Day: May 3, 2017

SL14B reminder: applications close May 8th, 2017

Posted on by Inara Pey
SL14B

As I’ve previously reported, participation applications are currently open for the SL14B Community Celebration to mark the 13th anniversary of Second Life entering it public beta. Celebrations this year will run from Sunday, June 19th through to Sunday, June 26th inclusive. But they won’t be for very much longer.

If you are planning to apply, but have not yet done so, please note that exhibitor and volunteer applications close on Wednesday, May 10th 2017; performer and auditorium applications close on Sunday, May 17th.

The theme for this year is Carnavalesque, with the organising team noting:

While much of the interest around virtual reality has shifted to singular experiences, largely fuelled by the pursuit of headset-focused content, we want to remind you of the joy of hundreds of people from all over coming together in one place in celebration, and form a carnivale-like atmosphere that you simply cannot achieve alone. Let’s challenge all the perceptions, break all the moulds, and show everyone that we know how to celebrate.

The lights are green if you still want to apply to be a part of SL14B. But they’ll be turning red on Monday, May 8th, when applications close. So if you are thinking of applying – don’t get caught by the deadline!

So, all exhibitors, performers, presenters and volunteers wishing to be a part of this year’s celebrations, don’t get caught by the red stop light of the applications deadline, follow the links below and get signed-up!

If you have already applied to be a part of SL14B, please give the organising team a little breathing space once applications close. Everyone is aware that people are really anxious to hear if their application has been accepted, but understand, it will take a little time – generally a week or so – to run through everything and send out all the acceptance notices.

I’m delighted to say I’ll be playing a small role in the run-up to the festivities, having been offered the opportunity this year to take the official “sneak peek” photographs which will be appearing on the SL14B website over the coming weeks. This has already given me the chance to have a look around some of the infrastructure builds which are coming together, and I can honestly say that there is some really creative thought going into things and the builds are already stunning to see. I’ll looking forward to offering little tasters through the official blog as the dates draw nearer.

And speaking of dates here’s another little reminder of how things should go:

  • Wednesday, May 24th – Friday May 26th: exhibitors informed via e-mail
  • Friday, May 26th: regions open to exhibitors for building (from 12:00 noon SLT)
  • Saturday, June 10th: all performers notified
  • Thursday, June 15th to Friday, June 16th: regions closed to exhibitors for walk-through
  • Friday, June 16th and Saturday, June 17th: regions open to exhibitors for adjustments
  • Saturday, June 17th: Press Day
  • Sunday, June 18th, noon SLT: Opening Day
  • Friday June 23rd: The Birthday
  • Friday, June 23rd – Sunday, June 25th: SL14B Music Fest with Linden Lab
  • Sunday, June 25th: last day of celebration performances and activities
  • Monday, June 26th to Sunday, July 2nd: regions open for viewing, no performances
  • Monday, July 3rd to Wednesday, July 5th: Breakdown
  • Thursday, July 6th: Sims go off-line.

UWA’s Transformations in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Image courtesy of UWA

In February, I relayed news on what is to be the final mixed-media art exhibition at the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) presence in Second Life,  which is currently scheduled to be scaled back from the end of July 2017.

Held in the tradition of the UWA’s Grand Challenges albeit it on a non-juried basis and as an exhibition rather than a contest with prizes, Transformations ceased accepting entries at the end of April 2017, and all of the submissions received prior to the closing date are now on display at the UWA’s skyborne gallery space.

Transformations: Noke Yuitza – Transcendence Despite Falling Rain

“Our final show is about beginnings, endings, transitions, change,” UWA’s art curator FreeWee Ling said in the original announcement for the exhibition. “The theme is deliberately vague in order to allow for the broadest possible interpretation. It is intended to highlight the technologies of SL as a medium for creative expression. We especially want work that reflects on the past in SL and/or imagines the future of virtual art.”

In all, just under 30 artists from across Second Life responded to the call, producing both 2D and 3D art pieces, and short machinima pieces encompassing the theme, with some offering artists submitting works in more than one medium. As always with a UWA event, the finished pieces are extraordinary in the richness of creativity shown, and the manner in which that acknowledged broad theme has been interpreted.

Transformations: Thoth Jantzen – Transfabulous

3D art makes up the larger part of the exhibition, occupying most of the floorspace. 2D art can be found within a horseshoe display area on one side of the exhibition hall relative to the landing point, and the machinima entries in the opposite direction, against the wall separating Transformations from a display of works from past UWA challenges and exhibitions.

All of the pieces are provided with an artist’s name plate which, which touched, may furnish you with information on the artists and on the piece itself. In a small departure from previous exhibitions, the machinima is provided for in-world playback – touch the associated screen to start a video. Those who prefer, or have a viewer that doesn’t support CEF can still touch the artist’s name tag and receive a link to video on YouTube or Vimeo, where they can watch it.

Transformations: ErikoLeo – A Virtual Wander In Two Dimensions And A Half

Given the breadth of work on display in Transformations, offering a review of individual pieces is not easy – but I did find myself draw to a number of pieces, such as Grow, a stunning time-lapse video by Glaz Decuir in which we witness Silas Merlin taking s raw idea and transforming it into a finished 3D piece – and it is a truly fascinating study. Then there is Noke Yuitza’s Transcendence Despite Falling Rain, depicting the transformation and transcendence which grow from a failed relationship, beautifully and evocatively presented.

Alongside of Noke’s work is  ErikoLeo’s marvellous A Virtual Wander In Two Dimensions And A Half, which uses 2D panoramic images within a 3D model to offer transformative views of Second Life past and present – complete with and interactive element that puts you in to the scenes (take the anywhere door, then touch the arrows and go to mouselook in each sphere). Thoth Jantzen provides a dimensional defying Transubfabulous – be sure to teleport up from the part of the installation in the main gallery.

SLurl Details

Given the number of entries, this is an exhibition which requires time to appreciate – and you can find a full list of the artists involved on the UWA in SL blog across three posts starting here. One thing I would recommend when visiting – set your viewer to midnight; it removes much of the distraction of surrounding spaces and skyboxes.