Invisible Cities: an Essay In Desire in Second Life

September 2023 sees Debora Kaz make a return to what is – in my personal opinion – consistently the finest gallery in Second Life for the presentation of engaging, provocative and evocative art: the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery operated and curated by Dido Haas. She brings with her a further chapter in her Invisible Cities series; this one entitled Essay in Desire.

I’ve covered two previous chapters of Invisible Cities, one of which was also displayed at Nitroglobus – see Invisible Cities: Fighting Women at Nitroglobus in Second Life – and also one hosted at Artsville Galleries – see: Invisible Cities: The Future in the Present Overflows in Second Life. While I would not necessarily call Essay In Desire a “sequel” per se to those earlier exhibitions, I would perhaps refer to it as a further chapter in Debora’s exploration and presentation of themes of womanhood in the modern era.

Within Fighting Women, Debora explored the manner where – form much f history – women have had to survive within a (dare I say largely patriarchal?) framework as objects of desire (and objects in general); a situation which often gives rise to physical, mental and psychological violence towards us, which can be both direct and also indirect (such as with the current onslaught against a woman’s right to bodily autonomy being very publicly played out in the United States, courtesy of a largely misogynistic right-wing pseudo-religious political movement). Within The Future in the Present Overflows, the focus shifted to a more individual viewpoint on how such visible/invisible / physical/mental/”moral” violence and restrictive practices can have on a single life.

For Essay on Desire, Debora combines the approach of focusing on the individual and the sense of self seen in The Future in the Present Overflows, and using it to further examine the concept of desire as raised within Fighting Women. However, rather than focusing on the more destructive constatations of desire as framed by that exhibition, here Deborah focuses on the more personal exploration of the precepts of desire – notable those of sensuality, sexuality, and eroticism – and how they play a vital role within the process of self-discovery and understanding of oneself.

This exploration comes primarily through images and words. The the latter come in the form of an essay which both sits as an introduction to the exhibition and as a treatise for thought and introspection. It is a powerful piece; one which should be read with care and consideration (perhaps most particularly if you are a male wishing to gain a better insight to the female psyche as seen from the female perspective)v, as it is rich with insight and honesty.

The images all follow a particular form and flow. Offered in muted tones, they comprise twelve oriented in a narrow portrait form and a further six in the more usual (for Nitroglobus) large-format landscape style. All of them present images of a woman at ease with herself and her sexuality, her poses suggestive of her awareness of self and a willingness to further explore her innate beauty and eroticism without the need to conform its display through outright nudity or through directly sexual poses as might otherwise be demanded.

Each image is carefully bordered to either side (and in place directly flowing into the image)1 by mix of hand-written text, formulae, flowery etchings and hints of formal geometry, all of which presents a clear, if subtle, symbolism.

For example, the use of hand-written text reminds us that – whilst it might not be so common now for whatever reason – for a long time the closest confidant a woman might have had to bestow her secrets and desires upon was her diary. Through its pages, she could give vent to desires, wishes, hopes, and thoughts which otherwise could never be delivered in public, the diary thus becoming both a small measure of release and a reminder of imprisonment and denial enforced by society.

These constraints are further emphasised by the use of formulae and geometry. Both symbolise control, order, logic and the reductive manner of society to define everything to the simplest of terms wherein everything – including the nature of woman – has a strictly defined place. This imposition of constraint and order extends into the 3D elements to be found within of Essay, where the upright and slanting poles are ranged around female figures as if to fence them in and confine their ability to express.

Finally, there are the figurines and the use of flowers within them images. Together, these present a gentle, visual underlying of a central truth within Debora’s essay:

This process of self-discovery is an intimate dance with oneself, where each step is a journey of self-unveiling. Like petals delicately unfurling to the sun, she reveals her deepest passions and fantasies, allowing her mind and body to be in harmony. The pursuit of pleasure becomes a celebration of life itself, an ode to her essence.

– Debora Kaz, Essay on Desire

However, to suggest Essay is a complex exhibition requiring deep thought would perhaps be unfair. Yes, there is a rich layering of ideas and thought. But at the same time, the central message is also self-evident through the beauty and honesty contained within the words and the images. It is a message that is inescapable and true: freedom of expression and self-discovery is an inalienable right, which should be available to all of us. For as Debora concludes quite perfectly in the case of contemporary woman:

The need for self-knowledge, in this context, transcends the physical and delves into the deepest layers of the soul … This self-understanding is the key that unlocks the door to intimate and genuine relationships, where eroticism flows naturally.

In a world that is in constant evolution, the contemporary woman embraces the journey of self-knowledge as an act of self-love and empowerment. She understands that her sensuality and eroticism are intrinsic parts of who she is, and by exploring them with sincerity, she inspires not only herself but also those around her to embrace the quest for their own truth with curiosity and gratitude.

– Debora Kaz, Essay on Desire

SLurl Details

• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated: Moderate)