Category: Art in Second Life

In September I visited an exhibition by JaiRus Bly entitled Fragments, hosted at the Centre for the Arts (see: An artist’s Fragments of life in Second Life). At the time, I had intended to return to the Centre to look at it in more detail. However, things being what they decided to be, it took me a little longer to hop back than originally planned – so here’s a catch-up.

Centre for the Arts is a non-profit creative destination dedicated to building bridges between worlds through the power of art. Explore inspiring visual art exhibitions, photography displays, and performances. Whether you’re an artist, photographer, or visitor, you’ll find a vibrant multidisciplinary art community where creativity, culture, and connection come together.

– From the Centre’s Destination Guide entry

Founded by Cesar Lighthouse, the Centre operates under his guidance and that of a skilled team. It comprises multiple gallery and other spaces, including:

• The Astrolab Gallery, located on the upper floor of the Centre’s main building.
• The Grid Gallery – which at the time of me most recent visit was hosting an exhibition of Monochrome SL images by Joanna Kitten (Joaannna) – a creator of avatar-centric images rich in narrative and content and of whom I’m a long-time admirer.
• The Waterstone Gallery (which was not hosting an exhibition during my visit).
• The Snapshot Gallery.
• The Photo contest Display area.
• The Scanena Apollinis Performing Arts Theatre.

The Landing Point is located in front of the Centre’s main building and forms something of a social space offering various table-top games, together with information on the centre and teleport boards to the various galleries and art display spaces (a couple of which can be reached directly on foot, and a café space.

The ground floor of the main building acts as an information and resource centre. As well as presenting information on the Centre for Arts and its philosophy and events, the ground level also provide a series of excellent guides to photographic techniques using physical world examples and easy-to-follow text guidance.

Reached via stars from this ground-level area, the Astrolab Gallery plays host to dedicated exhibitions. Again, at the time of my visit, the gallery was hosting Organic Dialogue, an utterly engaging portfolio of monochrome art (thus balancing Joanna’s exhibition at the Grid Gallery) by Leyo Noire.

However, Centre for the Arts is not simply about exhibiting art; it is about community, and this is demonstrated in a number of ways: through the reference guides to art and photography mentioned above (more of which in the form of a guide to drawing can be found at the Landing Point), and through the Centre’s Flickr community and the Snapshot Gallery, as well as the Centre’s monthly Photo Contests.

As the name suggests, the monthly Photo Contests are built around a named theme – for October, and unsurprisingly, this was Halloween and Masks. Each contest goes on display during the month after it opened for entries within the gardens to one side of the main building. So for example, the October 2026 contest will be open through November 2026, which will feature its own theme).

Contests are also both judged and voted upon – voting being open to the public and carrying L$ prizes for the three receiving the most votes + a prize awarded on the basis of originality, with the judging panel awarding 10 prizes, six of which are a mix of L$ and gift cards.

The Snapshot gallery – reached via the teleport boards – features 12 images each month selected from those submitted to the Centre’s Flickr group, together with the artist’s name and a link to their Flickr stream.

The Snapshot Gallery is created to shine light, honour, and promote SL’s visual storytellers. An exhibit featuring 12 exceptional photographers whose work captures the soul and spirit of the virtual world.

– From a description of the Snapshot

Both the Photo Contest and Snapshot Gallery feature their own opening events, in keeping with the other galleries within the venue, offering plenty of opportunities for social gatherings.

Rich in exhibition content, offering good self-read tutorial boards (do be sure to page through them with the arrow keys!), and plenty of opportunities for engagement and social activity, Centre for the Arts is a well put together and well presented arts venue and community. To keep abreast of events and exhibitions, be sure to join the Centre’s in-world Group.

Slurl Details

• Centre for the Arts (Waterstone, rated Moderate)

Whether you believe the expression “may you live in interesting times” originated as a genuine Chinese curse or (as is more likely the case) a mis-quote fron a speech in 1898 by British politician Joseph Chamberlain, the fact remains that we are currently living in “interesting” times, with much of what has been as the world order for the last 80-ish years apparently being turned on its head.

In times like these, we often ending up in thoughts or conversations revolving around the question of “why?” Not necessarily to obtain an answer, but purely because things are so confusing and affect us in such vastly different ways, we feel the need to utter the word.

In this respect, “why?” can be a frustrating – if not outright absurd – question to ask simply because it encompasses both the literal – a need for answers – and the rhetorical.

Possibly because of this, Bamboo Barnes chooses not to ask the question, but instead create art; and so we have her latest exhibition Mundane Absurdity, which opened at ArtCare Gallery curated by Carelyna, on October 23, 2026.

A collection of 2D pieces – some still, some animated – Mundane Absurdity is presented across two levels within a space also designed by Bamboo (do make sure you use the Shared Environment on visiting). However, it is not in any way some form of heavy visual treatise on either the question or the times in which we live.

Instead, it offers a series of pieces in Bamboo’s bold and expressive use of colour, framing and layering which are – ultimately – a presentation of mood and the yin and yang swing that can be found both with living through such confusing times, coupled with the swing of mood and intent within the creative experience.

Thus we have by turns pieces that are clearly light and joyous, others which are perhaps more pensive in nature; others fold into them Bamboo’s familiar questioning of identity whilst others – to me at least – the enfolding of beauty / attractiveness through the simplicity of expression: a look, a smile or a pose.

To put it another way: these are pieces which both contrast the shifting of moods which grow from a common seed – our own thoughts and perceptions, actions and reactions – whilst underling the fact those shifting mood are rooted in the same seeds. Additionally, they demonstrate the fact that art can produce contrasting, expressive outcomes whilst sharing the same origins.

These contrasts, rooted as they are in the “mundane” – be it the passage of daily life or the conscious decision to be “creative” – can seem almost absurd when we consider their juxtaposition. Here, they result in images which are anything but mundane or absurd, but which are both captivating in and of themselves, whilst also inviting us – if so minded – to consider what else they might have to say to us.

SLurl Details

• Mundane Absurdity, ArtCare Gallery (Emotion, rated Moderate)

The thinning veil: a concept rooted in ancient traditions, particularly Celtic beliefs, which suggests that during late autumn – especially around Samhain – the boundary between the physical world and the spiritual realm becomes less distinct, allowing for increased communication with spirits and heightened awareness of spiritual energies.

It is a period said to be filled with signs and portents, be they visions or dreams, increased psychic awareness and sensitivity to the environment, perhaps even sensations of being watched or noticing inexplicable movements; a time of preternatural sudden shifts in weather and / or temperature; a time when animal messengers – crows, black cats – even deer – seem to be more prevalent.

It is also a time being celebrated in an atmospheric exhibition of physical world oil over acrylic art, digitally treated (scanned, sized, etc.) for upload and display in Second Life, and created by Jennifer Steele (JenniferSteele Wilder).

Presented at the BOSL Gallery through until November 20, 2026, this is an engaging and atmospheric exhibition of art designed to be experienced as well as seen. On arrival, visitors should set their environment to Midnight and make sure local sounds are enabled (note: this is not media or the music stream).

Many of the pieces are captivatingly tactile in nature; rough surfaces (presumably of acrylics) built up to give feathers, hair, clothing and more a sense of depth and reality, turning them into something we simply want to pass our fingers over as much as look at. All of them capture the feelings, atmosphere, symbols and mysticism of this time of year; the colour palette used throughout is entirely captivating, giving each piece further life and the impression these are not simply works of the imagination but direct studies of the physical (or at least given the subject, the inhabited metaphysical).

From animal familiars through to mystical acts and symbols, the subject matter is wide, pieces standing either individually or, potentially, as small sets. The latter is perhaps most noticeable with the trio Into the Veil, Ancestral Embrace and Lilith Comes, simply because they have been placed together – however, Hecate Comes sits slightly apart and makes up a quartet (or these four might be split into two pairs for a collector). More widely spaced, but equally united as a potentially themed set are Familiar Feline, Familiar Raven and Familiar Owl.

Individual pieces are available for sale in-world via the usual means (click and select pay) and include a resizer/hanger script. However, Jennifer is offering the originals a physical world pieces – anyone interested should contact her directly.

The Thinning Veil is an engaging exhibition for the time of year, expressive and rich in motifs and content, offered in a suitable lightly immersive setting.

SLurl Details

• The Thinning Veil, BOSL Gallery (BOSL Innovation Pavilion, rated Moderate)

Sometimes art doesn’t have to mean anything; sometimes it doesn’t have to form anything; sometimes art can simply be – and sometimes it can simply be fun.

These points all apply to Wired, an installation by SL couple eta (etamae) and Jos (mojosb5c), which is currently being hosted above Dragonfly Lake – spiritual English countryside.

Wired evolved from the imagination of Jos who built the structure that resulted in a play of form and geometry, then offered it to eta to texture and fill.  Always up for a challenge, eta set to texturing, trying to keep the clean lines and open feel to the build, maybe to keep its integrity?

All of the works made into materials are from real life photography taken by eta, all sculpts are made in Blender or other free sculpting programs.

– From the description of Wired

As Eta and Jos note, the installation – a marvellous work in open geometry – has no hidden meaning or purpose; it exists simply for people to enjoy.

To do so, and after arriving, do locate the information board and touch it for the installation’s experience. Accepting the latter will allow you to select several different local environments in which to view Wired. Note that these can be changed at any time by again touching the information board and selecting a further environment from the dialogue box list.

Also, to see the installation to its best advantage, you should either use a PBR-enabled viewer or, if not, make sure Advanced Lighting Module (ALM) is enabled through Preferences Graphics.

Once you are set, then turn your pedal extremities and start walking. However, before head for the teleport door, try heading for tubby chaps standing around and bumping them. All the installation needs is a nice meshy bowling ball to have even more fun with them.

The teleport door will take visitors up a level for more wandering, more sculptures and quite gorgeous 2D art (available for purchase), together with some pedestal-mounted 3D pieces.

And if you can manage it, do cam out – you’ll get to see why the installation is called Wired­ – although it could have perhaps also have been called netted!

A fun and light – and also beautifully intricate – installation.

Slurl Details

• Wired (Dragonfly Lake, rated Moderate)