Virtual Cities and an Awakening in Second Life

The Third Eye, curated by Jaz (Jessamine2108), is a new open-air gallery space that opened on July 11th, 2020. Located on a sky platform, the gallery is described as “a place that is designed to showcase art, particles, inspire stories, and offer a quiet place to relax and rejuvenate. It is the culmination of my many dreams – to create a place that nurtures and helps the growth of all types of creative endeavours – be it words, pictures, or particles.”

For the opening exhibition, the gallery features a selection of art by Jaz, entitled Awakening, coupled with Virtual Cities, a selection of pieces by Michel Bechir.

It is only right that I open the gallery with Michiel as the guest artist, as he was the one who introduced me to SL photography.

– Jaz (Jessamine2108)

For Virtual Cities, Michel presents some 18 pieces focused on urban living within Second Life. It’s a rich mix of images spread across Michel’s time as a Second Life photographer, starting in 2009 and extending to the present day. Within them, he captures the many different ways in which cities and living spaces can be represented in-world, from shining cities with gleaming skyscrapers to cities in decay, from Mediterranean waterfronts to the cramped confines of the favela, and from cobble streets to paved sidewalks.

Not only are the pieces here attractive for their breadth of representation of urban spaces, they also hold the eye because of the richness of style and finish they each have.

Sitting across the landing point from Virtual Cities, Jaz offers 21 pieces that see states are something of a departure for her.

The series “Awakening” is about my changing perception of SL – to the possibilities that it offers and to be able to see beyond the surface. I am stepping out of my comfort zone to communicate using the creations of designers rather than use landscapes and avatars. I would like to thank the mesh creators Harry Cover and Karthikeyan Engineer with their quirky and cool creations that helped me grow as an artist.

– Jaz (Jessamine2108)

This is an intriguing and engaging collection of images, rich with colour, each one perfectly framed to draw the eye into it. There are four pieces within this collection that might be called “traditional” landscapes – or at least focus on subjects Jaz has more familiarly covered. However, this doesn’t put them at odds with the rest of the pieces on display, rather it grounds them as a further expression of her art and growth.

SLurl Details

• Third Eye Gallery (Midnight Sanctum, rated Moderate)