Category: Art in Second Life

Marx Catteneo is a name perhaps known to some. He’s been involved in Second Life since 2007, and has made his mark as a machinima maker with an eye for detail, as with his video of the 2012 Fantasy Faire, and a quirky sense of humour which has created Staying Alive, a somewhat different take on the SL zombie scene to that portrayed in the official promo videos…

As a successful applicant to the 2013 Artist in Residence programme, Marx opens up the doors on the machinima film-making process in May as he starts work on his new web series Nin9, and is offering SL residents the chance to see the sets of the 9-part series, which will be debuting in Spring 2013.

Set in the fictional city of Felice, Michigan in late 2000, the series is described as a dark and disturbing psychological thriller playing in an alternative reality and which influenced by the likes of Se7en, Twin Peaks, Hitchcock, Basic Instinct, European Graphic Novels. The introduction to the series frames the story:

Francis Maddox, lieutenant and head of the homicide division at FPD, comes across a very nasty Neko murder.  It has all signs of a serial killer’s first victim. The crime scene brings back traumatic events from Francis’ past. The investigations will lead him into the seductive world of Neko strippers. Will he be able to withstand the charms of Layla? Is she just a colleague of the first victim, is she involved herself, or is she next on the killer’s list?

The set is currently open to public viewing from now until the 15th of May, when filming the series commences. Built by Rachelle Raviprakash, it packs-in an incredible amount of detail into the comparatively small space of a single region, which beautifully renders the run-down heart of an aging city. Several of the principal locations are present, including the Police Headquarters for District 13 and the strip club where (I assume) the mysterious Layla works.

I’m not sure if the region will remain open to the public during filming, or only open between the times when shooting in going on. The LEA blog post on the project suggests the former might be the case, but without sight of a filming schedule, it’s hard to be sure.

If you do opt to pop along and filming is going on, do note that the region is rated Adult, and that Nin9 is aimed “at an adult audience (it’s not porn but there will be nudity and violence). European graphic novels have a long tradition in this kind of adult genre and many of them are on the edge of art and entertainment (Moebius, Enki Bilal, Jacques Tardi, Schuiten & Peeters).”

Related Links

• Nin9 / ‘t Filmhuis (LEA 18) (Rated: Adult)
• LEA Blog post on the project
• Marx Catteneo on YouTube

Update: An alternative viewpoint as to the reason for the music venues has been posted in the comments, which is also worth reading. Ziki Questi has also posted on the installation as well.

Ascension is a full sim art installation by Mantis Oh (Cari Lekebusch in real life) as a part of the 2013 Artist in Residence series at the Linden Endowment for the Arts.

Mantis Oh is well-know is SL art circles, and his work tends to fuse ancient and futuristic elements into his builds – and this is much in evidence here, as the visitor is invited to explore a tall tower sitting to one side of a region filled with strange plants, hovering buildings and structures (from Mantis Oh’s Hybrid Productions range) and a huge and very futuristic Sphinx, and which features ancient-looking symbols scattered throughout.

It is  – to be clear on this point – a very impressive build and very photogenic. Whether it  qualifies as a full sim art installation as a part of the LEA’s Artist-in-Residence series, however, is a matter of personal interpretation.

The LEA’s blog piece on the installation reads:

 Ascension is a combined art installation and sound experience that encourages the visitor to explore the seven levels of a cubic, tower like structure. Loosely based on the seven chakras (energy centres) of the human body, visitors begin the journey by stepping down twelve steps that each release a musical note underfoot, before entering the base level room which is bathed in deepest crimson red. Music and sound are intrinsic to this build, and you can create your own unique musical compositions by stepping onto the trigger objects on each of the levels. If you explore the sim with friends, together you can create sound patterns in a truly social and fun environment.

So far, so good – and it has to be said that a trip through the tower is an interesting diversion (you’ll need sound and particles, etc., enabled and be prepared to poke and prod at things).  You start at the base level, as the description notes – analogous to the root chakra, and work your way up via teleporters to the uppermost crown (or “spirit” in this case) level. Each level presents a different environment in which you are encouraged to walk on things, touch things and play with things to create sound and light, either on your own or in the company of whoever is with you, be they friend or fellow visitor.

This is all fine, and very much in keeping with the idea of an art installation. What troubles me is that it isn’t actually something which requires the provisioning of a full region. The tower takes up less than a quarter region area. The rest of the region, while undoubtedly visually stunning and photogenic, came across – and I’m simply being honest here – as being more about using the provided space as a promotional opportunity than as a medium for expressive art.

Alongside the tower there are no fewer than three dance venues in the region – the “Beach Club”, the “Ultra Club” and the “Sphinx Club”. According to the LEA’s blog post on the installation these are “designed to host seven Techno music and DJ events that will take place during the lifetime of the build and well-known Techno DJ’s from real life record label H-Productions will be performing in-world.”

Now there is absolutely no reason why music and art cannot mix, or for music to be used as an art form in and of itself. As such, were these “clubs” to be used as an extension of the main exhibit itself, one could understand their inclusion. However, from the given description in the LEA blog, this appears not to be the case; the implication is that the venues will be used to host techno parties promoting Mantis Oh’s real-life record label, and this leads me to very mixed feelings on the installation.

It might be argued that the dance venues offer a means of presenting techno as a progressive form of art, and are therefore in keeping with the aims and ideals of the LEA. However – and I’ve wrestled with this exact issue for a considerable time in writing this article – I cannot escape the feeling that such an argument is perhaps hollow. Certainly, given the immersive nature of SL, I would suggest that if the intent is to demonstrate “techno rock as an art form”, then it could perhaps be achieved more immersively and interactively than slipping it a few dance floors and inviting people to come boogie down.

As mentioned, I came away from Ascension with very mixed views. The trip through the tower is an interesting diversion, and as a photographic, set the entire build is impressive. Both of these points can make a visit worthwhile. However, I cannot escape the feeling that the three dance venues are less about any expression of art and more about the promotion of a specific genre of music for the sake of entertainment – and that as such, there are better venues outside of the LEA where this could be achieved.

Related Links

• Ascension SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Ascension coverage in the LEA blog

Quan Lavender invited me to a preview of Betty Tureaud’s immersive  / interactive installation The 9 Art Planets.

Betty describes the piece thus:

The Art Planets is an art installation where I want to give the visitors 9 different emotional feelings, reflected in their subconscious mind. One level is inspired by Char Davies who I think invented the Immersive Virtual Art. I am using space, colors and sound and some interactive objects to reach my goal in The 9 Art Planets. So turn on your sound and music … The Art Planets have a music stream especially composed for this place, by Ultraviolet Alter. a French composer and good friend of mine. Set your light two midday. Sound should be set to hear sound and music. Media should not be set to autoplay, you will see a note where to switch on.

Your journey through these nine planets commences on a Mars-like plain, a Geiger counter clicking away somewhere and a building before you. A small case outside the building will provide you with a visitor’s HUD to get around the installation and also an introductory notecard.

As the name implies, there are nine elements to the installation to visit, with the HUD providing easy access to all of them. Whether you go in the suggested left-to-right order suggested by the HUD (the start location being on the left-hand end of the HUD, or whether you pick destinations according to curiosity is up to you.

Despite some resemblance to parts of the solar system, this is not an installation which presents art against a backdrop of the planets orbiting our sun. Rather, as Betty’s introduction states, the aim is to induce an emotional response based on colour, light, sound, music and interaction. This last part is important, as it is easy to pass through sections and miss interactive elements. Some of these may set you flying, others leave you dancing. Some may require a degree of passive observation. Some are also more active than others – such as the maze, in which you place yourself in the role of a “mouse” seeking the “cheese”. Whether you attempt the hard or easy route is agin up to you…

Given the nature of the piece, it is actually hard to quantify; given the immersive / interactive nature of the various elements, it really is something which has to be explored and experienced. For those of a mind to do so, there are little gifts scattered around the various elements, which can be collected along the way. And again, as Betty’s notes explain, be ready with media;  Ultraviolet has produced some wonderful pieces to accompany the installation, and the experience really isn’t the same without them.

All-in-all, very much worth a visit – just even yourself time to explore, experience and enjoy.

The 9 Art Planets opens its doors to the public on Friday, April 19th at 14:00 SLT.

Related Links

• The 9 Art Planets SLurl (Rated: Moderate)
• Art events covered in this blog