Category: Art in Second Life

Currently open within The Annex at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, operated by Dido Haas, is an engaging and provocative exhibition of photography by artist-photographer and poet, MarVayu. It is also one with a curious origin, because unlike most exhibitions offered within SL, the images on display are not a selection of pieces specifically made to be exhibited as a self-contained collection, but have been drawn from an archive of discarded work, having originally been made at various times with the idea of being used to accompany MarVayu’s poetry.

Which is not to say that there are an entirely random selection either. Rather, they are reflections of thoughts on identity and self, of who a person is when they realise they exist in more than one reality, be it physical or virtual. In being drawn from multiple projects for which they had never been used, the images both have a unique dynamic one to the next when viewed,  and offer threads of ideas and narrative on how a person and their sub-personalities might be informed as much by their presence within Second Life on a subconscious level as much as they consciously seek to influence and control the perception they and others have of them through the platform.

In reflection of this, the exhibition is entitled Ipseities, the plural of Ipseity, a term derived from the Latin ipse – “self”, a label, if you will, used to define who we most broadly are when all the aspects of our “self” are taken into account – physical, mental and – in this particular case, virtual.

In philosophical terms, ipseity is the foundational quality that makes an individual unique, influencing their perspectives, decisions, and interactions with the world. As such, given the thread and ideas MarVayu presents within the exhibition, its use is well-chosen on two levels. The first of these is that idea of exploring the multiple facets of who one is in oneself; and secondly, and more esoterically, because of the aforementioned way the pieces within the exhibition have been drawn from other aspects of MarVayu’s work – of her own self, if you will.

 Ipseity is also used to reference a psychological phenomenon: that of self-disorder, or ipseity disturbance. This is a condition in which a person’s fundamental sense of self is disrupted such that they believe their internal experiences – thoughts dreams, emotions – are actually external, bringing the condition close to schizophrenia spectrum disorders.

I raise this latter point because while the artist does not expressly indicate an intentional to explore self-disorder, I personally could not help but find it relevant to this exhibition for a couple of reasons. Firstly, because some of the images do strongly lean into the nature of the condition in their presentation; secondly, because involvement within Second Life can be a form of ipseity disturbance: we involve ourselves in a non-physical world, one in which we can experience so much, which can become so personally real, whilst at the same time being entirely divorced from the physical world we also inhabit.

I’m intentionally not going to it offer personal interpretations of individual pieces within Ipseities; it is far better that people follow the threads MarVayu offers to reach their own destinations / conclusions. This is an exhibition with a lot to say, and the monochrome images are exquisite in their depth of emotion, ideas and presentation, and are perfectly complimented by the lighting and 3D elements within the Annex.

SLurl Details

•  Ipseities – The Annex at Nitroglobus (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

It has been some time since I had the pleasure to view the art of Miles Cantelou. This is in part because I gather he took a leave of absence from Second Life some time after I last had an opportunity to visit one of his exhibitions (see: Lucid Dreams with Miles Cantelou in Second Life). Given this, I was delighted to receive a note from him indicating he was once again active in SL, and inviting me to visit his latest undertaking, a multi-gallery complex showcasing his work.

Located on a portion of a Homestead region Scirocco Art Galleries occupies both the ground level and skyboxes which gather elements of Miles’ extensive catalogue of art and styles, with the ground level also offering spaces for relaxation, meditation and Tai Chi.

What started as a couple of galleries has now become a kind of Terra Mitica and I have to say, it’s been a lot of creative fun which continues every day.

– Miles Cantelou

Those familiar with Miles’ work will know that his range encompasses street and studio photography, painting in acrylics and oils, working within 3D environments and more, whilst encompassing genres from abstract through surrealism to abstracted expressionism, with a strong lean into using light and light forms. Much of his work is colour-rich and boldly stated – although this is not always the case, as is demonstrated particularly within Ice, one of the smaller exhibitions within the Artist’s Block galleries space.

The latter is one of the skybox areas with the parcel, and one which – going from the sign displayed at the time of my visits – still in development, and planned to be a space for artists. Reached via the teleport board system which links all the various galleries and public spaces, it was home to a set of smaller exhibitions by Miles at the time of my visit, starting with the aforementioned Ice, featuring stunningly engaging blended photography portraits.

Joining Ice is Expo Retro Amsterdam, a truly magnificent series of images and street photography taken from around Amsterdam taken and processed in such a way as to bring a whole new vision of that city to life; Outback, a highly individualised reflection of Australian aboriginal art in  places given an abstracted lean; and Forest, a series of abstract paintings for forest environments.

As I’ve stated in the past with regards to Miles’ work, it constantly expands boundaries; physically and metaphorically. Physically, because it embraces art genres, such as those noted above, whilst often offering a unique look and feel, a blending of styles, approaches and ideas that renders his work unique unto itself – whilst still being utterly approachable.

Take, for example, the display of street art present within the Brutbuild gallery, a name referencing the minimalist style of architecture common in post-war Britain in the 1950s and 1960 called Brutalist architecture, and which eschewed decorative design in favour of basic materials and structural forms. The gallery’s form is more in keeping with the term than that art it presents; although some of the art within the gallery might be seen as offering subtle nodes to the minimalism of Brutalist expression.

But more the point, within this gallery space is a richness of styles – impressionist, abstract,  surreal, cubist, digitally processed – all beautifully presented and individually approachable and understood – yet each given a unique turn of colour, processing, technique, etc., that leaves it as a suggestion of that metaphysical expansion: that beyond the frame, there is an entire story, an entire world colours and presented through Miles’ eyes, and awaiting our perception.

However, the best way to fully appreciate Miles’ work is to witness it, not read about it. Each of the major gallery spaces presents a themed collection (e.g. the Far East, a unique take on China and Japan; Mesoamerica, a homage to the Cubism of Picasso, for example), allowing them to be visited individually or collectively, in a single visit or across several, making it very easy to immerse yourself in Miles’ work.

Highly recommended for all lovers of art.

SLurl Details

• Scirocco Art Galleries (Power Point, rated: Moderate)

I first wrote about the art of Kirjat Umarov back in April 2024, when he was exhibiting at the Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (see: Abstract Event Horizons at Nitroglobus in Second Life). At the time I was struck by the symbology and depth of themes and ideas within Kirjat’s abstract art presented within that exhibition.

A new exhibition of Kirjat’s work opened at the start of June 2025 and Carelyna’s ArtCare Gallery.  Entitled Metaphysical Landscapes, it focuses leans more towards abstract surrealism, while again mixing themes and ideas.

Ever since I first saw a painting by Giorgio de Chirico in an art school textbook, I’ve been fascinated by surrealism in the visual arts. I had come to feel and understand this form of expression more and more through the “metaphysical landscapes” of [Yves] Tanguy, [Salvador] Dali, [Rene] Magritte, and of course Max Ernst & Joan Miró as well as Russian and German protagonists of this genre.

– Kirjat Umarov

In contemplating and studying the works of these artists,  Kirjat found them both a form of escape from the everyday and also a means of understanding them as  expressing a form of truth about life: all that we experience in daily life – all that we see, the worries, the emotional ups and downs, our fears, our concerns – is merely a superficial illusion of what life is about. Underlying it, just waiting for us to open our eyes and see it, is a form of the world and existence in which everything flows together, and everything makes sense.

As a result of this realisation, and as Kirjat goes on to note:

Last year I noticed that for some time I’ve been painting non-representational, abstract pictures while also repeatedly devoting myself to classical landscape depictions … which is why I began trying to combine the two, sometimes adding geometric elements and composing everything in such a way that metaphysical landscapes and forms can be discovered in them.

– Kirjat Umarov

So it is, across four rooms, we’re presented with a rich mix of imagery encompassing the idea of what we see before us is more illusory than we might think, that there is a more substantial truth waiting for us to find. The Landing Point places you at the intersection of these four rooms, alongside a post offering an introduction to the exhibition, and a catalogue providing information on the six images presented within each room –  and I highly recommend you read both.

All of the pieces carry a richness of idea – hinted at through their names – and I found myself particularly drawn to Cloudy Mountain View, Black Hole Sun, Lover’s Pier and There’s Always a New Day Behind the Corner. All of these pieces have a beautiful sense of minimalism about them, together with an abstracted use of geometry which makes them instantly attractive and brings there messages to the fore in the most gentle of manners. Whish is not to diminish the others in the collection: all have something to say to the open eye and mind.

A fascinating and engaging exhibition.

SLurl Details

• Metaphysical Landscapes, ArtCare Gallery (Emotion, rated: Moderate)

I’ll be honest, I’d been totally unaware of the photographic art of Ciambi Bluebird, so I was highly appreciative of Mareea Farrasco’s invitation to view his exhibition at her IMAGOLand galleries, which opened at the end of May 2025.

Bluebird Blues is an engaging collection of 24 large-format pieces displayed within a gallery space utilising PBR (the art can still be appreciated if you are not running a PBR viewer), which are totally captivating in in their depth and realism. The majority are landscape pieces taken from around Second Life, with four more avatar-centric pieces, and one abstract geometry.

The latter are all contemplative pieces: the lone figure standing or seated, not looking at the camera, but staring into the distance or with their back to the lens. They are presented with names designed to provoke, in the most natural and subtle ways, an emotional reaction in the part of the observer. All four engage, but I did find myself drawn to You Are What You Is for its sheer brilliance of setting, framing, and pose. It is stunningly beautiful and richly emotive.

The artistry evidence in the landscape pieces is equally as striking. Ciambi’s use of focus, depth of field, angle, EEP selection and post-processing is all simply attention-grabbing, resulting on pictures of incredible beauty and sense of vitality. Each has its own story to tell, given in part by its title, but far more by the manner in which its composition draws the eye in to it, again sometimes in quite a subtle manner – as with Fly, where the subject of the piece might be so easily missed on a first glance but once seen, causes the pictures beauty to literally explode.

Offered for sale and with Modify permissions for resizing, these are pieces capable of gracing anyone’s SL home. An exhibition not to be missed.

SLurl Details

• Bluebird Blues – IMAGOLand Galleries (Androviel, rated Moderate)