MarVayu’s Ipseities at Nitroglobus in Second Life

Currently open within The Annex at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, operated by Dido Haas, is an engaging and provocative exhibition of photography by artist-photographer and poet, MarVayu. It is also one with a curious origin, because unlike most exhibitions offered within SL, the images on display are not a selection of pieces specifically made to be exhibited as a self-contained collection, but have been drawn from an archive of discarded work, having originally been made at various times with the idea of being used to accompany MarVayu’s poetry.

Which is not to say that there are an entirely random selection either. Rather, they are reflections of thoughts on identity and self, of who a person is when they realise they exist in more than one reality, be it physical or virtual. In being drawn from multiple projects for which they had never been used, the images both have a unique dynamic one to the next when viewed,  and offer threads of ideas and narrative on how a person and their sub-personalities might be informed as much by their presence within Second Life on a subconscious level as much as they consciously seek to influence and control the perception they and others have of them through the platform.

In reflection of this, the exhibition is entitled Ipseities, the plural of Ipseity, a term derived from the Latin ipse – “self”, a label, if you will, used to define who we most broadly are when all the aspects of our “self” are taken into account – physical, mental and – in this particular case, virtual.

In philosophical terms, ipseity is the foundational quality that makes an individual unique, influencing their perspectives, decisions, and interactions with the world. As such, given the thread and ideas MarVayu presents within the exhibition, its use is well-chosen on two levels. The first of these is that idea of exploring the multiple facets of who one is in oneself; and secondly, and more esoterically, because of the aforementioned way the pieces within the exhibition have been drawn from other aspects of MarVayu’s work – of her own self, if you will.

 Ipseity is also used to reference a psychological phenomenon: that of self-disorder, or ipseity disturbance. This is a condition in which a person’s fundamental sense of self is disrupted such that they believe their internal experiences – thoughts dreams, emotions – are actually external, bringing the condition close to schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

I raise this latter point because while the artist does not expressly indicate an intentional to explore self-disorder, I personally could not help but find it relevant to this exhibition for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because some of the images do strongly lean into the nature of the condition in their presentation; secondly, because involvement within Second Life can be a form of ipseity disturbance: we involve ourselves in a non-physical world, one in which we can experience so much, which can become so personally real, whilst at the same time being entirely divorced from the physical world we also inhabit.

I’m intentionally not going to it offer personal interpretations of individual pieces within Ipseities; it is far better that people follow the threads MarVayu offers to reach their own destinations / conclusions. This is an exhibition with a lot to say, and the monochrome images are exquisite in their depth of emotion, ideas and presentation, and are perfectly complimented by the lighting and 3D elements within the Annex.

SLurl Details

•  Ipseities – The Annex at Nitroglobus (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)