When I first saw what the 2019 burn theme was Metamorphoses, I immediately thought of my sophomore year english class and the famous line from Kafka’s Metamorphosis:
““As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.””
Of course, when I think about transformation I tend to imagine a beautiful butterfly rather than a cockroach. But even that metamorphosis isn’t as easy as it seems.
Before a caterpillar becomes a butterfly it spins cocoon and from there, it doesn’t just grow wings, it instead loses all form and dissolves into a cell soup. Once it has lost all of its former shape it reforms from the goop into a butterfly.
After having been to the burn seven times, I can honestly say this is my favorite theme. The playa is our cocoon. We arrive as little caterpillars, even if we’ve been before, and we dissolve for a week and forget everything we know, and remember things about ourselves long forgotten. Then sometime shortly after the burn we spread our new wings and fly.
According to the org the theme this year celebrates change and uncertainty. It will be interesting to see how artists and participants represent the future with both art and fashion.
““When the butterfly takes wing, nothing of the caterpillar remains.””
Looking for ways to incorporate this year’s theme? Check out these outfits for women.