Linking with the Fire
The pieces in this installation are born from the encounter between ancestral spirit and living matter. At the heart of the MTN Bushfire Festival, symbolic forms rise, inviting the public to cross sensory portals into the origins—their own, those of the world, and of the fire that never dies.
This work is a tribute to nature as the first language. Each installation acts as a channel between worlds, where the visible intertwines with the invisible, and the ancestral dances among us once again. Inspired by African cosmogony and symbolism, this visual experience pays homage to the wisdom passed down through generations, celebrating collectivity, ritual, listening, and return.
In harmony with MTN Bushfire’s deep-rooted commitment to sustainability, the project embraces conscious creation from its inception. Every material is recycled, organic, or naturally sourced, and reflects a shared ethos of environmental stewardship and cultural respect. This is not just an artwork, it is a living conversation with nature, an act of ecological mindfulness that aligns with the festival’s drive to ignite social change through creativity.
By echoing the festival’s “Bring Your Fire” call to action, the installation invites each viewer to consider their own role in regeneration of the land, the spirit, and the community. It stands as both symbol and statement: creation as resistance, sustainability as ritual, and art as a vehicle for collective healing. Through this respectful relationship with the environment, we find a path back to ourselves. The connection with the natural becomes a direct route to universal consciousness, to the deep wisdom that lives in our bodies, our memories, and in the voice of our ancestors.
The earth speaks. The body listens. The artwork reveals.
TÓTEMS
TÓTEMS “SPIRITS OF THE ELEMENT”
Rising as witnesses of time, the totems represent the sacred union between humanity, nature, and the ancestral. Each one embodies a living force: the water that cleanses memory, the wind that whispers forgotten names, the fire that transforms, and the earth that protects the bones of the elders.
In alignment with MTN Bushfire’s commitment to environmental and cultural sustainability, these totems are crafted using reclaimed, natural, and ethically sourced materials. Their creation is a deliberate act of respect for the land, for tradition, and for the future. They embody the festival’s ethos of conscious celebration, where creativity is not only expressive, but regenerative.
These multi-faced, symbol-laden structures are inspired by African nature and culture textiles, ritual symbols, and signs, blending layered visuals with contemporary references. They are guardians who not only watch, but invite the public to touch, encircle, and feel. As part of Bushfire’s vision to “Bring Your Fire,” they call each viewer to recognize their own connection to the earth, to heritage, and to the responsibility we all share in sustaining what sustains us.
LARGE-SCALE SCULPTURE
LARGE-SCALE SCULPTURE “The Ancestor of the Portal”
This sculpture represents an ancient spirit of the planet, a magical figure embodying the wisdom of remote times and the deep, inseparable bond between humanity and nature. Rooted in ancestral power, it calls us to remember, to reconnect, and to return to a way of living that honors the earth.
The ancestor sits with an open chest containing a ritual doorway: by passing through it, one enters the ancestral plane and begins the journey toward the Tunnel of the Spirits. It is a threshold between worlds—between past and present, spirit and matter, awareness and action.
Its body is formed from natural materials—primarily wood, chosen for its symbolism of living memory, rootedness, and reverence for all life forms. In line with MTN Bushfire’s sustainability vision, every element used reflects a conscious commitment to ecological balance and responsible creation. At Bushfire, sustainability is not a theme—it’s a lived principle, woven into the fabric of art, performance, and action.
On its back, the ancestor carries a small child, evoking the African tradition of keeping children close to the body with care and love. This intimate gesture represents union, protection, and the continuity of life, but it also reminds us of something more: that the choices we make today shape the world our children will inherit. In this figure, the personal becomes planetary.
This ancient spirit not only guides us toward the sacred but embodies Bushfire’s call to “Bring Your Fire”, to awaken the fire of responsibility, creativity, and compassion within each of us. It reminds us that we are not only participants in this world, but its guardians of water, fire, forests, mountains, and memory. We hold both the power and the obligation to forge sustainable, conscious, and just ways of living. With humility and strength, this ancestor invites us to step into a deeper state of awareness where the ancestral and the contemporary meet, and where our fire becomes a force for healing and renewal.
ANCESTRAL TUNNEL
ANCESTRAL TUNNEL “The Threshold of Spirits”
The tunnel is a sacred entrance into a world where the ancestral still lives. More than a physical passage, it is a ritual threshold—a symbolic corridor that leads us from the everyday into a space of deep memory, where symbols, textures, and the voices of the past reside.
Constructed with natural and repurposed materials, the tunnel reflects MTN Bushfire’s commitment to sustainability not just as a practice, but as a principle. Every element speaks to a respectful relationship with the earth, aligning with the festival’s vision of responsible creation and conscious celebration. Sustainability here is not decoration it is intention, echoing the belief that art and action must walk hand in hand.
Its pillars bear symbols inspired by African cultures and ancestral wisdom: marks, woven patterns, masks, and geometric signs that evoke the presence of the ancestors. Each carving and texture serves as a reminder that the past is not behind us, it walks with us, guiding our future. It is a return to the origin; a symbolic journey back to the root, where the land, the spirit, and the story converge. Inside the tunnel, one hears ancestral chants, the sounds of water, fire, and mountain. The entire body is activated, remembering that before words, we were vibration.
This space invites us to listen deeply—not only to what is heard, but to what is remembered. And as with all things MTN Bushfire, it challenges us to “Bring Our Fire”, to step forward with purpose, awareness, and care, knowing that the journey toward a just and sustainable world begins within.
ANAMORPHOSIS PHOTOBOOTH
ANAMORPHOSIS PHOTOBOOTH “The Face of the Earth”
This piece represents another ancestral spirit, a presence that dwells within the Earth itself and emerges through a unique visual experience. When standing at a specific point, a character and moving text are revealed, forming a face: an ancient guardian who watches in silence.
Rooted in MTN Bushfire’s sustainability ethos, the spirit’s form is shaped from reclaimed and natural materials, reinforcing the festival’s commitment to environmental responsibility. In this way, the work honors not only the ancestral realm but the living earth itself, treating creation as collaboration with the land, not consumption of it.
This spirit is in deep connection and harmony with the elements. It is the Earth that feels, that breathes, that remembers. Its form is manifested through an optical effect (anamorphosis) that invites the viewer to move, to seek the precise angle, as a metaphor for the inner journey and the need for perspective to understand the invisible. Anamorphosis here is not just a visual game; it becomes a symbolic portal that weaves perception, art, and memory. It challenges us to look closer, move with intention, and experience the piece with presence. In doing so, it mirrors MTN Bushfire’s call to “Bring Your Fire” to engage deeply with the world around us, and to recognize that sustainability begins with awareness.
This is more than art. It’s an invitation to pause, to observe, and to listen with the whole body to the ancient voice of the planet. Only through conscious attention does the full image appear—and only through conscious living does a sustainable future unfold.