Category: Art in Second Life

Eidola: reality and perception in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Eidola

Eidola (a phantom; an apparition; an ideal) is a new installation by Livio Korobase, which opened on March 16th, 2018. It’s a daring, imposing – and possibly overwhelming – build; seeking to explore the eye and the idea; how vision has helped form our perceptions and understanding of the world around us.

It’s an ambitious subject, one that dates back at least to the time of Pythagoras, as is indicated in the installation’s liner notes. He believed that we could see because the eye emits rays of light, and that these rays gave a person information about colour and shape. From this idea through Democritus to Johannes Kepler by way of Da Vinci, and with a mention of gestaltism along the way, the liner notes provide a framework for understanding the installation, including the fact it uses, as a means of both presenting ideas and navigating it, the five chapters of Ruggero Pierantoni’s  1981 book, The eye and the idea. Physiology and history of vision.

Eidola

Visitors arrive at a near central arrival point, which offers significant reading – including an excerpt from Wassily Kandinsky’s ruminations on the geometrical elements which make up every painting, and the basic plane, the material surface on which the artist draws or paints. This sits alongside extracts discussing the nature of visible light and the brain’s reaction to light entering the eye.

From here, visitors are invited to make their way through six vast houses, most of which are elevated in varying manners – on the backs of great statues, atop basalt columns, up in the branches of trees. The first five houses reflect the chapters of Pierantoni’s book, and the sixth something of a conclusion.  These are linked one to another by raised ladders on top of scaffolds laid out as horizontal walkways. The first of these can be reached via a short walk over the landscape, or a teleport board is available for those short of time, or returning for a further visit and wish to resume where they left off.

Eidola

Each of the houses is packed with information on its specific topic: Myths of Vision; Space, Inside and Outside; Light, inside and Outside; Proportions, Symmetries and Alphabets; and Illusion and Pleasure. Some of the walkways are on a single level, some are there to be climbed in order to see the contents in a house, and one includes a teleport. Outside of the houses, the walkways offer views across the surrounding landscape. This is filled with what might at first appear to be curios watched over by gigantic humans – but they are all in some way related to the overall theme of the installation.

At the end of the elevated walkways, beyond the sixth house, is the frame of a house. Approach and enter this, and the frame is revealed at an animated work of art built in reflection of the themes from the rest of the installation: perception, perspective, line, point, and more.

Eidola

Trying to quantify this installation is not easy; it is one that needs to be personally experienced. The amount of information it contains can be overwhelming if trying to take everything in during a single visit. But there is a lot of food for thought to be found in the houses for those interested in science, philosophy, psychology, history or art; therefore more than one visit might be the best order of business.

SLurl Details

  • Eidola (LEA 24, rated: Moderate)

UWA Art of the Artists machinima challenge winners

Posted on by Inara Pey
Poster by Eliza Wierwright

On March 26th, 2018, the winners of the UWA Art of Artists machinima challenge, launched in July 2017, were announced. Initially sponsored by LaPiscean Liberty of SLArtist and Singh Albatros and The Writers Centre, Singapore, the challenge opened with a prize pool of L$350,00 which, thanks to additional sponsors such as Pooky Amsterdam of Pookymedia, topped-out at L$430,000 by the time the challenge closed to entries on December 31st, 2017.

Challenge entrants were asked to produce a machinima film focused on any of the art exhibits located on the UWA regions in Second Life. They were allowed to choose individual pieces of art or a collection around which to weave a story. However, the art had to be a relatively significant part of the story, and not merely something glimpsed in passing, and films to be considered for any of the prizes could not exceed 8 minutes in length (although longer films could be submitted if desired.

The award ceremony was held at the historic Winthrop Hall in the UWA virtual campus in Second Life. As well as a celebration of the competition and its winners, the event also marked an end of an era. “It’s a farewell from me,” Jayjay Zifanwe, who has been the powerhouse behind the UWA’s presence in Second Life and its patronage of digital arts, informed me ahead of the ceremony.

He continued, “Farewell in a sense that it’s the last of my major events, and the last speech in will do within SL.” During his opening address at the awards ceremony, Jayjay took time to thank all of those – especially Freewee Ling, curator of the UWA’s art exhibits, and to all those who have done so much to make the UWA’s presence in SL so rewarding for him. In doing so, he also paid tribute to artist Alizarin Goldflake, who passed away recently after a long illness.

The Awards

All of the entries can be viewed on the Slartist website.

Art of the Artists Awards

Sponsored by LaPiscean Liberty and Slartist.

Award Awarded To
 Film title / link
1st – L$75,000 Glasz Decuir Adaptive Resonance Theory (ART) and Intrusion Detection System(IDS)
2nd – L$50,000 Tutsy Navarathna Serendipity
3rd – L$40,000 Natascha Randt & Karmia Hoisan The River of Forgetting
4th –  L$30,000 Isabelle Cheren Before the World was Made
5th – Award L$20,000 Bryn Oh Cerulean
Craft Awards (L$7,000 each)
 Suzie Anderton; Amelie Marcoud; Diana Rose; Elle Thorkveld; Tantra Sangha & M1nn0taur; Veyot; Gerhard Helmut & Lila~R; Iono Allen; Joseph Nussbaum; Secret Rage; Lampithaler

 

The Pookymedia Awards

Sponsored by Pooky Amsterdam and Pookymedia.

Award Awarded To
 Film title / link
1st – L$25,000 Bryn Oh Cerulean
2nd –  L$15,000 Tutsy Navarathna Serendipity
3rd –  L$10,000 Suzie Anderton Never Say Never
Honourable Mentions (L$1,000 each)
 Amelie Marcoud; Iono Allen; Lampithaler; Isabelle Cheren; Chic Aeon

 

UWA Art of the Artists Special Awards

Totalling L$51,000, awarded by Jayjay Zifanwe on behalf of the University of Western Australia.

Award Awarded To
 Film title / link
L$17,000 Amelie Marcoud For Love and Art
L$17,000 Suzie Anderton Never Say Never
L$17,000 Chic Aeon The Amalgamation of Objects

The Merlion Special Prizes

Awarded by Singh Albatros and Kaylee West on behalf of The Writer’s Centre, Singapore to the films which best represent the The Merlion,  the national personification of Singapore, and featured at the Merlion Portal in Second Life.

Award Awarded To
 Film title / link
L$16,666 Amelie Marcoud For Love and Art
L$16,666 Suzie Anderton Art and Transformation – a dialogue at intervals
L$17,000 Diana Rose A Journey From the Past: Singapore

 

 

Congratulations to all those who received an award, and thanks to Jayjay, FreeWee and all those involved in this challenge.

The Bees and the Bears in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cica Ghost: Bees and Bears

Cica Ghost opened her new installation on March 21st, offering visitors the opportunity to spend a little time with the Bees and the Bears. Like 50 Cats (see here for more), it is a whimsical piece, one which might put some visitors in mind of a certain Bear of Very Little Brain and his love of honey – although the furry characters here are far removed from any A.A. Milne.

The humour in the piece is evident from the About Land description, in which Cica poses a question and gives the answer:

Q: What do you call a bears without ears?
A: B’s.

Cica Ghost: Bees and Bears

Sitting under a blue-orange sky is a garden like island, rich in tall daisies (be sure to collect your own daisy from the sign at the landing point). Up on the hills to the north-east sits a little village of  bee hives – the kind you might usually find hanging from the bough of a tree.

But these are not ordinary bee hives: each one is unique – some appear to have been knitted (and resemble boiled egg cosies), other appear to be made of wood, some are woven. All are home to a happy colony of bees – some of whom can be found asleep in their beds, others are setting out for work, little bags for collecting pollen carried in their legs.

Cica Ghost: Bees and Bears

The bears of the title appear to be a father and son. They live in a little cottage across the garden from the bee village, and their relationship with their buzz-ee neighbours looks to be a happy one. Among the daisies, papa bear is hauling a little trailer with a jar of honey in it, a little group of smiling bees watching him. More jars can be found neatly stacked in the cottage, outside of which another happy bee seems to be enjoying a conversation with Junior bear.

As is usual for Cica’s builds. there’s more to be found here: places to sit (mouse-over likely spots … tree stumps, red flowers….), some of which over single, static poses and others have a combination of static and animated poses. There’s also “beemobiles” to be found at various points. These are auto-rezzers; jump into one and it will sit you in version you can drive – just use the arrow / WASD keys when seated. And keep an eye out for giant Cica, as she keeps an eye on all that’s going on.

Cica Ghost: Bees and Bears

Bees and Bears is another delight from Cica. Light-hearted, whimsical and fun to explore. Like 50 Cats before it, it will put a smile on your lips – and perhaps give a little reminder of the important role bees play in our ecosystem.

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Within Storm’s Country of the Mind in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Storm Septimus, Untitled – LEA 28

Untitled, the latest installation by Storm Septimus, is an extraordinary build. Deeply personal, a visit to is to take a journey into Storm’s Country of the Mind; a reflection of her thoughts and feelings around disability and illness.

Like The Void before it (see here), Untitled is something of a dark place – if not literally, then certainly in tone. As such, it may not appeal to everyone – but for those who visit, I urge patience; this is a build rich in symbolism and metaphor.

Storm Septimus, Untitled – LEA 28

A visit begins on a rocky platform high in the sky, home to a desk filled with syringes, prescription containers for pills, and – other items which might in certain situations be associated with mental illness: a knife and bottles of alcohol. A denuded (dead?) tree stands over the desk, which has a single flower, a small tractor and an old toy sitting with it; all of them metaphors for life and death.

An ornate mirror stands close by, a touch teleport offering the way to the second island (or to the Lower Garden – although I recommend a trip to the second island ahead of any jump to the Garden. Rising from a sea of roiling cloud, this island is a place of vivid symbolism, in places mindful of Invictus (see here). Central to it is a sea of blood surrounding a smaller island, home to the mirror teleport. Scattered around the rim of the island are expressions of illness: old-style hospital screens, wheelchairs, bed frames and theatre lights.  Elsewhere are the wrecks of ships, old watchtowers, trees twisted in the shapes of strange creatures, while atop a high plateau sit images of death – tomb stones, broken limbs of mannequins, all of which is crowned by a small chapel.

Storm Septimus, Untitled – LEA 28

The Lower Garden reveals that the landing point sits upon the shoulders and upper backs of four huge statues, semi-bound by chains – a further symbol of being held prisoner to illness and disability. A bridge spans the gap between this lower garden and the base of the second island, revealing that latter is in part held aloft by two huge creatures. Troll-like in form, they are held in place by great chains, hands locked in place in great cast iron restraints, further holding them in place. Between and either side of them, blood rises in three streams, feeding the pool above.

Scattered across these landscapes are diaries waiting to be discovered and read. They offer further personal insights into dealing with illness, disability, doubt and depression. There are also places to sit and reflect on what is being presented in the open, and for those who explore carefully, other teleport points. One of these, deep within the island, suggests a place of sanctuary – an inner sanctum of the mind, a place filled with small comforts: a favourite chair, a select of treasured books, and open vault of memories – although a little darkness remains in the form of a centipede wrapped around the glass bell containing the beauty of a flower.

Storm Septimus, Untitled – LEA 28

“I wanted to highlight the emotional effects of disability,” Storm says of the installation. “I know I could have gone so many ways with that [but] the build ended up being that lonely, desolate, hopeless place of despair in my mind.” And indeed, the emotional power contained within the installation is inescapable; it permeates throughout every element, presenting a powerfully immersive environment which, dark though it may be, offers considerable food for thought.

When visiting, there are a few things to keep in mind: firstly, you’ll need to have Advanced Lighting Model enabled in order to fully appreciate the more subtle touches in the installation – such as the reflections in the teleport mirrors. Also be sure to try touching things as you explore the installation; some – like the diaries – are interactive. Also, be aware this build has a lot going on, and viewer performance can be very variable throughout it.

Storm Septimus, Untitled – LEA 28

Storm has also passed an invitation to disability  support groups to display information about their work in the Lower Garden. So, if you represent such a group and would like  to have your information displayed there, please drop Storm a line.

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A Winter of Enchantment in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Paris Metro Gallery: Winter of Enchantment

Opening on Saturday, March 17th, 2018 at 12:00 noon at the Paris Metro Art Gallery is Winter of Enchantment, a selection of (largely) winter-themed avatar studies and images by the legendary Skip Staheli.

For the exhibition, the gallery has undergone slight remodelling to make three level available, the upper two mezzanine like galleries level reached via two spiral staircases. The centre area of the ground level has been modelled to give the feeling of being outdoors – appropriate to the idea of winter – with flower boxes, a fountain, circling butterflies and the occasional gust of snow.

Paris Metro Gallery: Winter of Enchantment

Some 29 images are on display across the three levels, two mounted on easels (and possibly intended as information givers, although neither was set-up as such when I slipped in to preview the exhibit), the rest mounted on the walls of the gallery. All are undeniably Skip, bringing forth his innate ability to capture mood and emotion, and in presenting erotically sensuous couples. Some nudity is displayed, but hardly enough to mark this exhibition as NSFW.

A number of the images very much focus directly on the idea of winter through subject / imagery – notably Brunella~No more sad winters…, Miranda~Such a blue blue Winter… and Draakje~Ice Queens Magic… along one of the ground floor walls, together which Dee~Through Winter, which faces them from across the gallery, together with Skip~I want you to come, and walk this world with me…., Skip~Not feeling the cold… and Julian and Aleriah~ Feeling safe and warm…. Others evoke winter more indirectly, such as Hannah~It’s a new Year….,  and Dee Mighty…, where tone and or title along suggests wintertime.

Paris Metro Gallery: Winter of Enchantment

Some, like Breezy~All my senses, Dee~Little Red Ridinghood, and Bridget~FurrrrPurrrr…, lean more towards the erotic, although one might say their use of red evokes echoes of winter – or at least midwinter and Christmas. Still others, Long Canvas, Cuddles~Leader of the pack…, lean more towards the sensual or the personal, as with Caleb and Lillbirdee~Drifting away with you…

But whatever the suggestion / emotion each invokes, there is no denying the life these images present to us as we examine them in turn. Each is an exquisite narrative, and story fully formed, waiting to capture and hold us. And for those that feel a hint of chilliness emanating from the more wintry pictures, the fireplaces with their blazing logs offer an opportunity to warm hands and hearts – and to sit awhile and admire the art.

Paris Metro Gallery: Winter of Enchantment

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The poet and the Prince of Denmark in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
La Maison d’Aneli – Nino Vichan: Hamlet 5 Scenes

Opening on Thursday, March 15th at La Maison d’Aneli, curated by Aneli Abeyante, are two new exhibitions by three well-known Second Life artists: one by Nino Vichan, and the second by Tutsy Navarathna and JadeYu Fang. They are two very different exhibitions, but they are drawn together through each of them having literary foundations. Both are reached via an initial arrival point, and can be reached via either the teleport disks or by clicking on the artist’s names on the main board (which will also deliver note cards). There’s also a direct drop down to one of the installations.

In Hamlet 5 Scenes, Nino Vichan presents his interpretation of five key scenes from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. As Nino points out in his opening notes, we know of three versions of the play have survived through to modern times: the 1623 First Folio edition, considered to be the “definitive” version of the play; and the “First Quarto” (1603, aka “Hamlet Q1”) and “Second Quarto” (1604, aka “Hamlet Q2”).

La Maison d’Aneli – Nino Vichan: Hamlet 5 Scenes

The former of these two Quartos is now widely regarded as the “bad Quarto”, possibly written by an actor who participated in a production of Hamlet. While the Second Quarto is now regarded as an attempt by Shakespeare to published the “full” version of the play (it is some 1600 lines longer than the First Quarto) to set the record straight. In support of this, historian point to the title page of the Second Quarto stating that it is “Newly imprinted and enlarged to almost as much againe as it was, according to the true and perfect coppie.”

For his part, Nino takes these three versions as the leaping-off point for imaging Shakespeare within his study, struggling over the play, writing and revising it. For the purposes of the piece, we are Shakespeare, invited to take a seat – in turn – in each of the five chairs ranged around a central table. Each chair represents a specific element of the play, which we see through the playwright’s eyes, as it were, as he contemplates each.

La Maison d’Aneli – Nino Vichan: Hamlet 5 Scenes

For this to work. make sure your camera is not free-flying when sitting in a chair (hit ESC before sitting in each one). This will allow the act of sitting to take control of your camera and focus it on each scene. The chairs should be occupied in numerical order (each has a number visible on its upholstery), so that the scenes can be seen chronologically in reference to the play.

These scenes start with the sightings of the ghost of Hamlet’s father which set the events of the tragedy in motion, and conclude with Hamlet’s encounter with the skull of a jester he knew in his childhood (“Alas, poor Yorick. I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times.” Between there sit the famous soliloquy, the murder of Polonius and the death of Ophelia. Modelled in 3D , using a mix of mesh and particles to achieve their effect, each offers unique view on the aspects of the play it represents, while the liner notes accompanying the installation offer further context, should it be needed.

La Maison d’Aneli: Tutsy Navarathna and JadeYu Fang – Bring Me Your love

For Bring Me Your Love, Tutsy and JadeYu present a tribute to the German-American poet, novelist, and short story writer Henry Charles Bukowski (born Heinrich Karl Bukowski; August 16th, 1920 – March 9th, 1994). The title of the installation is taken from Bukowski’s 1983 short story of the same name, illustrated by Robert Crumb.

This installation brings together images taken from around Second Life together with quotes from Bukowski and excerpts from his writing – poetry and stories. Blunt, at times aggressive in his use of language, Bukowski was forthright in his writings and views, and this is very much reflected in this installation, which is presented as a single piece – art and quotes making up walls and floors. To one side there is an area set aside for sitting and contemplation, complete with a  television set playing a loop of clips of television shows and films for the later decades of Bukoski’s life.  This area is also home to what might be regarded as the bric-a-brac of Bukowski’s life.

La Maison d’Aneli: Tutsy Navarathna and JadeYu Fang – Bring Me Your love

As noted above, these are two very different exhibitions, drawn together through each of them having a literary foundation. Each is individually fascinating, their core subject matter being very different, thus they make an ideal complimentary visit.

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