Opening on Friday, January 6th, 2023 at Frank Atisso’s Artsville gallery complex is Endless – Through My Eyes by Lunaspina Anatine. Occupying Gallery 2 at the complex, this is a selection of landscape pieces which have been taken within a single region, that of Sombre Nyx’s Endless: Birdlings Flat, each one utilising a minimalist approach and compositional style which immediate capture the eye and the imagination.
This is clearly evident from the first image within the series – Endless 01, located just inside the left side entrance to the hall as you enter it. The images presents a view of a set of communications dishes set against a cloudy sky. But where are they – what are they? Civilian? Military? On a building or high on a mast?
Artsville: Lunaspina Anatine, January 2023
In successive images we encounter more – a field in a misty dawn (or perhaps late afternoon) and a grid of upright posts, slender wires strung between them. They appear to be sitting within a field – but again, what are they? A place where vines are to be planted and grown for their crop of grapes? If so, then where are the vertical lines for the vines to grow along? So if not that, then what?
Thus, as we progress around the images, these is the invitation for us to form a story around them. as to what they may represent. Of course, those familiar with Birdlings Flat (which I wrote about it here) may opt just to enjoy the images in this exhibition in their own right; and there is nothing wrong with this, nor do visitors need to be familiar with the region. Seeking a narrative is purely a matter of choice; these are images which can be enjoyed in their own right and as individual compositions.
Artsville: Lunaspina Anatine, January 2023
At the same time, these pieces – beautifully post-processed and making superb use of various EEP settings – speak to the marvels of Second Life, a place that can be visually expressive, filled with opportunities to explore yet also at times empty of of people – just as many remote parts of the physical world (such as the eastern end of Kaitorete Spit on which Birdlings Flat is based) can be as well. Within each one, Lunaspina perfectly captures the essence of the term endless.
I confess that I’m not aware of having witnessed an individual exhibition by Lunaspina, and I was immediately captivated by her overall approach to her images – camera placement, angle, subject focus, used of depth-of-field, etc., – in that I could not help but see a strong similarity to the work of another artist I admire hugely – Melusina Parkin. This should not be taken to mean either artist is in any way derivative of the other; rather they both have a eye for composition that I find attractive and engaging and which teases out their subject gently to their audience.
Artsville: Lunaspina Anatine, January 2023
A warm, easy-to-appreciate exhibition of landscape art which is – as noted – also beautifully layered, Endless – Through My Eyes is well worth visiting.
In 2016 I visited the wrote by the Peace is a Choice Gallery, founded and curated by Dove (TheDove Rhode) and located on the north coast of Nautilus. Originally founded as the the S&S Gallery of Fine Art more than 15 years ago, the gallery has grown to a region-wide centre of 2D and 3D art, both collected by Dove and provided by the artists, the displays of art both indoors and out with event spaces.
At the time of my 2016, the focal point for the gallery was its impressive glass-and-steel main building (one of Calpo Wrexler’s extraordinary designs) which was bracketed by outdoor display areas and a dance studio. Whilst the main hall remains, the external facilities appear – at least to my eyes and a memory that is admittedly dimmed by the intervening years – have increased to offer more space for artists, including what appear to be dedicated parcels.
Peace is a Choice, January 2023
Within the main gallery building – the entrance to which forms the landing point for the centre – visitors may find 2D and 3D art, animated and static, by the likes of Cica Ghost, Bryn Oh, CioTToLiNa Xue, Chao’s’Chen (sChen), Moya Patrick (Moya Janus), Nessuno Myoo, Morlĭ (MORLITA Quan), Alo (Aloisio Congrejo), all of which have been provided by way of Dove’s personal collection of art, which are joined by pieces donated / exhibited by some of the artists named above and also the likes of Daco Monday, Robin Moore, Noke Yuitza, Russel Eponym, Gleman Jun, Fuschia Nightfire, and Ink van Helsinki (Instincta Starchild).
Beyond the main hall are additional installations of 3D art, together with some indoors and 2D gallery spaces. These outdoor areas present works by Vroum Short, Kerupa Flow, Haveit Neox, Kicca Igaly, Tansee, Igor Ballyhoo and several of the already-named artists above, together with dedicated spaces by Paula Cloudpainter (paula31atnight), Rage Darkstone and TerraMerhyem, Cherry Manga, and Vincent Priesley (sweetvincent).
Peace is a Choice: Vroum Short – January 2023
As I noted in August 2016, such is volume of art and its placement across the centre’s land, Peace is a Choice offers one of the most engaging displays of art:
Whether you start your explorations inside or outside the gallery is entirely a matter of choice; there is no set path to follow, and Dove has wisely placed the art so that there are no assigned areas for individual artists. This allows for some interesting juxtapositions of art, technique and expression, allowing visitors to gain a strong feel for contrasting styles among artists in Second Life.
– Myself, August 2016
Peace is a Choice, January 2023
Getting around the various installations can be a little bewildering – during my 2016 visit I found myself flycamming a lot, and did the same this time around. However, explorations during my original visit were also aide by the presences of a teleport system; while it is entirely possible I missed it this time around, I did try to keep an eye out for it. On the plus side, this encourages exploration on foot,
A further complication to easy exploration is that some of the parcels, such as by walking around the front and sides of the main gallery to reach the beach and and outside deck display areas. However, it was disappointing to note that some of the connecting exhibition parcels are restricted to those with Payment Information On File (PIOF). Whilst once a common practice to discourage griefing, used within what is intended to be a public space does run the risk of itself being seen as unwelcoming by those new to Second Life who are simply exploring and seeking places of interest to engage their curiosity, but who have not yet registered a payment method with Linden Lab.
Peace is a Choice, January 2023
This aside, Peace is a Choice makes for a fascinating visit, with much to see and and appreciate, with one of the richest cross-sections of art past and present to be found in Second Life.
Kicking off 2023 at Monocle Man Galleries, curated by Lynx Luga and Kit Boyd is an exhibition of art by Hannah Starlight entitled Dream Again – a fitting title to go with the start of a new year. It is an exhibition taking place in one of the newer galleries spaces Kit and Lynx are providing for artists within the Monocle Man facilities, being hosted within the Cabaret sky gallery.
This is an interesting gallery space, offered as something of a speakeasy-like cabaret club, tucked away out-of-sight of any passing authorities, reached by walking down a back alley and then climbing down into what appears to be a storm drain, but which is in fact the entrance to a “basement” club with wood panelled walls and deco-like electric lights.
Monocle Man Gallery: Hannah Starlight
Dream Again is a collection of 28 images, either mounted on the walls of the club or on easels located around the the columns and edges of the dance floor. Predominantly avatar-centric these are images rich in content and message – commentaries, if you will on life, love and expressing oneself, at least one of which I seem to recall from a prior exhibition (His Song), which does not in any way detract from the overall thrust of this exhibition.
Offered in a variety of formats, small and large, 4:3 through to fully panoramic, these are pieces which are all richly expressive and predominantly celebratory in nature. Given the time of year, some of the pieces might be seen as holding to the Christmas theme and ideals of faith: Here’s My Heart, Lord, The Prayer, He Carries Me, and – perhaps most notably – A Baby Changes Everything. However, even while they may do so, they also speak to more secular interpretations; take A Baby Changes Everything: is it not true that a baby, whether of natural or divine conception, a miracle that truly changes everything for its parents?
Monocle Man Gallery: Hannah Starlight
Meanwhile, Beautiful Warrior speaks to the physical beauty of the subject, as we are drawn to look at her face. However, her pose, the placement of her arms in particular, speaks powerfully and eloquently to her inner strength in the face of what can be a terrifying and seemingly implacable foe – check the description of the piece for more on this.
Elsewhere within the collection, Hannah offers more direct celebrations on love, marriage and the joy of being able to freely express oneself and enjoy life. All are worthy of appreciation, although I confess that Light for Your Path drew me to it, not only because of its panoramic nature; whilst New Light, tucked away behind one of the columns, carries with it a simple, direct message of the power of new life, layered with the taboo nature of pregnancy as an expression of beauty (one might even say it offers a link to the other pieces with a divine lean to them: might the light of the Sun breaking through the clouds be taken as a spiritual reference to the light of God?
Monocle Man Gallery: Hannah Starlight
I’ll leave that for you to decide if this might be the case. In the meantime, I will say that Dream Again is a richly engaging exhibition, and it officially opens at 12:00 noon SLT on Sunday, January 1st, 2023 with a performance by Rogue.
Since co-launching the original Nitroglobus Gallery and, over the last several years, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, photographer-artist Dido Haas has established a well-deserved reputation for curating one of Second Life’s most engaging galleries for art in Second Life. Month on month she brings out the very best in the artists she invites to exhibit within the gallery’s halls, resulting in perhaps the most consistently enthralling series of art displays each and every year, hence why I attempt to cover the gallery as fully as possible through the year.
However, there is a drawback to all of this: such is the amount of work involved in managing and curating the gallery, Dido’s skills as a photographer-artist rarely get to be seen in-world, and this is a shame, as her work is the equal of any of those she invites to exhibit at the gallery. Hence why, when she drops a note about presenting a (possibly short-term) exhibition of her work in the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex, I’m scooting across to take a look.
Nudospective, as the name implies, is something of a “retrospective” in a much as it comprises a set of images Dido has produced over time. It is also, again as suggested by the title, utilises nudity as a linking theme. As such, this is an exhibition that might best be considered NSFW when viewing.
My love of Dido’s photography lies in several elements. First, she tends to work predominantly in black-and-white or greyscale or with a monochrome lean. Secondly, she specialises in avatar studies and thirdly – and most importantly – she has the ability to communicate so much through her work simply through the use of angle, pose, and focus rather than relaying on excessive props or post-processing.
This is very much in evidence within Nudospective; mostly presented in greyscale, these are pieces which – although utilising nudity – are not in any way directly sexual or voyeuristic. Rather, they are elegant narratives on the beauty of the female form as visualised through the medium of a virtual avatar, some of which offer what might be considered a subtle commentary on the subtleties of beauty compared to the expectations of beauty.
Take, for example, Legs. It features what is all too frequently a tool of heightened (literally and metaphorically) sexualised beauty: the high heel. But is it the heels that give the legs image their inherent form and beauty, or is it their muscle tone, angle and placement – all of which could be present sans the heels? Similarly, in Freckles alongside of it, is it really the firmness and curve of a breast – again so often seen as an expression of sexuality – really as worthy of our attention as a mark of beauty as much as the simple patina of freckles over the flesh of an upper arm and shoulder?
Across the hall, and a little conversely, Belly Piercing comes from another direction entirely. Within it sits a duality of innocence pointing towards a certain sexuality. On the one hand, it offers a natural statement on the beauty of a body piercing, whilst on the other the ball of the pearl, sitting on the cusp of the navel and the play of shadow within it offers a suggestion of focal point of female sexual pleasure.
Beautiful executed individually, taken collectively, Nudospective forms an engaging, easy-to-appreciate exhibition of photography which potentially has a lot to say.
Theme for art exhibitions is not a new idea – many, many art exhibitions are built around a theme, whilst individual works are frequently used by artists to express an idea or ideal or theme, often with a defined commentary. Such themes can be complex and layered; hinted at, rather than openly expressed, offering their audience suggestions to prod their own cognitive faculties. Others are more direct in tone and theme, presented as a direct commentary – or simply as a celebration.
Ode to Snowmen falls cleanly into that last category. Presented by CK (Ceakay Ballyhoo) at the NovaOwl Sky Gallery, curated by curated and operated by ULi Jansma, Owl Dragonash and CK herself, this is an unbashed celebration of winter snowscapes and the joy and humour found within the creation of snowmen.
NovaOwl Sky Gallery: CK Ballyhoo – Ode to Snowmen
Naturally split between the two levels of the gallery, the exhibition features images of snowmen CK has found in her travels across Second Life, from the massive sculpture at the heart of Linden Lab’s Winter Wonderland through to snowmen (and snowwomen and their children!) getting up to all sorts of activities and mischief from simple family portraits to skiing (yes, some snowmen have legs!) to peeping in through windows to see what is going on in those warm places which we love but are anathema to snow folk.
With the floorspace covered in snow and dotted with paintings and drawings of snow-laden fir trees and snowmen, this level of the exhibition also stand as a reminder of the immersive storytelling installations CK used to build in-world, often working with artists such as Silas Merlin and CybeleMoon (Hana Hoobinoo).
NovaOwl Sky Gallery: CK Ballyhoo – Ode to Snowmen
The upper floor of the exhibition features a set of seven watercolour paintings by CK celebrating winter landscapes. Collectively, they offer views which bring to mind lyrics from songs like Walking in a Winter Wonderland and (for me, as I love its haunting tones – particularly in Isao Tomita’s evocative version) Debussy’s Des pas sur la Neige (Footprints in the Snow), itself said to have been inspired by a painting of a winter snowscape.
From snow-covered paths guarded by denuded trees standing to attention on either side, to frozen ponds suggesting an invitation to go skating, and signs pointing the way to trails lying just out-of-sight relative to the painting, these are all warm, inviting pieces which call to the fore childhood memories of the wonder of snow and (perhaps for some) romantic walks through pristine fields of snow with a loved one. All of this is overseen by several snowmen painted on one wall, and several on the floor which blend nicely with one of the paintings.
NovaOwl Sky Gallery: CK Ballyhoo – Ode to Snowmen
A fun, easy-on-the-eyes exhibition presented in a timely manner for the holiday season, Ode to Snowmen will be open through until the end of December 31st, 2022 – so get your visit in soon!
Artsville, December 2022: Milena Carbone – the 5th Season (Heroes)
Now open at Frank Atisso’s Artsville, and seeing out 2022, is another provocative art installation by Milena Carbone entitled The 5th Season. Perhaps best described as a trilogy, it comprises three individual but inter-related exhibitions: Blind, Africa, and Heroes. Two of these offer a reflection of previous installations Milena has presented, and they should preferably be visited in the order given, although whether you opt to visit all three sequentially in a single tour, or visit them each as an individual visit (whilst keeping their linked themes in mind) is entirely down to you.
To define the core themes present through The 5thSeason, it is perhaps best to start by quoting Milena directly:
The 5th Season … questions our tendency to follow a path of self-destruction. It is related to the imminent threat of dramatic consequences for all living species as a result of climate change. It tries to dig deeper into the roots of our denial.
The “fifth season”, is an imaginary season, which will replace the four seasons we have known. One season in a year, chaotic, devastating. A foul beast that humanity will have created.
– Milena Carbone
Artsville, December 2022: Milena Carbone – the 5th Season (Blind)
The important point to note within this description is the term “it is related to the imminent threat … of climate change” (my emphasis). I highlight this because, whilst climate change and our response (or lack thereof) to its existential threat does offer the foundational thread of theme linking all three parts of this installation, bound within two of them are references to a greater malaise that has affected humanity throughout time: wilful self-destructiveness – be it on the purely personal level or through religious and / or political indoctrination, or national / racial fervour.
To achieve this, Milena uses the three elements of the installation to present images and stories to prompt us not so much on an emotional level, but rather intellectually, asking us to dissect what we are seeing and reading and look beyond. As such, these are stories and images that might be taken literally (e.g. George and Martha, and The story of Daphne (both found within Blind) – the first being a direct commentary on the destructiveness of the demands placed upon all of us to be “successful” and “happy” through acquisition and idealisation (such as through the insidious nature of television programmes ad ads) rather than by simply communicating with one another; the second a pointed reference to the artificial use of war and bloodshed in order to maintain the status quo of a decades-old corrupt regime).
Other stories are more metaphorical (e.g. The Story of Antigone (also in Blind) or the entirety of Africa); still others utilise elements of history or mythology. Some of the stories are reproduced on the walls of the three exhibition spaces, but most are accessed via links to Milena’s website – and I recommend reading all of them there, as several contain further links to help gain familiarity with the subjects offered (after all, how many of us are familiar with the myths surrounding Tiresias?).
Artsville, December 2022: Milena Carbone – the 5th Season (Africa)
“A time is coming when men will go mad, and when they see someone who is not mad, they will attack him, saying, “you are mad, you are not like us.”
– From The Sayings Of The Desert Fathers, a quote which eloquently
encompasses the polarised nature of modern society, which Milena also touches upon
As the first element in the trilogy, Blind – I believe I’m correct in saying – originally appeared (at least in part) within an exhibition Milena presented in June / July 2022 (I admit to being hazy on this, as it is not an installation I managed to see). It’s core arch is that of our aforementioned denial – our blindness – to the realities of climate change; a blindness that exists, again as noted, as much among those who acknowledge the threat but who go on to do nothing, however small the move, to play their part in trying to lessen the impact, as it does among those who persist in denying it, despite the weight of evidence before them.
In this, I found the inclusion of Tiresias particularly fitting as a double-edged sword; his gift of foresight might be aligned with the the mountains of data gathered over the last 30-40 years relating to climate change. On the one hand, just as Tiresias offered help and counsel to Odysseus in his quest, so too might the data we have gathered offer us the means to avert the coming global crisis; on the other is that just as Tiresias was stuck blind by Hera due to his ability to divine the future and truth, so to are those who seek to raise greater awareness of the the threat of climate change all too often vilified by those unwilling to hear their message.
Artsville, December 2022: Milena Carbone – the 5th Season (Blind)
Within Africa – which Milena originally presented at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery in October (see: Milena Carbone’s Africa at Nitroglobus), the theme of climate change and its impact on the cradle of humanity is further explored through image and commentary. Here, in addition to the story elements are 3D models of various African animals; these should be approached directly to reveal further elements of this part of the installation. As with Blind, the stories and elements offered in Africa also contain broader themes, some of which (notably colonialism) link back to Blind and The story of Daphnie.
Heroes, the final part of the trilogy, offers a more hopeful chapter for viewing. As a race, we are too rooted in the past – up to and including the view climate change deniers have on the historical nature of this planet’s biosphere – claiming it is no more different to other periods of heating and cooling that have occurred in the planet’s long history. And while that may be true to a point, it nevertheless ignores two inconvenient truths: the first is that for the last 250 years, humanity has been pumping out increasingly huge amounts of greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere; and the second is that for the last 50 years, we’ve been busily decimating the natural means by which the Earth regulates its atmosphere to help purge it of those gases, such as the Amazon rain forest.
Artsville, December 2022: Milena Carbone – the 5th Season (Heroes)
Thus, if we are to survive, we need to stop looking back; we need to focus on the future. And this not only includes how we husband this planet and its resources, but in how we look upon ourselves as a global society. As Milena notes, too much of our history and our “mythology” is rooted in the past in – dare I say it – a patriarchal, hunter-gatherer history.
If we are to mature as a race, we will need modern heroes, modern myths founded on respect, understanding and care, which foster the belief that we can all, regardless or creed, colour, gender or personal belief, aspire to do better, to be better. Through the presentation of the 12 modern-day fictional tales, complete with their tabloid-style headlines (be sure to sit in the chairs before each of them to see more), Milena challenges us to leave this exhibition with a willingness to do just that: look to the future and play our own role, howsoever small, to bring about the changes we as a people – as a world – need.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 