While some of the floats looked rather scrappy (although I suppose that’s the aesthetic du jour), the effort to involve the townspeople seemed successful. Tilroe was pleased with the guilds, particularly the way in which they brought people together, minimizing socioeconomic differences in part through the use of the black-and-white de facto uniform. “Sonsbeek 08 is, for me, about collectivity, not about the individual,” she said, adding, "I am especially proud of the guild made up of Christians and Muslims,” which carried Willem Boshoff’s colorful banners. The participating artists have embraced the effort as well. As Dutch artist Stephen Wilks remarked, “It’s unusual to be able to really work with a group of local people during an exhibition.”

The guild members I spoke to after the procession were aglow — and it wasn’t just the free beer in the town square. It was that instead of trying to enlighten them, organizers simply wanted to include them.

Sonsbeek 08 is on view through September 21.