Art is… Rhythm is a collaborative arts installation now open in Second Life. Led by Dunt Gant, it involves Daco Monday, Kicca Igaly, Nessuno Myoo and Paola Mills, with a concert series presented by Ahnue Heartlight.
“Rhythm is a progressive succession in the order of things,” Dunt says. “In this installation, rhythm works as a subtle link between poetry (Daco Monday), dance (Kicca Igaly), and music (Nessuno Myoo), as shown by the three artists as 3D constructions. Paola Mills presents her vision of these three art forms by completing the 3D installation with her 2D photographs. As for myself, I tried to accompany these works with my presentation: a large 3D charcoal drawing, white and black, light and shadows.”
On arrival, visitors are asked to adjust their viewer settings as per a board on one wall of the arrival area. Note this has a slight error, referencing “basic shadows” rather than “basic shaders”. The 512m minimum draw distance also seems excessive, given the installation is enclosed; 260m-270m is really sufficient and less taxing on a system.
A teleport platform from the landing point carries people down into the installation proper, which I believe will also be the locations of the planned concerts. This is a space in which light and shadow accent monochrome walls and floors, the ivory teeth of a piano keyboard undulating around the walls. The space is actually split into two, the upper level largely covered by transparent prims, offering a view down to the lower, on which sit two of the artist’s pieces: Kicca’s Dance with Me and Nessuno’s Before the Silence. To one side of this level, poala’s photography floats as pages in a book of music, or is held aloft by the outlined figures of dancers.
Two ramps descend from the photo area to the lower floor (also reached via TP), where Daco Monday’s piece rises to pass through the transparent upper level. This level also houses an interactive ballet barre by Kicca. The concert season for the installation will launch on Sunday March 19th, celebrating Before the Silence with Ultraviolet Alter will performing live. Additional events will likely be posted on the installation’s web page.
“I always used memories from my RL life as a source of inspiration for my SL artwork. The collages I do, my travels, the sea, my pictures, my artistic preferences, etc,” Dunt says of the design for the space.
“For the sim rendering, I got inspired by my conté pencil and charcoal drawings on paper. A 2D in which lights and shadows are seeking the volume this medium do not have. I therefore used flat prims as brush strokes. Shadows provide volume to the flat medium, allowing all my artwork to become 3D.”
I found Art Is… Rhythm is a curious installation. Artistically, there is n doubting the creativity and expression presented within it; but emotionally – for me at least, over two visits (and a brief stop-over at the opening) – it didn’t resonate. Perhaps this is because, as a space intended to support visual and aural art, seeing it sans any concert robbed it of its voice. As the installation is open through until the end of June, I may well have to return for a third visit to find out.
SLurl Details
- Art Is… Rhythm (LEA13, rated: General)
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