Chapter 5: Rigs
BioGraff is not the only art form present on the streets of the Dead Cities, Rigs are everywhere, from the sound systems and Sonic Rigs of the Carnival Markets to the Shamanic Rigs and Bass Shrines which can be found in abundance all across the WasEarth.
We call them Rigs because of the philosophy that lies behind them and an ancient phrase that seems to encapsulate this philosophy, jury-rigging. During the Time of Shadows our grandparents had to utilise every scrap they could find to create air-pumps and respirator masks and engines and electricity. Their inventiveness helped them to survive, helped us survive, and those techniques and learnings have been passed down the generations.
The construction of Rigs is now a revered craft steeped in the cultural and religious traditions of our recent and more distant past. They help connect us to our forebears, serving as reminders of the determination and resilience they showed when faced with potential extinction.
Rigs are intricate constructions made from salvaged materials and Spore-tech. They are not merely passive sculptures but multi-sensory experiences, shifting bio-mechanical installations built to emit dynamic soundscapes and light displays that pulse and throb in the air.
Like their contemporaries the Scribes, rig builders, or Bashers, are not only artists and musicians, they are also master technicians and inventors. A Basher’s workshop is a wondrous place full of gizmos and gadgets and bizarre collections of old and new tech.
Rigs are often ritualistic, serving as shrines, talismans or clan totems, but they are also celebratory, built to mark key festivals and ceremonies.
I have encountered some mind-blowing rigs in my travels but my images sadly do not capture their true energy - there is nothing quite like experiencing a swarm of interlinked Sonic Rigs pumping throbcore to the seething masses during the Festival of the Wolf - it is sensory onslaught you will not forget.
RIGS
