The Game of Life: The Significance of Play in the Commune of Damanhur

Damanhur in the Italian Piemont is one of the largest and most successful communes in the world. It is best known for its underground temple. Since its foundation in 1977 the members have been occupied with the construction of a huge underground temple complex that attracts thousands of visitors every year. Art is the main form of expression for the religious and utopian ideas of this community. Besides art, play is just as important. The Damanhurians use play as a training for existence or, as they say on their homepage, a collective experience of transformation of oneself and the world. This article explores the concept of play as a human capacity, with the illustration of Damanhur as an example of a micro-society in which play has become an attitude towards everyday life and a life philosophy.