingdom
Artwork Description:
We are all the product of a thousand small kindnesses built up day by day. We are committed to building art responsibly. We want to have sight of the long term place our materials and the energies expended in creating our piece will ultimately resonate. Ours is a simple gesture designed to action two aims that are close to our heart – art with purpose and a zero waste mentality.
To that end we sought to fulfil a genuine need in South Africa. Working closely with the Eyethu Hout Bay Skate Park initiative in Cape Town the need identified was simply skateboards, so the children could each enjoy the facilities built for them. We challenged ourselves to view the skateboards as structure; integral to the concept and not just token cladding. In making something new out of an everyday object we are all forced to re-look at its potential. In the Tankwa landscape, our installation rises up from the dust utilising the skateboard as a building board. A dense, measurable reminder of one need in one place, met. We aim to create a temporary oasis in a harsh landscape, a respite from the heat through shade, a sign of life – our tree – and cool air through a mist system overhead.
One block of ice illustrates this a visually finite resource. By night a structure to find intimacy in an endless landscape reverberating with light, music and the internal chamber creating an intimacy of twenty people. The greater installation starts only when we dismantle our – eyethu – and travel back to Cape Town. Our undecorated boards will be donated to the kids living around Eyethu Hout Bay Skate Park. We will run workshops on board painting and be left with a bag of ratchets to donate for the erection of canvas shades and mist collecting structures providing water and irrigation to the grounds. We will plant our tree there as a commitment to continuing our relationship in developing the facilities of the park.
All small gestures of kindness are returned, the least we can do is pass it on.
Project: The Hammer
Collective: The DPW Retirement Club
Location: Moorreesburg,SA
Artwork Description:
In the spirit of old and new we want to use the remaining hand (Reflections 2013), clad it, erect it and place a huge hammer in it. If we can somehow get the hammer to drop dramatically that would be first prize.
The “artwork” is in the whole jol though – it has to be the DPW burn of all DPW burns. So the art is in the whole set up, from sound to dancefloor, how it is ignited, the bar and the lighting… and (gasp) everyone is invited!
Project: The Teleporter
Collective: Tea & Crumpets
Location: Johannesburg,SA
Artwork Description:
The Teleporter is a reproduction system for First Through Third Order Ambisonic recordings and spatial audio performances, housed within a 4 m diameter 5/8 3 frequency geodesic dome. The use of a 20.2 channel speaker array allows for a larger ‘sweet’ spot, accommodating larger audiences. It is intended as a touring installation, bringing immersive audio experiences to a wider public through demonstrations at festivals and events worldwide. The name is suggestive of spatial audio’s capacity to transport listeners into a virtual immersive space. The Teleporter aims to offer listeners the experience of being in a coherent sonic space, invoking as close as possible the soundscape at point of capture by the microphone.
At AfrikaBurn, the intention is to offer workshops and listening experiences by day, and performance and music by evening. The lead artists work professionally and researching in the exciting and rapidly emerging field of spatial audio.
Project: Dream A Little Dream
Collective: The Dream A Little Dream Collective
Location: Cape Town,SA
Artwork Description:
“Stars shining bright above you;
Night breezes seem to whisper ‘I love you’.
Birds singing in the sycamore tree.
Dream a little dream of me.”
DREAM A LITTLE DREAM is a sentence in the desert, which exemplifies all the things that go through your head when you experience AB. Where do all these incredible ideas come from? What initiates them? They all start as dreams. What if? Is this possible? One day, maybe… During the day it stands in the desert as a sentence, absorbing 10-12 hours of sunlight. As the darkness falls, she starts to glow with a natural blue photoluminescence light, bringing the stars to the ground and remains like that for 8-10 hours. At first light the process starts all over again. The installation is made out of 17 X wooden single letters (approx 2 m x 1 m each) across. It will need to be secured into the ground so you can walk around the four words: DREAM A LITTLE DREAM. You won’t be able to move it.
The technology behind the photoluminescence is an aggregate that gets sprayed onto a surface (in this case wood). It’s called STAR-PATH bioluminescence technology – a liquid combining UV crystals and photo-luminescent materials to create a night time self-illuminating glow.
Project: Where Rabbits Go To Sleep And Dream
Collective: The Where Rabbits Go To Sleep And Dream Collective
Location: United Kingdom
Artwork Description:
I am looking to create an oxidised sheet metal sculpture in the shape of a reclining rabbit which is slightly anthropomorphic, inspired by San Art. I am not going to burn the artwork but would like to install it at Site.Specific in Loxton to form part of the Riverine Rabbit Conservancy art trail and meditation path. The design is still being finalised but the sculpture will be around 3 m x 1.5 m x 1.5m.
Where Rabbits Go To Sleep Facebook Group
Riverine Rabbit art Website
Project: BORDER ЯING feat. KultureKlash
Collective: BORDERBURN
Location: Cape Town, SA
Artwork Description:
The BORDER ЯING is a mobile, pop-up live artwork: an unorthodox boxing ring that will be installed in public spaces. It is a participatory artwork that uses the recognisable form of the boxing ring as a frame for addressing conflict, discovering ways of processing violence and exploring difference and diversity in a safe, radical and playful way. The BORDER ЯING will offer people a chance to reflect on themselves, their communities and the world they would like to co-create. It is a live art installation that will be activated by multiple publics in different Cape south communities and borderland spaces before making its way to Tankwa for an experiment in the dust. If resistance is persistence, what happens when we allow the conflicts facing us everyday to take centre stage rather than ignoring them and pushing them away into the corners of our reality? By acknowledging the deep discords and feeling into the frictions, can we find new embodied ways to honour and transcend them?
Can we give them their time in the ring to be realised and released?
Project: Kaggens Village
Collective: The mantis Collective
Location: George, SA
Artwork Description:
Our artwork is an aboriginal indigenous Khoe village made of 3 dome structures, matjies huise, covered with reed mats made with wooden poles tied together for structure. when people visit our camp they will be able to meditate with us over a range of things using the huts as a base for our campsite offerings and gifting of the community.
Project: MMMAMOSETSANYANA
Collective: Ke Mmmamosetsanyana
Location: South Africa
Artwork Description:
The concept is to build three pyramids with the Batswana cultural ornaments as the main aesthetic. The Idea is to activate the structure through a Dj playing /Marimba band/Batswana cultural dancers and we have also made arrangements with Bandless to perform at our structure. We have a make up group that will be at the structure at allocated times to beautify anyone who will be willing to have that Tswana look. Our concept is to get Tankwa to embrace the Batswana culture under the Tankwa sun.
Project: Lights for Ilukuluku
Collective: The Lights for ILUKULUKU Collective
Location: Switzerland
Artwork Description:
An epic lights installation on the big pink tower of ILUKULUKU, 32x 5m LED strips with 150 pixels. The inside of the Lamp Clan reloaded, but this time with the double amount of LED. The light show is completely powered by the sun. After the event, the solar power plant needed for this project will be gifted to AfrikaBurn.
Project: The Sunset Circus
Collective: Smokin’ Sparklin’ Thingamajig
Location: South Africa
Artwork Description:
Sunset … The Binnekring
Join our parade, follow Fuoco the Fire Breathing Dragon and the ActionArte troupe to our awesome ringside space where we will surprise and delight you with an incomparable show of unexpected delights.
Project: Swarm Theory v.2.0.
Collective: Well Worn Theatre Company
Location: South Africa
Artwork Description:
‘Swarm Theory’ is a playful theatrical investigation into the possibilities of collective human intelligence in public space. Swarming the Binnekring, an agglomeration of physical performers engage with their environment as a single collaborative organism, a chorus exploring the street corners, strange spaces and art works at Afrikaburn. Each swarming is unplanned, immediate, dynamic and unique to its ecosystem of sounds, smells, rhythms and people. Open, spontaneous and organic, the swarm envelops all it touches. The ensemble manifests a group mind: self sufficient, yet undirected and unpredictable, an adaptive, self-organising critical mass at the edge of chaos. At the Swarm’s last outing at the National Arts Festival Makhanda 2019, the performance
was described as ‘intensely human’, full of ‘rebellious warmth and exquisite presence’ and ‘wild and full of love’. The Swarm is a decentralised power-shift, a collaborative movement.
Well Worn Theatre Facebook Page
If you’d like to find out how our Creative Grant process works, including how artwork funding applications are assessed, click here.
