Enchanted Art in Second Life

Enchanted Art, operated by Oema Resdient and Magda Schmditzau, is based on Oema’s homestead region, Astralia, which I last blogged about in August 2016. The idea is to present artists with the opportunity to display a selection of their work on a monthly basis, with those who apply and are accepted being promoted through the Enchanted Art web pages on Oema’s blog and through the usual in-world channels for art.

The current exhibition features Bamboo Barnes,  Jarla Capalini, Clary Congrejo, Paola Mills, Antarctica Slade, Toysoldier Thor, Lissa, Terrygold, with Oema and Madga rounding-out the numbers. Each artist is provided with space to display two 2D pieces of art, with Toy also supplying one of his 3D masterpieces.

The region offers a marvellously enchanted aspect for exhibitions, being decorated using Elicio Ember’s wonderful plants and  creations, which have been brought together under a suitably atmospheric windlight to  present an ethereal, otherworldy setting visitors are encouraged to explore. Within this, there are two areas in which art is displayed: an open-air setting and a separate gallery building.

The landing point delivers visitors at the foot of the outdoor exhibition area, caught in the light of a setting sun, which is periodically eclipsed by the presence of another body in the sky – one big enough to suggest is it a planet, and the gallery and its surrounds are perhaps on a moon of that world. This outdoor space makes for a pleasant walk, platforms for the artists to either side of the path, each clearly labelled and with a Flickr link to the artist’s photo stream. The offer of biographical notes would have been appreciated, but this is a minor point.

Close to the landing point sits a teleport disc, part of a network that connecs the major features of the region, including the aforementioned gallery building. However, there is also a set of footpaths winding their way around and through the landscape, and these offer an opportunity to see more than the teleports might suggest is to be found. So an exploration by foot is recommended.

Artists wishing to join an exhibition at Enchanted Art can click on the application boards in-world, which will provide a link to an application form. Successful applicants are selected by Magda Schmdtzau. Criteria / focus for exhibitions aren’t given, suggesting that applications are open to artists from all fields (although the April exhibition does show a strong bias towards avatar studies).

Enchanted Art is an eye-catching way of presenting art exhibitions. The use of the entire region to create an environment – and in this case and ambience – is something I enjoy seeing (and something we’ve striven to achieve, environment-wise with Holly Kai Park). Ergo, I have no hesitation in recommending a visit.

SLurl Details

• Enchanted Art (Astralia, rated: Moderate)