Day: May 31, 2024

While writing about Splash the Gouache, the May / June 2024 exhibition by Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili) at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (see: Splash the Gouache at Nitroglobus in Second Life), I realised it had been a while since I last visited Onceagain’s gallery. At the same time I learned that she holds her region open to public visits, and so I made a mental note to hop over and pay another visit as soon as time allowed.

That time turned out to be sooner rather than later after Onceagain contacted me to act if I would pop over and photograph the region in its current form, ahead of her closing the region for a summer make-over.

The invite was offered without any request for me to blog the region- Onceagain was extremely generous in her comments about my efforts in photographing Second Life regions – but having spent time wandering through the landscape, I felt it more than worth the time to write about, and I believe that Onceagain is going to hold-off closing the region for its makeover for a few more days so that people can see it as I’ve written about it here.

The first thing to note about the setting is that it is a place that freely mixes art – Onceagain’s work as well as pieces by other artists and photographers active in Second Life – with landscaping; as such those familiar with exploring countryside and similar settings in-world should not expect the region of have a central theme or styling; rather, it should be enjoyed for its own innate beauty and for the art within it.

The landing point is located on the south side of the region, within a warehouse-like building which presents the first confirmations of the artistic lean, within images and pieces by a number of SL artists. Also to be found here is the teleport up to the main gallery space. The latter is going through a state of flux at the moment as Onceagain makes changes; nevertheless the range of art on display is more than worth the time taken to visit.

Outside of the landing point the landscape sits under the custom EPP setting, which I would suggest is the best way to view everything (World → Environment → Use Shared Environment), although admittedly, I’ve blended skies in the images used here.

Where you wander once you do set out is simply a matter of letting your feet take you towards whatever catches your eye; scattered across the landscape are several more buildings which are home to displays of art, whilst 3D pieces can be found outdoors as well as indoors.

The art offered throughout is captivatingly broad, but I will confess to being particularly drawn to a collection of Onceagain’s own work located within a raised building on the east side of the region. Here she has used her art to illustrate a series of poems (touch each picture for a copy of the poem it represents). Alongside of this (figuratively speaking, as the two are in different buildings) is another selection of pieces by Onceagain which frame quotes on art by artists.

All of the buildings across the region are open to the public, with the possible exception of the house located in the north-west corner. Whilst not formally marked as private, it is a visual ode to the kind of home Onceagain would love to have in the physical world; a place set behind hedgerows and at the end of a well-set Zen garden.

Sitting within its own parcel, the house combines a place to live with a home studio any artist would probably love to call home. As it is separated from the rest of the setting by hedgerows and gates, I would advise staying outside and gently camming around if you want to take a peep, rather than potentially intruding. That said, the Zen garden is available to spend time in, and makes for a restful space in which to spend some time.

One of the reasons I found the region so inviting on a personal level lay not only in the flow of the landscape and the blending of nature and art, but also in the fact that Onceagain and I share a similar taste in design aesthetics and Second Life creators. We both have a fondness for the work of Alex Bader, Sasaya Kayo, Kriss Lehmann and Krystali Rabini and for the architecture of Marcthur Goosson – all of whom are represented within my main island home. Thus, in walking through the setting, I felt a certain kinship, although her region and my island are vastly different in terms of look and feel.

Calm, inviting and with a superb selection of art, Onceagain’s gallery and region is well worth a visit by anyone appreciative of art, photography or simply visiting a creative, well-designed region in Second Life.

SLurl Details

• ONCEAGAIN Art Gallery (Fading Shadows, rated Moderate)