What is Apokiliptika? Someone once wisely said about Burningman- “If you have never been there, no explanation is possible. If you have been there, no explanation is necessary.” As for Apokiliptika, it does require at least some explanation. Apokiliptika is a Burningman theme which will make its debut in 2005. Since a theme seems necessary for a theme camp, ours is best summed up as follows: Paranoia. Located at 3:00 and Amnesia, along the plaza. “A culture chic camp and participant ensemble, in which it is always, always, the day before the end of the world. The inhabitants of this camp live in a world which is a blend of SCI-FI world-end-military-industrio-sovietski fascism, or something like one of Rumsfeld‘s suggestions for more practical military adventures- yes, over the top, permanent military-pseudo-science-cultural purgatory.” Camp Concept: Nearing the scene, you have the feeling that something went terribly wrong with the world; a decrepit high tech dark age. You are greeted at once by a foreboding scene, with a machine gun facing you from one side, and a Patriot missile battery nearby. Once past the guard shack and watch tower, a rag tag Kantina Apokiliptika anchors the center, covered in a variety of camo nets. Music of the Rolling Stones and The Doors…tecno-electronica and odd sounds-- the whole of it is awash in olive drab, khaki and snow camouflage. Odd flags flutter ominously above. An underground FM radio station broadcasts information... information... disinformation, music and more. What would permanent military cultural –world-end purgatory be without a bar… the afore metioned “Kantina”. Cocktails, beer, desert daiquiris, swamp swill and jungle juice might well be served from a variety of field mess gear, such as canteen cups, specimen bottles or other odd surplus containers. Inside, artistic propaganda hangs all around. What's that pole in the center? The Inhabitants: Bedecked in surplus splendor, the members of Apokiliptika sport various altered or heavily altered fatigues, pistol belts, boots, hats, helmets and other paraphernalia of post modern warrior culture gone awry. Some are festooned in gaudy officer attire- looking a tad fascist, while others might get a bear hug from Putin himself. Of course, the end of the world is always just around the corner at Apokiliptika (hence the name), so regulation is really out the window. Summary- APOKILIPTIKA is an experiment in collaborative camp making, with members from around the nation and Canada. The camp is an installation in itself, with it's members creating components over the year, only to be assembled into the camp as BM opens. A growing list of links is found on the front page. Please feel free to exlplore this site... but be careful who you speak with- spies are everywhere. We have generated some anticipation, and hope to be an effective part of the BRC Community. Beyond BRC, it is hoped that APOKILIPTIKA can become a means for artists to continue to work together and be a collaborative to further artists in connection in the Reno NV region- on the edge of the playa. APOKILIPTIKA- The End of Art as we Know It. |
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