I’ve long admired the artistic collaboration between Lalie Sorbet and Chrix (chrixbed) for the immersive installations they have produced, such as Bloom: Flowers of Evil from 2024, and Murmuration – A Never-Ending Show from 2025. So when Lalie invited me to see their latest – and quite possibly most immersive thus far – installation, I knew I’d have to hop along as time permitted to immerse myself within it.
Entitled Mosaic it is, and without any hyperbole, mesmerising. However, before visiting, make sure you have local sounds enabled and your viewer is set to Use Shared Experience via World → Environment.
The installation has been inspired by the works of French artist Jean Giraud (1938-2012), better known the world over as Mœbius. While his work folded into itself multiple genres such as the American West and Belgian-style comic books, it is as a co-founder of Métal Hurlant, one of the most influential science fiction publications of the latter part of the 20th century, and his work as a science fiction and fantasy artist and illustrator which earned him international recognition.
Mœbius created everything from characters to fantastical creatures and worlds through a style that became a genre of its own, being widely adopted by comic book illustrators, storyboard artists and others. He very much focused on allowing his drawings to drive a story rather than simply illustrating a written narrative. In fact, his first publication under the Métal Hurlant banner, the 4-part comic book series Arzach, comprised entirely wordless stories.
All of this can be seen as influences within Mosaic.
Sitting within a desert-like landscape is a ring of monolithic structures, most carved or built from rock formations (one stands outs as being clearly of artificial construct), intermixed with exotic plants, this brings forth a world straight from Mœbius’ pens. The air is heavy with a thudding, mixed beat through which chanting can be heard together with the metronomic clicking of machinery. Every so often comes a deeper, reverberating boom accompanied by flashes of light, like forked lightning.
Within this ring is a world of motion. Marvellous creatures circle the sky or wander the shallow waters whilst eight giant Guardians stand form a circle facing the centre of the water, the flora at their feet swaying in time to the drum-like beats, phantasmal trails curling and sweeping through the air. Each Guardian is of a different appearance, suggesting they all might be of different worlds. Some may have fireballs floating before them; some remain still; others at times raise one or both arms. All are clearly taking part in a ritual as, periodically and in time with the deeper booms, the lightning-like trails arc from them to the centre of the circle, bright bursts of an ethereal something.
As they do so, large mosaic-like tiles bearing familiar Earthly images float through the installation in a cyclical process and apparently at the will of the Guardians. During the cycle, the tiles will form path-like circles together with bridges which extend away from each Guardian to reach the centre of the waters. Then the paths an bridges will slowly dismantle, the tiles rising to form structures and shapes in the air over the centre of the circle. What these structures might be varies with each round of the cycle, but once done, and on an unspoken command, the structures slowly break down and the cycle repeats.
Exactly what this all might mean is up to your own eyes and imagination to determine; this is a place where stories await their time to unfold in the minds of others; a place of richness of detail and motion adrift from time where mysticism and mystery rub shoulders with technology and alien nature. Perhaps the Guardians are technomages; maybe they are gods engaged in creation. The stories are yours to weave.
Forming a part of the outer ring of structures is a hemisphere enclosing an event space, the floor of which is also formed by these tiles – at least until they rise to join with those called to the centre of the installation. Step on any of the mosaic titles anywhere within the installation and it will respond with motion, the illustration on it will illuminating briefly while a tone or sound might be heard.
Meanwhile, the artificial tower – which serves as a Landing Point – includes a number of vehicles visitors can sit on or within and which will then take flight around the installation and becoming a part of it. The tower also offers the opportunity to teleport and discover how Mosaic came to be, complete with uploads of art by Mœbius. For those wishing to spend time observing the Guardians and pondering their ritual, places to sit are to be found on some of the exotic trees dotted around close to the installation’s perimeter.
For those who want to exercise their brains slightly differently, there is a memory game for up to four players sitting diagonally opposite the events space. Look for the square of grey “owl” tiles and sit on one of the mushrooms to one side of it. The game is played by trying to find pairs of tiles by selecting one of the owls to turn over, and then another. Correct selections gain the pair of tiles (removing them from the game); incorrect answers flip the tiles back, so you need to recall their positions if on a later go, you come upon the other half of a pair.
Immersive, excellently conceived and executed (the timing of the drumming booms and the lightning is exquisite), populated by beings and creatures which Mœbius – if he were able to see them – would have doubtless approved and lauded, Mosaic is genuinely captivating. As already noted, make sure you have local sounds enabled when visiting and do use the Shared Environment; once you have visited, don’t forget the opportunity to hop up and learn how the installation was developed and perhaps catch the official video.
Congrats to Lalie and Chrix for again demonstrating the power of Second Life to artistically delight and enthral.
Slurl Details
- Mosaic (SLEA6, rated Moderate)
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