Category: Reviews

2020 will be – indeed is being – recorded as one of the most unpleasant years of the current century. For some, it marks the culmination of a period in which the politics of division and deceit have held sway, bringing forth the best in some and the worst in others.  For all, it has been the year in which a pandemic held sway, bringing personal and community hardship and suffering, whilst further amplifying both the best and worst in people in terms of care and support, and selfishness and carelessness.

The coming of the end of the year will not bring an end to all that has happened – the pandemic will not up and vanish;  nor will the division and deceit be so easily overcome. However, the end of the year does mark the opportunity for reflect on all that has happened in the last twelve months. With the Path to Oneself Reflection, the SL Random Art Crew led by RoxkSie (Roxie Logan)  have sought to do just that, by offering an immersive, art-focused environment that seeks to encourage us to review the year and consider all that has happened, and the manner in which it has both divided and united people.

This is both a complex and evocative installation, one in which art, mythology and history are brought together to frame our exploration of the year and offer subtle context to help steer thoughts and consideration. This actually makes Path difficult to define in writing, but when visited, easy to conceptualise – and as such, I do encourage people to pay a visit before it closes at the end of December 2020.

From the landing point, visitors descend steps to a path through a canyoned landscape in which the seasons pass as a part of the passage through the high rocky walls. Along the way, visitors pass first Michelanglo’s David, together with a explanatory text. Originally commissioned as one of a series of statues, it came to symbolise the defence of civil liberties within the Republic of Florence. Thus here, it is a reminder that the years leading up to 2020, as well as the year itself, have seen the very real erosion of the civil liberties afforded to some; whilst for others, the sensible constraints we have all been asked to observe until effective vaccines can be made available to overcome the threat of COVID-19, are – somewhat foolishly – have been an unbearable toll on their liberties.

Beyond this, a  statue of Mnemosyne encourages us to consider our own memories of the year and to recall how the year has affected us, together with a general introduction to Path, providing us with the approach the installation takes in informing, challenging and encouraging; the vignettes that follow recalling the events of the year – both directly and indirectly, and through the use the of figures from history and mythology -, each offered within the season of the year in which it occurred, culminating with the cold of winter, where we can consider the coming year and the role we might play.

Throughout the installation, events are presented in a manner that both gives pause for our own reflection and which offer counterpointed views. For example, up on a peak, we’re encouraged to consider the way fear of the pandemic led to a run on essential goods in stores as a result of selfish hoarding by some, counterpointed by the fact many acted selflessly to ensure the vulnerable within their families / communities were correctly shielded and cared for.

Also to be found are warnings that, as mentioned above, all that has happened both throughout 2020 and the the years leading up to it is not going to vanish with the turning of the year: there are wounds that will take time ho heal, and the pandemic itself has yet to be brought under control. Which is not to say this is a dark, brooding, installation. The presence of the art, the use of mythology and historical characters reminds us that humanity is capable of creating lasting beauty and has the ability to come together for its own betterment, whilst the setting itself reminds us that, like the seasons, life is always changing, offering a chance for renewal and growth.

Again, words alone do not do justice to this installation; a visit really is needed to grasp all of its context. Doing so also provides the opportunity to help the artists in their support for Relay for Life by making a donation at one of the RFL kiosks to be found within the installation. For those who enjoy the spoken word, stories are offered every Monday – details are available at the story amphitheatre that forms a part of the installation – and when visiting, do make sure you have local sounds enabled for the fullest experience.

Slurl Details

• Path to Oneself Reflection (Devil’s Legion, rated General).

Selen’s Gallery, owned and curated by Selen (Selen Minotaur), opened its doors to the public on Tuesday, December 1st, 2020, offering visitors the chance to appreciate her photography and art. A long-time resident of Second Life, the gallery is a further step in Selen’s evolution as a Second Life artist, coming a year after she decided to create a Flickr account, which has (rightly) been building a following among other Second Life users  on that platform.

I have always been passionate about art in general and therefore, like many of us, I appreciate the beauty and all the opportunities for creativity that this amazing virtual world allows.

I started photography years ago and did more than 500 photos before daring to open my own Flickr account in December 2019. I like to explore many different styles depending on the mood, playing with Windlights or setting my own lights (I use Lumipro), adjusting or creating some poses (with Anypose) and post-editing each image using several editing tools (Kvadphoto+ pro, Photoscape, Photoshop express and a bit of Gimp).

– Selen on her art

Offering two floors in which to display her art, the gallery presents as its opening displays two selections of Selen’s work: Dreams, Moments and Desire on the lower floor, and a series of black-and-white on the upper. Unsurprisingly, given Selen’s own description above, these are predominantly avatar studies, although some feature within the lower floor display are focused on the sculptures of Mistero Hifeng.

Whether monochrome or colour these are all expressive pieces, offering individual studies  – some touching on the risqué -, some touching on fantasy, and others offering a marvellous sense of period within the black-and-white studies, with many offering a hint of narrative to them, making both collections a richly rewarding visit.

As well as working with 2D images, the gallery is home to 3D art – some by Selen herself, other pieces by some of the artists she most admires, all of them further increasing the depth of art to be appreciated.

In addition, and as well as using lighting to good effect within her 2D art, Selen also uses it for further visual effect within the gallery – so when visiting, be sure to make sure you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM → Preferences → Graphics → check Advanced Lighting Model) and, if your system will support it, shadow rendering enabled to add to the overall lighting effects.

Engaging and rich in content, Selen’s Gallery is a welcome addition to the Second Life art community.

SLurl Details

• Selen’s Gallery (Royale, rated Moderate)

Currently open at the Third Eye Gallery curated by Jaz (Jessamine2108) is Moonlight Dancer, an interactive exhibition by Jaz and Harry Cover (Impossibleisnotfrench). Now, to be honest,this is another exhibit I’m getting to somewhat on the late side (again due to RL commitments), and so it may not be open too much longer – but I do recommend a visit before it closes, as it is something very unique.

The focus of the installation is the story of a young girl who is suffering from Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP).  This is a genetic disorder that causes a decreased ability for the body repair DNA damage such as that caused by ultraviolet light. Visible symptoms include a severe sunburn after only a few minutes in the sun, freckling in sun exposed areas, dry skin and changes in skin pigmentation. These can also occur alongside physical and nerve-related issues such as hearing loss, poor coordination, and loss of intellectual function, while complications can include high risk of skin cancer (with around 50% of young children suffering from the condition developing skin cancer by age ten without preventative measures), cataracts / corneal blindness, seizures, and the potential for sufferers to develop additional cancer, including brain cancer.

There is no cure for the condition, and treatment (outside of cancer treatments, should these occur) comprises protective clothing and sunglasses when outdoors,remaining out of the Sun for as much as possible and vitamin D supplements. The average life expectancy of those diagnosed is around 35 years if no neurological complications occur, or around 28-30 years should neurological complications occur.

Moonlight Dancer presents the story of the girl as nine interactive chapters, each contained within its own display area. Chapters initially appear as an open magazine lying on a bare wood floor that can be read “as is”, but if touched will invite the reader to rez a scene that matches the chapter, creating a 3D scene. Included in this scene is a larger version of the magazine (for easier reading) and a headphones icon.  Chick the latter, and you’ll be able to hear the chapter as read by Fionn Bookmite – just click the offered media play button.

Set in India – where XP has one of its highest incidences – 1 in 370 – and life expectancy is at the shorter end of the range  for those suffering from it, the story follows a young man, Raj who encounters the young girl (Priya), as she dances by Moonlight. Intrigued, he strikes up a conversation with her, and thus starts to learn about her condition. Thus a relationship is struck between them, and we are able to witness its growth whilst simultaneously learning about XP ourselves, and the life those who are afflicted must live, their world a place where not only sunlight can be lethal, but in which just about any source of UV radiation can take its toll: television, computer and mobile ‘phone screens – even electric lights.

I’m not going to give the entire story away – people should visit Moonlight Dancer and follow it for themselves. What I will say is that the story and the installation is exceptionally well done – and quite moving as it builds towards its ending. I’ll also say that it is not merely an info dump about XP: it is also a story of strength, love, hope and light shining within a (quite literal) darkness.

I come from India. I was shocked to learn the high degree of prevalence. We always think that because we have darker skin, it will handle the sun better, but that is not the case. Harry and I were looking at XP casually when I read about the cases in India and it is sad. The heroine in this story is fairly well off, but when it is in the poorer sections of the society it is even worse … And most people are not aware that something like this exists, so Harry and I wanted to make people aware of it.

Jaz, on developing Moonlight Dancer

I understand that Moonlight Dancer will remain open until the weekend of the 5th / 6th December 2020 – and I do recommend you stop by; you can also find more information on XP, including world-wideorganisations helping to treat those affected with it, via Google.

With thanks to Jaz for the invite, and Cale for the reminder to visit.

SLurl Details

• Third Eye Gallery (Midnight Sanctum, rated Moderate)