Currently open in the skies above GlastonBelli on the mainland continent of Corsica sits Limitations are Self-Imposed a 3D installation by Regi Yifu.
The essential idea appears simple enough: a rainbow-hued series of walls interspersed with the shadowy forms of trees around and between which shade-like birds fly, forms a maze visitors are invited to walk. However, appearances are deceptive. Finding your way around the maze to its heart isn’t simply a matter of trying to pick the correct route between the high walls.
Regi Yifu: Limitations are Self-Imposed
This becomes apparent as soon as one enters the maze: the walls are actually phantom, allowing people to pass through them. So why the maze? The clue is in the title of the piece: all too often the limitations we place in life are self-imposed, either personally or by the strictures of our environment.
We make ourselves follow lines of thinking / belief / the demands of society when trying to grow or learn or achieve, and as a result, we frustratingly come across walls that seem to block our way, causing us to stop, turn back and try again using a different approach – one that may succeed or may lead to further frustration. But what if we didn’t? Rather than turning aside, what if we just kept pushing forward and pushing through the apparent barriers we face?
Regi Yifu: Limitations are Self-Imposed
Many of the world’s ideas and innovations have been achieved in this manner: by pushing against limits, by turning aside and moving outside of “traditional thinking / approaches.
True, doing so may not always yield the immediate result we hope for – there might be further barriers to work through / around; by pushing through one barrier might lead to initial confusion as much as trying to follow traditional thinking, and so on. This, too, is reflected by Regi’s maze: pushing through a wall here and another there can lead you to a point where progress has been made, but you’re not at the heart of the maze – and it’s no longer clear where that centre is; you need to pause, reorient – and then push onwards.
A simple but layered installation that is also fun to visit.
Hera’s India, May 2022 – click any image for full size
Hera (Zee9) recently opened her latest region design to visitors, this one taking up the ground level at Island of Jahesa, held by Valéria Celestino (Kara Pendleton), and where Hera’s designs sometimes guest.
Entitled India, the setting is easiest described by using Hera’s own words:
I have been wanting to do something evocative of India for a long while. Recently I was looking at pictures of the red fort in Delhi and thought that the unique colour of the pinkish red stone might make for a very unique looking place.
All the textures are derived from photos of the red fort and there are a load of new meshes. I have used the basic layout of the jungle island I have done a few times before because the layout has some nice varying levels. It has turned out far better than I thought it was going to. I keep painting.
Hera (Zee9)
Hera’s India, May 2022
The “jungle island” in question is the one Hera has used in the likes of her Shangri-La build (see: Losing myself in Hera’s Shangri-La in Second Life), and in truth, there are other elements within this build that offer echoes of that 2021 build. These include the beachside seating places and the bar / club area to one side of the build. However, rather than detracting from India, these elements – to me, at least, offer a sense of, if not continuance, then perhaps sisterhood between the two designs.
The Red Fort Hera refers to is Lal Qila, Delhi, the former residence of the Mughal Emperors, as established by Emperor Shah Jahan in 1638, when he decided to make Delhi his new capital.
Hera’s India, May 2022
The important thing to note here is that Hera is not seeking to represent Lal Qila, but rather utilises architecture seen within it as parts of her India design – and she has done so in an effective, subtle manner, such as the capstones along the walls. In addition, Hera has included new meshes of murals along the walls that are mindful of Hindu designs, as well as including reliefs of Ganesh courtesy of RiderX Spitteler.
The bar area – which appeared with Shangri-La (as noted) and also, with a redress, in Giger City (see: Hera’s Drune Giger City in Second Life) – offers a particular attraction for those looking for a place to hide away, but looking up at the towers of the builds and among the tress around it, and you’ll likely find more.
Hera’s India, May 2022
To the front of the build, elephants (admittedly African, but as I’ve noted in the past, the Asian variety is in short supply in SL) and tigers wait to greet visitors as they pass from the landing zone and climb the stairs into the build, while Shiva keeps an eye on all that goes on. Further inside are open-air passages and walks winding around the main structures, offering a route out to where the bar sits on its own island, and to where a temple-like building points an individual tower into the sky on the opposite side of the main building group to the landing zone.
Compact, easy to explore and with plenty of places to relax, India is again a photogenic build from Hera.
Now open at Kultivate Magazine’s The Edge Gallery is a new ensemble exhibition of art to take us through the end of May and into June 2022.
The Edge is the home of black-and-white art displays at Kultivate’s home of Water Haven, making it a particular attraction for me, as I very much appreciate monochrome and black-and-white art, and have been endeavouring to develop my own technique with it, which I may get around to showing at some point.
This exhibition at The Edge opened on May 22nd, and is without a given theme, allowing the artists free rein over the pieces they’ve selected to display. The participating artists are: Dawnbeam Dreamscape, Sophia Galewind, Lena Kiopak, Maaddi, Hannah Starlight, Tacca Exotic, Vita Theas and Myra Wildmist.
The Edge Gallery: Dawnbeam Dreamscape, Tacca Exotic and Sophia Galewind
As might be expected from such a gathering, the pieces on offer leans very much towards being avatar-focused, with three of the artists – Lena Kiopak, Hannah Starlight and Tacca Exotic opting to display a single piece each, all in a large format.
Lena is one of only two artists in the gathering to completely avoid avatars in her image(s), leaving The Passage as an powerfully eye-catching piece which calls to the observer, beckoning them to walk its length and into the waiting story. Similarly, Hannah’s His Song is highly sensual and artistically given whilst Tacca’s Emergence-1 matches the power of The Passage, but in a wholly different way.
The other artists to avoid avatar is Vita Theas, who once again present six superbly processed and presented landscape pieces rich in life, whilst Sophia and and Maadi offer a mix of avatar studies and landscapes – with Sophia’s b r e a t h e again particularly capturing my eye. Myra, meanwhile offers a set of five images that together form Myra Dances, something of a life and motion study.
Serene Footman continues his renewed region design partnership with Jade Koltai, with the two opening their latest offering to Second Life users on May 21st, this one taking us deep into Mexico and the ghostly settlement of Ojuela.
Located within the state of Durango, Ojuela initially gained some notoriety in the 17th century as a place where gold and silver could be found, both having been discovered there by Spanish prospectors in 1598. However, it was the discovery of assorted minerals – some 177 different types in all, including adamite, calcite, legardite, rosasite and fluorite – that really spurred the mining operations in the area.
Ojuela, May 2022
By the 19th century, mining operations had given rise to a small settlement on the mountain housing the the mine, and this underwent significant expansion as miners tbrought their families to settle with them and a railhead was established for transporting mined minerals to nearby Mapimí.
It was at the end of the 19th century that the town’s most famous landmark – and focal point for Jade and Serene’s build – was constructed. This is the impressive Ojuela Bridge, designed by Wilhelm Hildenbrand. With a span of 271.5 metres, on completion in 1898 it was the world’s the third longest suspension bridge. However, by the time it was completed mining at Ojuela – now under the control of the Peñoles mining company (today the second largest mining conglomerate in Mexico) – was starting to experience increasing issues with shafts flooding and waning mineral deposits.
The Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920 did not help with production at the mine, and following the end of the fighting, Peñoles opted to withdraw, leasing the mine back to local miners. However, by the early 1930s, with the mine suffering from severe flooding and the accessible mineral veins exhausted, Ojuela was abandoned, bringing to an end around 350 years of continuous mining which had yielded 6 million tons of thoroughly oxidised ore carrying 90 million ounces of silver, 0.6 million ounces of gold and 1.8 billion pounds of lead.
With the mine abandoned the town was left to nature, and today little remains. However, the Ojuela Bridge has been luckier. A major restoration project was started in the late 1980s, culminating in it being fully restored and re-opened as a pedestrian bridge (and tourist attraction) in 1991.
Ojuela, May 2022
Given they only have a single region to work within, Serene and Jade have – as always – captured the core essence of their subject perfectly, blending the region with a surround to offer a real sense of being in a mountainous setting. From the massive bridge gantries – built be Serene – through to the surrounding peaks, they’ve taken a huge amount of care to offer an engaging mix of physical fidelity at scale with the original setting and a degree of artistic licence.
Fore example, the remnants of the Ojuela township, are perhaps more complete here than in the physical world Ojuela, where they are referred to as “ruins” and “foundations” – but this adds to the attractiveness of Jade and Serene’s Ojuela, allowing visitors to gather a sense of how it might have appears in the years following the immediate abandonment.
Ojuela, May 2022
The bridge itself cleverly uses Serene’s own work and commercially-available bridge elements and is simply a masterpiece, spanning as it does the deep gorge that comes complete with the shadowy entrance to a cave (or older mineshaft) that can also bee seen in many photographs taken around the actual bridge. The model fully captures the cabling of the original and the sensation evoked when crossing it is such that all it needs is a couple of materials surfaces to allow the natural creaking of wood in response to walking on the boards together with the susurration of a breeze through the cables, as one would definitely have the sensation of crossing the actual bridge.
As is usual for the team’s work, Ojuela includes multiples places to sit and appreciate the setting, together with local wildlife and the use of a gentle soundscape to add definition and depth to a visit.
Ojuela, May 2022
Admittedly, I’ve opted from a brighter daylight setting with the images here than has been created for Ojuela, the region’s environment being more of a twilight nature, but this shouldn’t put you off visiting: Serene’s and Jade’s work is always richly engaging and rewarding to see whilst it remains available to appreciate.
Vibes Gallery: Almost Blue(s) – Anaya Oneiro and Tutsy Navarathna
Almost Blue(s) is an ensemble exhibition featuring the work of 16 artists brought together in the gallery spaces at Vibes Gallery, curated by Eviana (eviana Robbiani).
The introduction to the exhibition speaks pretty much for itself – and is expanded upon in the halls itself.
Because blue is favoured by so many people, it is often seen as a non-threatening colour that can seem conservative and traditional. Blue brings to mind feelings of calm or serenity. It is often described as peaceful, tranquil, secure and orderly. Blue is often seen as a sign of stability and reliability.
Vibes Gallery: Almost Blue(s) – Peachy Holst, Hermes Kondor and Kiron
The artists participating in the exhibition comprise:
Theatre 7: Kimeu Korg, Meilo Minotaur, Shane Spero, Sonic and Karma Weymann.
Theatre 9: Mya Audebarn, Evie Heights, Matt Marcus, Jo Molinaro, Ooxooi and Cate Vogel.
The majority of the artists offer two or three images that encompass the overall blue theme, with the majority of the images taking the form of avatar studies, some of which use blue tinting / lighting to convey a mood / emotion (as with Jo Molinaro. Mya Audebarn or Anaya Oneiro) or offer a narrative frame for a story (e.g. Matt Marcus or Tutsy Navarathna). Some sway toward broader tonal pieces to convey emotion / ideas (e.g. Kiron or Ooxooi), whilst all offer an engaging and richly diverse series on pieces that demonstrate individual talents to the fullest.
Vibes Gallery: Almost Blue(s) – Mya Audebarn, Cate Vogel and Jo Molinaro
Adding a sense of emotion and depth to each of the theatres are additional words – the lyrics from Almost Blue by Elvis Costello, the represents of music through the colour blue – or, if you prefer, the description of the tones musical instruments in terms of the colour blue -, which serve to add a further layer of interpretation to the pieces on display.
With pieces that both contract and compliment whilst reflecting and interpreting the central theme through multiple ideas, forms and narratives, Almost Blue(s) is an engaging exhibition set out within a gallery space that doesn’t leave you feeling overwhelmed by the pieces on display.
What The Buzz, May 2022 – click any image for full size
November 2022: What the Buzz has relocated. Willow Creek appears to have closed.
The Destination Guide led me to a little corner of Heterocera called What the Buzz. Designed by Emm (HeyEmm) and located within the larger Willow Creek National Park – a place I’ll be covering in more detail in a future piece.
What the Buzz is, to quote Emm:
An interactive bee/pollinator reserve. Wander the path and stop at the yellow signs to learn about the different ways that YOU can help save and protect our precious pollinator population. Try your hand at virtual farming with the DFS Community Garden or relax at Firefly Lake and take in all of the sights and sounds.
What The Buzz, May 2022
Bees are the major type of pollinator in many ecosystems that contain flowering plants; so important that of the estimated one-third of the human food supply dependent on pollination actually receives it via bees, either wild or domesticated. They are thus a vital – if declining, due to a variety of reasons – role in the lifecycle of plants.
This and more is covered with What the Buzz, a walk through a garden-like setting, rich in plant life and areas in which visitors can learn about bees, their habitats, pollination, keeping bees, and more. Signs along the way can be touch for information, and – if they wish – also learn about the “Digital Farm System (DFS) through the What The Buzz Community Garden, where a number of vegetables, herbs and crops are being grown.
What The Buzz, May 2022
Located on the main trail that winds its way through Willow Creek National Park, What the Buzz can be explored on foot or via horseback (horse rezzer at the park’s main landing zone for those who don’t have their own to wear).
It is clear that Emm has taken considerable care in putting the setting together: areas of interest are clearly marked, and touch signs will either provide well-written information on bees and bee-keeping via note card or take you to website where further information can be obtained on helping bees in the physical world, such as creating your own pollinator garden.
What The Buzz, May 2022
At the same time, the garden spaces, located alongside an orchard, the park’s lake, offer opportunities for a careful walk within a Nature’s lap, places to sit and relax, and sits as a good place to start an exploration of the Willow Creek park as a whole
Rounded-out by a fitting soundscape, What the Buzz is a charming, informative and photogenic setting well worth visiting and wandering through – and I’ll be taking more of a look at the park as a whole in the near future, as noted!
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 