Category: BURN2

BURN2 2017: Radical Ritual in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
BURN2 2017

BURN2 2017 opening its gates on Saturday, October 21st, and will run through until Sunday, October 29th 2017, culminating in the burning of the Man the Temple on the closing weekend of the event.

The theme for this year is Radical Ritual, matching that of the official Burning Man event, and which is described thus:

Reinventing ritual in our post post-modern world – disregarding assertions of belief and focus on the immediate experience of play. Play can free us to envision truths of which we have no proof or warrant, and breaks down the distinction that divides belief from make-believe. Whole-hearted, creative play induces self-surrender to experience that is beyond the scope of reasoned thought.

The Festival commenced with a Lamplighters procession, which set out at 10:00 SLT on Saturday, October 21st, with a further procession taking place at 18:00 SLT.  There will be similar daily processions at 12:00 noon and 18:00 each day of the event through until Friday, October 27th.

BURN2 2017

Saturday, October 28th will feature two burnings of The Man, at 11:00 noon and 17:00 SLT. On Sunday, October 29th, the Temple will likewise burn at 11:00 non and 17:00 SLT, but each of these burnings will be preceded at  10:00 and 16:00 respectively by Lamplighter processions, which will each include a Fire Dance performance at the Centre Camp. You can keep track of all BURN2 activities through the event schedule on Google Calendar.

To ease your explorations of the regions, don’t forget you can pick up a ride at the Department of Mutant Vehicles, car rezzing point close to the welcome area.

As with previous years, participants have fully entered into the spirit of the BURN2 theme, and the five regions offer a tremendous carnival atmosphere, with Today Nakamura’s Temple build beautifully and brilliantly capturing the essence of the theme and the playa as a whole.

About BURN2

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.

The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

Related Links

BURN2 Conception 2017 announced for Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

The BURN2 team have announced the dates and theme for the BURN2 Conception 2017 event – and with them comes an invitation for builders to get involved.

Conception this year will take place on the weekend of Friday, July 14th through Sunday July 16th,  with the theme Take A Look Inside.

Announcing the event, the BURN2 press release reads in part:

How do we convey the need to be a Community? An Invitation, We invite someone inside.

We invite the visitor into our home and make them feel welcome. Offer them comfort, Laughter, and Sincerity. The community grows as we come together in our common areas. Think of the Piazzas of Italy, the gathering of the community on a daily basis, bonding, sharing stories, laughter and sharing time.

Those wishing to participate are invited to literally build inside the box – parcels will comprise 24m semi-transparent cubes with a 225 Land Impact allowance, in which builders are encouraged to build a welcoming environment they can invite others into, while the areas outs of the cubes will form the wider public spaces, with the press release going on to read:

The view from inside the box is transparent. Your build is showcased as a single view. Other builds are encased in their boxes so you just see the other boxes. The visitor walks and enters each box. Your invitation is important as it’s all that’s seen in clarity. Remember to build so all can be enjoyed while inside your plot. (long distant viewing is not what this event is all about).

Burn2 Conception 2016

Should you wish to apply to build for this year’s BURN2 Conception, you are asked to read (and follow) the Ten Principles of Burning Man, and the Conception 2017 Builder Guidelines before completing the application form.

Those who would like to be a greeter at the event can sign-up here.

About BURN2

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.

The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

Links

BURN2: Burnal Equinox 2017

Posted on by Inara Pey
BURN2 Burnal Equinox – poster via BURN2

Friday, April 28th marked the opening of the 2017 BURN2 Burnal Exquinox event, which will run through until Sunday, April 30th.

The theme for this year’s event is Scared and Profane, with the press release for the event reading in part:

What does this mean? The sacred–profane dichotomy is an idea posited by French sociologist Émile Durkheim, who considered it to be the central characteristic of religion, “Religion is a unified system of beliefs and practices relative to sacred things, that is to say, things set apart and forbidden.”

In Durkheim’s theory, the sacred represented the interests of the group, especially unity, which were embodied in sacred group symbols, or totems. The profane, on the other hand, involved mundane individual concerns. Durkheim explicitly stated that the sacred/profane dichotomy was not equivalent to good/evil. The sacred could be good or evil, and the profane could be either as well.

BURN2 Burnal Equinox

Throughout the playa, is a series of builds offering various takes on the theme. As one might expect, religious symbolism is heavy throughout, together with the more “traditional” images of BURN2. Plenty of humour is also on offer – such as the Lanterns That Must Not Be Touched (but which rain carrots if they are…).

A full weekend of entertainment and festivities will be taking place through the three days of the event, which kicked-off at 10:00 SLT on Friday, April 28th with a Lamp Lighter procession. You can find full details of activities in the BURN 2 calendar, some of the highlights of which include (all times SLT):

  • Saturday, April 29th:
    • 19:00 – 19:30: BURN2 Acrobat Fire Dancers
    • 19:30 – 20:00: Royal Lepus Fashion Show
  • Sunday April 30th:
    • 10:00 – 11:00: Lamp Lighters and Fire Dancers
    • 11:00 – 12:00 noon: first Burn of the equinox
    • 12:00 noon – 13:00: Chang High Sisters
    • 15:00 – 16:00: DRUM
    • 17:00 – 18:00: Lamp Lighters and Fire Dancers
    • 18:00 – 19:00: second Burn of the equinox
BURN2 Burnal Equinox

About BURN2

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.

The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

Related Links

Sniper’s Second Life 1999 – 2017: The Story

Posted on by Inara Pey
Second Life 1999 / 2017 – The Story

“The initial project, ‘The Little Prince’, would take a long time,” Sniper Siemens explains in introducing Second Life 1999 / 2017 – The Story, which is now open through until the end of June 2017. “For my health and work reasons, I could not make it this year. I apologise for the inconvenience.”

Frankly, I don’t think an apology is warranted; if anything, Sniper’s look at the entire history of Second Life from 1999 through to the present should be a permanent, living installation in Second Life (although Sniper may well shoot me for saying so!).

Second Life 1999 / 2017 – The Story – Project Shining: the start of the ongoing work to massively overhaul SL’s technical capabilities

Before I get into the Story of Second Life, let’s take a look at the story of the story of Second Life. The installation originally began in July 2014 as Second Life History, a relatively modest but informative installation, complete with humorous touches which continue to mark these exhibitions. In February 2015, Sniper returned with The Greatest Story Ever Told, expanding on the original idea, offering more information, a new presentation layout and lots of new little characters to show you each of the many notable events throughout Second Life’s history (and that of its precursor, LindenWorld).

For this latest installation, Sniper builds on the 2015 design, bringing it bang up-to-date with everything that’s happened since that installation was exhibited, with a look at things like  Bento, the starter avatar updates, improvement to Sl web properties such as the Community platform, etc., and a tongue-in-cheek “look” through the gates at Sansar.

Second Life 1999 / 2017 – The Story – remembering Lumiere Noir, one of the many residents who did so much to empower all of us in our time in-world

From the landing point / information point, visitors progress along a footpath passing through the years sequentially, from 1999, with the originals of Linden Research and The Rig, progressing through LindenWorld, Primitars, early experiments with AI creatures, to the birth of Second Life. From there, major notable events, positive and negative (depending on your perspective if you were around at the time). All are marvellously presented, with a great balance between information – presented via static information boards,  interactive elements, and in-world videos.

As well as walking around the installation, visitors can opt to take a train ride through the exhibits. A Canopied station forms part of the landing point. Simply touch the rezzer to generate a car, jump in and touch the car to start your ride. You can stop along the way at any time to take a closer look at exhibits by touching the car once more – just make sure you cam over to them, don’t get out of the car or you’ll have it de-rez on you! A further touch of the car will resume your journey, while barriers at certain points also encourage you to stop in case you risk missing something. With a change of train half-way around, this is a really charming way to see the exhibition (rail traffic allowing!) – kudos to Sniper for including it.

Second Life 1999 / 2017 – The Story – Bento in images and videos

Journey’s end for Second Life 1999 /2017 – The Story is a shady park alongside of the cheeky “look” at Sansar. However, this isn’t the end of the installation. A teleport station will take you on to a look at the History of Burning Life, (or Burn 2 as we now know it).  This can also be toured by rail car – just follow the path to the right as you exit the main landing area and before you enter “1999”.

I am an unabashed fan of Second Life’s history (and I’m flattered to have played a very small and indirect role in this exhibit), so cannot recommend this installation highly enough anyone wishing to gain a rounded understanding on Second Life, Linden Lab and Burning Life / Burn 2. It really is a pleasure to visit, marvellously informative without ever drowning you in a flood of information, and rich in gentle touches and delightful flicks of humour. I also couldn’t help be notice the layout of the exhibit seems to include a fair amount of space for future expansion as well 🙂 .

Second Life 1999 / 2017 – The Story – the central Burn 2 exhibition

Second Life 199 / 2017 – The Story is an absolute delight, and as noted, will remain open through until the end of June 2017. Be sure not to miss it!

SLurl Details

Video by Sniper Siemens

BURN2: a Fire Moon in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Fire Moon
Fire Moon

Saturday, January 28th marks the start of celebrations for the Chinese New Year – so gong hei fat choy a little ahead of time, while before it, Friday, January 27th marks the first new moon of 2017. Given both of these dates, the BURN2 team have opted to host a special Fire Moon weekend from Friday January 27th through Sunday, January 29th.

Announcing the event in December, the team stated:

The pairing of the moon on fire and the fire rooster, the new year, a new beginning…such an exciting time of year! No one shall be a mere bystander; everyone participates in some way, by exploring, driving an art car, joining the Lamplighters as they walk the playa, witnessing the burning of the Fire Rooster, grooving to the tunes emanating from the stage, marvelling and experiencing the creative builds scattered throughout the playa. You become the event, with us!

Since then, builders have been at work putting together installations and ideas reflective of the Chinese New Year theme – 2017 being the Year of the Rooster – all built around the Fire Rooster, which in the tradition of BURN2 will be burned twice over the weekend. To help keep the weekend swinging, there will be live entertainment and DJs performing through the three days, at the Fire Moon main stage.

Fire Moon
Fire Moon

At the time of writing, the schedule of entertainment was as follows; please check the BURN2 website for any updates. All times SLT.

Friday, January 27th

  • 11:00: Lamplighter’s Walk-on
  • 12:00-14:00: Ktahdn Vesuvino
  • 14:00-15:00:  DJ Patricio
  • 15:00-17:00: Open
  • 17:00-18:00: PsyTwins
  • 18:00-19:00: Lamplighters Dragon March
  • 19:00-20:00: Rod Eiland
  • 22:00-23:00: Storytime with Mia

Saturday, January 28th

  • 04:00-06:00: Daphne
  • 08:00-09:00: Miss ChillyMilly
  • 09:00-10:00: FirstBreath Firestar
  • 10:00-11:00 Markus Davidov
  • 11:00-13:00: Maia Antarra
  • 13:00-14:00: Mania Littlething
  • 15:00-17:00: Lunna Darwinian
  • 17:00-18:00: Mario Zecca
  • 18:00-20:00: DJ Vivienne
  • 20:00-22:00: DJ Rocky
  • 22:00-00:00: DJ Keli

Sunday, January 29th

  • 09:00-10:00:  SuperSuz
  • 10:00-11:00: ChangHigh Fire Rooster
  • 11:00:-12:00 noon: Fire Moon Rooster Burn
  • 12:00 noon-13:00: Cuga Rajal
  • 13:00-14:00 Pilou Joubert
  • 14:00-16:00: DJ Patricio
  • 16:00-17:00: DRUM live show
  • 17:00-18:00: PsyTwins live show
  • 18:00-19:00: Fire Moon Rooster Burn
  • 19:00-20:00: Cuga Rajal
  • 20:00-22:00:  DJ Rocky
  • 22:00-00:00: DJ Keli
Fire Moon
Fire Moon

About BURN2

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.

The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

Related Links

BURN2 2016: a press day in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

DV-posterBURN2 2016 will be opening its gates on Saturday, October 15th, and will run through until Sunday, October 23rd 2016, culminating in the burning of the Man the Temple on the closing weekend of the event.

The theme for this year is Da Vinci;’s Workshop, matching that of the official Burning Man event, and builders have been hard at work preparing camp sites across the four regions of this year’s event, and festivities will run right through the week, culminating in the burning of the Man on Saturday, October 22nd, and the Temple on Sunday, October 23rd.

Bloggers wishing to get early access to BURN2 are invited to complete the Press Sign-up form and join special previews of the regions on Friday, October 14th, at 12:00 noon through 14:00 and 19:00-22:00 SLT.

In addition, there are still slots available on the DJ and live performers schedules for the week-long festival. If you are interested in participating as a performer, contact one of the following individuals in-world:

  • Live performers: Cuga Rajal
  • DJs: Tracer Graves or Fifi Candyfloss (siouxsieincognita) or Leondra Larssen
BURN2 2015
BURN2 2015

About BURN2

BURN2 is an extension of the Burning Man festival and community into the world of Second Life. It is an officially sanctioned Burning Man regional event, and the only virtual world event out of more than 100 real world Regional groups and the only regional event allowed to burn the man.

The BURN2 Team operates events year around, culminating in an annual major festival of community, art and fire in the fall – a virtual echo of Burning Man itself.

Related Links