AfrikaBurn: The flames are out but the fire burns in silence

While the fires at AfrikaBurn have been extinguished for another year, the journey continues for Val Johnson and the Black Rock Desert is beckoning.

Also read: Transcend into another world with mesmerising AfrikaBurn photos

A veteran of nearly two dozen ‘burns’ around the world, Tankwa in the Karoo holds a special place in her heart, as she believes the South African edition of the immensely popular festival is an experience that should be on everyone’s bucket list.

AfrikaBurn is the local spin-off of Burning Man, an event focused on community, art, self-expression and self-reliance held annually in Nevada. 

The name of the event comes from its culminating ceremony, the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as ‘The Man’. 

While music plays an integral part in the festivities, the experience is quite different for Val, who was born deaf and considers American Sign Language (ASL) her mother tongue.

‘I’m a third-generation Californian, born into a deaf family, who grew up in a deaf culture,’ she explained in a recent interview, shortly after returning from this year’s AfrikaBurn.

‘My parents and grandparents are all deaf. It goes back generation after generation.’

‘This definitely gives me a very different perspective.’

‘I’ve been coming to AfrikaBurn since 2015 but if I had to add them up, I’ve been to around 21 Burns around the world.’

Best burn

When asked about her global favourite, Val said that it was difficult to choose, adding that she prefers the smaller, more intimate gatherings over those with tens of thousands in attendance.

‘The most insane was a European Burn in Spain that was absolutely off the hook.’ 

‘It was a smaller burn with only about 2000 people but it was absolutely crazy.’

‘I think the thing that makes the big difference is that when you have a large burn, there are so many rules.’

‘However, when you have a smaller regional burn like that there’s far more freedom, so I would say that would probably be my favourite.’

Africa burns the brightest

While AfrikaBurn is neither the largest nor the smallest of these festivals, Val emphasised that it remained close to her heart largely due to the acceptance and inclusivity of South African participants.

‘People at AfrikaBurn just have a better attitude,’ she explained. ‘I think everyone is a lot more positive, helpful and friendly.’ 

‘It seems to be far more community oriented and everyone makes a communal effort.’

‘When you look at Burning Man, there is so much instant gratification going on, with people on their cellphones, wanting to take pictures of themselves in their outfits.’

‘There is a lot of that kind of behaviour invading it which doesn’t seem to be as much of a thing at AfrikaBurn.’

‘Nobody is on their phone all the time and it makes a big difference.’

‘I think my phone died before I even got there and I didn’t plug it in the whole time I was there.’ 

‘What I really love most about AfrikaBurn is the people.’

‘People here don’t just sit around, drinking beer and being boring. They are actually making and being friends.’

‘In that regard, it’s quite different from Burns in other parts of the world.’

‘There is far more integration in terms of the various populations that really doesn’t happen in other parts of the world.’

‘There is no judgement going on. Instead, people respect each other. Everybody is in it together. There is less ego involved.’

Burning in silence

While Val doesn’t allow her deafness to be a hindrance, she acknowledges that it does give her a different perspective on these events and her interactions with other burners. 

She further emphasised the difference between ASL and South African sign language but added that South Africa’s recognition of sign as an official language was certainly a step in the right direction.

‘There are always people that are curious, thinking that deaf people don’t know about music, feel sorry for you or believe you’re stupid.’

‘The fact of the matter is that the world is full of different languages and it’s important for all groups to be acknowledged.’

However, despite this recognition, she added that language still had some barriers, forcing her to resort to alternate means of communicating.  

‘I sometimes use my tattoos as a form of communication,’ she explained. ‘People often ask where I’m from and I don’t need to explain because I have a tattoo of California on my butt.’

‘In some situations, it’s easier to just point to something instead of having to try and explain it.’

‘However, most of my tattoos have personal meaning. Some of them might not be as important as others but some are deeply significant.’

‘For example, I have my children’s footprints on my back.’

Val will be back at AfrikaBurn next year and is likely to add several events to her tally in the interim. For now, Black Rock is beckoning as ‘The Man’ takes shape in Nevada.

Also read:

Sign language to be South Africa’s 12th official language, finally

Picture: Supplied

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