Artsville, the art and entertainment hub under the joint management of Frank Atisso and Vitoria Galli, has once more relocated for what I believe is the second time in 2025 (the first being at the start of the year, which I covered here).
Now occupying roughly one quarter of a Full private region which leverages the Land Capacity bonus, the overall design remains the work of Megan Prumier, working in collaboration with Frank and Victoria. It offers what might be said to be a setting of two halves: art and entertainment, which between them contain faint hints of the former Artsville design – most notably with the Landing Point, the symmetry of which calls to mind the prior location, together with the overall rugged elevation of the setting.
The two “halves”, as it were, of the setting lie to either side of a sheer-sided gorge, the waters of which flow from tall falls from its southern extent to the open waters at its northern end. It is mid-way along this gorge that the Landing Point sits, straddling the waters in the form of a pergola-covered paved walkway bordered by open seating areas.
The lands at either end of this bridge are of unequal size, with the western side of the the setting offering the smaller footprint. With the façades of city building running along its western edge, this part of Artsville might be regarded as the entertainment district and – at first glance at least – apparently comprises three main elements.
Directly facing the Landing Point is a large warehouse structure, given over to a music / event space, presumably for hosting music events and art exhibition open entertainment. Flanking this to the left and right when facing it are, respectively, a train station and a garden area offering seating and an old London buss now painted yellow and converted into bar space.
It is within the garden space that the “hidden secret” fourth part of this side of the setting is to be found: sitting below the sign and entrance for a London Underground station can be found a stairway leading down to a further event space laid out in the manner of a private club rich in wood finishes, low lighting and deep, comfortable armchairs, with the walls, wooden floor and low ceiling studded with lights twinkling gently light a star scape.
On the eastern side of the setting is the art-focused elements of Artsville, centred on another large warehouse style of building split into two indoor gallery spaces. At the time of my visit, these were hosting exhibition by two excellent Second Life photographer-artists: Cecilia Nansen and Christian Carter.
To the north side of this is a sculpture garden featuring the work of Mistero Hifeng which shares the space with a small café with an over-the-water seating area located over a small pond. Further water features to the eastern end of the sculpture garden, complete with seating. Bracketing the gallery warehouse is a further raised plateau, home to a music bar / lounge.
The two exhibitions hosted with in the gallery space are entitled Light Enough to Land, by Cecilia, and Hands that Speak by Christian. Both are captivatingly exquisite, with Cecilia’s black-and-white images featuring a butterfly, and which Cecilia describes in part thus:
In this series of ten photographs, the little black and white butterfly becomes both a mirror and a symbol – a fragile creature suspended between strength and dissolution. Each image captures a fleeting moment where light and shadow, movement and stillness, existence and disappearance co-exist. … This little exhibition invites the viewer to linger in the in-between – where the ephemeral becomes eternal and where vulnerability reveals its quiet yet beautiful strength.
Meanwhile, Christian’s work, also comprising ten images – these offered in colour – also have a specific focus that of the human (in the form of the avatar’s) hand, and for which Christian offers (again, in part), the following description:
I became fascinated by the stories that we can see in people’s hands; stories of resilience, care, and connection etched into their lines, the gestures that convey comfort, strength, and vulnerability without a single word. … I hope that as you gaze at these images, you’ll be reminded of the quiet power of the human connection, the unspoken stories carried in our hands, and the profound empathy we can find in the simplest touch.
The new Artsville is both unique in its setting whilst carrying on its long tradition of promoting art in SL, and I highly recommend a visit – particularly to catch Cecilia and Christian’s exhibitions. My thanks to Frank for the invitation to visit, and my apologies for not being able to do so sooner.
SLurl Details
- Artsville (Isle of Thunder, rated Moderate)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 