Category: Reviews

Kun-Tei-Ner: a water world in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

Kun-Tei-Ner; Inara Pey, May 2019, on FlickrKun-Tei-Ner – click any image for full size

Update: in keeping with Lotus and Fred offers different regions designs through the year and at different locations, Kun-Tei-Ner has closed. Slurls have therefore been removed from this article.

Kun-Tei-Ner is the name of the latest region design by the combined talents of Lotus Mastroianni and Fred Hamilton (frecoi). Between them, Lotus and Fred have been core parts of the design teams behind the likes of The Missing Whale (see The Missing Whale in Second Life), Little Havana (see A trip to Havana, with a little Voodoo In My Blood) and, most recently HoPe (HoPe: a world without humankind). In some ways, Kun-Tei-Ner, which opened on May 19th, 2019, is a continuation of HoPe.

With HoPe, we were presented with an environment that had suffered some kind of catastrophe, at least one part of which appeared to have been some form of natural disaster. In Kun-Tei-Ner, the theme of the natural disaster / event is continued, with the world apparently having suffered a massive ecological and environmental change, leaving it pretty much a water world, as the description of the region explains:

This is a place years ahead of us with no land. Humans have produced a lot of things…and many things are [now] useless. A city grows up on a huge mountain of containers filled with broken technological stuff, abandoned or fallen from ships.

Kun-Tei-Ner; Inara Pey, May 2019, on FlickrKun-Tei-Ner

And so it is that we are invited into one of the most unique and original environments currently to be found in Second Life: a marvellous mini archipelago of tall, close-packed islands rising from the sea, built from shipping containers gathered from who-knows-where, brought together to create the shoreline, hills, apartments and places of commerce this corner of humanity’s survivors treat as home.

Stacked together like Lego® bricks – and almost as colourful – the containers form everything one might expect from a close-packed group of islets: there are high peaks, valleys, ocean fronts, low-lying “flatlands” … Yes, all are obviously painted metals, but attempts have clearly been made to make things look more natural and return a hint of nature to the setting, with ivy and vines strung from the sides of some containers, well clear of where they might otherwise be splashed and contaminated by salt water.

Kun-Tei-Ner; Inara Pey, May 2019, on FlickrKun-Tei-Ner

The containers that have been converted into homes have had holes cut into their sides or have had their end or doors removed, the holes replaced by wooden frames, sliding doors, and windows cut from what looks to be sheets of acetate plastic. Others offer places of commerce: a pizza bar here, an little Japanese-style food market there ….

These, with their lit neon signs, at first look incongruous given the overall theme of the setting, but it is clear that power is not an issue here: the upper reaches of the container “hills” are lit by flashing neon billboards, and someone has taken the opportunity to place traditional wooden advertising hoardings up as well. Perhaps some of the power for the neons signs comes from the wind turbines sitting just of the “coast” of these iron islands, but there are signs of other industrial activity as well: great pipes rise from the waters to plug themselves into containers, while others run from one set of containers to another as a tall smoke stack belches orange smoke to drift in the wind.

Kun-Tei-Ner; Inara Pey, May 2019, on FlickrKun-Tei-Ner

It is clear from this that there is some form of heavy plant hidden within some of the stacked containers. Does it provide power? is it helping to grow foodstuffs hidden by corrugated steel walls? That’s up for you as a visitor to decide. There are other signs that technology has survived as well: a large satellite communication dish points its eye towards a spot in the sky, while a satellite receiver appears to be obtaining video signals from another orbital system.

Finding your way around the islands is a matter of following the LED arrows on the floors and walls of the containers, while bridges formed from wood and rope, open-ended container and metal gantries connect the different islands. The arrows point to multiple routes and passages around the islands, making exploration a walk of discovery, at least some of which is observed from above by a flying sculpture of a whale shark.

Kun-Tei-Ner; Inara Pey, May 2019, on FlickrKun-Tei-Ner

The paths offer a lot to see, from the interiors of the living containers, to the food market and pizza bar to multiple places to sit, indoors and out. They can also offer plenty of opportunities for photography.. Just be sure to give the region the time it deserves when visiting.

The region designs by Lotus and Fred are generally available for around a month before they kick-off their next project. So, in case that will be so for Kun-Tei-Ner, a visit sooner than later might be advisable to avoid missing what is – as noted – a fascinating setting worthy of exploration.

Captivated by FionaFei’s art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
FionaFei: Shuǐmò

Shuǐmò, or shuǐmòhuà (suiboku-ga in Japanese), is a type of East Asian ink wash painting that uses different concentrations of black ink to create an image. It first emerged in Tang dynasty China (618–907), before spreading to Japan (14th century), Korea and to India. Beside the use of black ink in place of colours, it is also marked by the emphasis of the brushwork being on the perceived spirit or essence of the subject, rather than directly imitating its appearance.

It is also a form of art that has been quite marvellously brought to life by Second Life and physical world artist FionaFei as the basis of her latest art exhibition. This features a core element called Wo Men Dakai, which Fiona describes thus:

Wo Men Dakai (Chinese for “My Door Opens”) is an art installation I’ve created in the style of Chinese ink brush painting. The purpose of the space is for a role-play Firefly-based RP where my RP character YiLi graduates into a Registered Companion. However, the inspiration for the creation is from my own personal artistic journey in real life and in second life, and most of it really stems from who I am as an artist in both realities.

– FionaFei

FionaFei: Shuǐmò

While not everyone might be familiar with Joss Whedon’s (too) short-lived science fiction TV series Firefly (from which I freely admit taking my first name in Second Life!), having such knowledge is not s prerequisite for any visit to, or appreciation of, this installation.

From the landing point, visitors are invited to walk along unrolled scrolls of xuan paper, the traditional material for Shuǐmò painting. On these are painted the Chinese symbols for Wo Men Dakai as they point the way to a pair of great red doors. When touched, these will slowly open (just give them time) to reveal the gallery space proper.

FionaFei: Shuǐmò

This is a spherical space that is the embodiment of shuǐmò; a Chinese water garden wherein all the major features are produced as ink wash images / pieces: the bridge, the lilies floating on the water, the rocks on which the art is displayed, the overhead rocks from which water falls in black-and-white lines to fill the pool of the water lily garden.

FionaFei: Shuǐmò

Shuǐmò might be described as an ancient Oriental form of what we in the west call impressionism; a form of art where – as noted above – the aim is to capture the essence, not imitate the physical.

So, for example, when painting an animal, the ink wash painter seeks to present the animal’s temperament, not is muscles, sinews and bone structure. And so it is with the gallery structures here: the form and essential essence of the bridge, the lilies and surrounding plants are provided, while the intrinsic details: complete railings on the bridge, the details veins on leaves and petals is not so relevant.

Within the space are two marvellous and contrasting selections of art.

The first is a trio of 3D pieces, again in a traditional Chinese style bordering on shuǐmò, but which use add splashes of colour – red and green – that, together with the animations – bring a sense of life and vitalities to the pieces in an completely enticing manner.

The second is a beautiful set of charcoal on newsprint studies of the human body. These fourteen drawing offer the strongest contrast to the shuǐmò theme, presenting as they do a very western approach to anatomically detailed art featuring the human body, male or female – but which, through the use of charcoal in varying concentrations, nevertheless contain within them an echo of shuǐmò.

“I see life and my journey as a painting. It can be forever an evolving piece,” Fiona notes of her art. “At any given time, you think you’ve reached the end of it, but you can always add to it, layer it, and change it. In a sense, each brush stroke is like a footprint.”

In recognition of this, and as a part of the interactive nature of the exhibit, visitors are invited to take a selection of footprints (shoes, bare feet and paws), wear them, and leave their own marks (albeit temporary) as they “follow their own path” through the installation. There are also some koi carp gifts available at the landing point as well.

FionaFei: Shuǐmò

A truly marvellous exhibition by a wonderfully talented artist – but don’t just take my word for it. Go and see for yourself. My thanks to Pieni for the pointer!

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A farewell to Chouchou?

Posted on by Inara Pey
Chouchou, 2018

Update, October 1st: it has been announced Chouchou will remain in Second Life as part of the Second Life Region Preservation Society (SLRPS) – see Chouchou set to remain in Second Life – and there’s more for details).

Update, May 23rd: following an e-mail exchange on May 23rd, Second Life user Rikutojam from Japan, who managed to contact Juliet Herberle, one half of ChouChou, Rikutojam was able to confirm that it is the couple’s wish that the Chouchou region close in late June.

Reports that the ChouChou regions look set to close “soon” have been doing the rounds over the last 24 hours, together with hopes that Linden Lab might be able to step in and preserve the regions as a part of Second Life’s cultural heritage.

Designed by Japanese pianist Arabesque Choche and vocalist Juliet Heberle, who together form the successful musical duet of Chouchou, the regions are among some of the longest running, unchanged private island environments to be found in Second Life, and are an absolute delight for all who encounter them. I made my first visit in 2012 (see Chouchou: blending music and art in SL), and have been back many times since, being particularly drawn to the sky build of  Memento Mori (located on ChouChou V), a quite remarkable cathedral.

Chouchou: Memento Mori

A Collaborative build by Juliet in collaboration with Miya Grut, and with the support of Yuki Aabye, this is a build pre-dating mesh and is utterly stunning in the intricate beauty of its construction. It’s a place to go when one wants to contemplate thoughts and gain a measure of piece – and which marks ChouChou is a place worthy of preservation entirely on its own.

But it stands far from alone; from the timeless minimalist beauty of the waterlogged ground level, through to Memento Mori and passing by way of Islamey, another sky build, ChouChou is truly an artistic delight.

With its tea house built over water, and walks under cherry blossoms, Islamey was once the venue for concerts, and remains another place for quiet contemplation; somewhere you can come when you want to give free passage to thoughts and ideas, or when you simply want to let Chouchou’s music gently soothe you.

ChouChou: Islamey

As I noted in my last article on ChouChou prior to this one (see Return to Chouchou and a musical crossing of the divide, from 2018), the regions are quite transcendental in presentation and emotional response. Therefore, and if you have not visited it before or if you wish to renew your memories of these stunning regions lest they do vanish from Second Life, I would strongly suggest you visit them in the next few days.

In the meantime, and if I may, I’ll leave you with my own 2018 video of Memento Mori.

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On the road in Bellisseria in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The boathouse at Fourze, a way point on a drive around parts of Bellisseria

Since it opened, Bellisseria, the new Linden Homes continent, has started to develop into a thriving community of those not only interested in having a home there, but also in developing a community spirit. To assist with this, the Lab incorporated a number of social areas throughout the continent, such as the pool area in Gaim, which serves both the coastal houses and house boats in the area, and – most recently, it terms of this article – the Squishy Pickle bar in the houseboat regions added in May 2019.

However, residents have also added their own, creating the first public rez zones in the continent on their own properties and their own social spaces, such a pubs. where people can gather. As such, I thought I’d take a little road trip around the continent, using some of these locations as way points.

The beach-side pool at Gaim, the starting-point for my little drive

My starting point was the pool area at Gaim, selected simply because it is the closest public social area to my houseboat. From here, I took the coastal road north, heading up to Normandale, a region with several public spaces within walking distance of the local houses, including a picnic area looking out towards the Coral Waters airstrip off the coast. From here, and before reaching New Bigby, with its extensive west-facing beach, I turned inland.

The route led me past one of numerous show homes scattered across the continent. Like many such house, this one, by Apple Fall is open for people to come in and get ideas for interior décor for their homes. Sadly I couldn’t stop as I’d risk seeing my car go poof, so I continued east, passing through Greenbow, then taking a short run through the still-to-be-named SSPE228 with a brief turn north into Rockham and then east once more to Fourze.

The Apple Falls show home, one of many scattered across Bellisseria

This took me past a riverside seating area before turning north along the coast, past one of the many little boathouses that are open to the public (as which I thought might be earmarks to become rezzing zones at some point); this one, pictured in the banner of this articles, looks out over one of the lighthouses that do have rezzing areas. Continuing north took me through Kiva and on to Maple Cross, with its hilltop garden area (which perhaps could use a little smoothing in some of the terraforming).

One of my primary destinations for this trip was Buitenwijk, and the Red Lion pub. Now, I’ll be honest, whenever I hear or read the words traditional English pub, I tend to shiver, as so often the words don’t tend to measure up to what we in the UK might regard as a “pub”. However, the Red Lion’s owner, Matty (Matty Luminos), is also from the UK, and the Red Lion does indeed offer the look and feel of a modern boutique-style pub, where a selection of beers, ales, wines and more might be pleasantly imbibed either indoors or out in the garden. With its riverside location.

The Red Lion pub

While the Red Lion offers open rezzing, calling-up a car in the garden would be rude, so instead, I resumed my travels via my trusty Roadrunner scooter, by Ape Piaggio (see A Second Life Roadrunner for more). Riding this, I again headed north, passing the impressive arc of the Capitol Springs Bridge, before continuing on through the houses to the rez point at what is currently called SPPE133. At this point, I cheekily swapped my scooter for my MD900 helo (which I quickly shoved onto the grass alongside the road after sitting in it!), and took to the skies for a quick flight back to my houseboat.

I’ve seen Bellisseria being referred to by some bloggers as a “ghetto”. I’m not sure where that perception comes from – outside of perhaps not having visited. Yes, the styles of homes are (for the present) somewhat limited (four variations of house and four variations of houseboat). But as any trip along the roads or waterways of Bellisseria or flights across the continent demonstrate, there is already sufficient variety of house style, coupled with people’s approaches to decorating their homes and gardens – including the various “extension” and “party packs” for interior / exterior supplements – to make Bellisseria a diverse and pleasant environment, entirely undeserving of the epithet.

Capitol Springs Bridge, one of many landmarks in Bellisseria

For my part, I’m becoming increasingly persuaded by the attractions of Bellisseria and the growing community spirit within it – hence why I’ll be writing for The Bellisserian, the continent’s new resident-run newspaper.  I plan to spend more time travelling through Bellisseria and, from time-to-time writing about places of interest within the continent like the Red Lion and the various Linden / Mole defined public spaces. In this, I would perhaps like the Lab to make the land-based rez points more obvious – it’s great having Yasmin’s HUD (see Finding rez zones in Bellisseria – Yasmin’s free HUD for more) – but having the rez points marked by a sign like those found on other mainland continents with road routes, would be handy – and could be done at the humble cost of 1 LI apiece.

In the meantime, my thanks to Gingir Ghoststar for her note card of points of interest and to the folks of the Bellisseria Citizen’s Group for pointing out additional public places they’ve discovered.

Sketches, paintings, photos and sculptures at La Maison d’Aneli

Posted on by Inara Pey
La Maison d’Aneli: Giovanna Cerise

La Maison d’Aneli, curated by Aneli Abeyante, is hosting another intriguing exhibition of 2D and 3D art. With its opening having taken place on May 15th, the exhibition features Giovanna Cerise, Delalune Ella, McGrafite, Vroum Short, Tshirtkikill Straaf and Mathilde Vhargon.

For her 3D installation, Giovanna Cerise uses a quote from Italian writer and poet, Alda Merini, One lies on the back of the world and feels. It is the final line from Merini’s poem I like the verb “to feel”, one of a series of reflections on words, and the theme of the poem – that of feelings – is the core reflection of the elements of Giovanna’s installation.

La Maison d’Aneli: Giovanna Cerise

These start with a sculpture of a woman lying on her back bearing, appropriately enough, Ci si sdraia sulla schiena del mondo (“one lies on the back of the world”). Around this are pieces with titles intended to evoke emotional states: Waiting, Transcendence, Solitude, Eros. All of these are placed within a series of monochrome geometric forms that echo some of Giovanna’s previous installations and is something of a motif of her work.

Also on the same level of the gallery as Giovanna’s installation is a selection of Mathilde Vhargon’s digital paintings that mix an abstract approach with geometric pieces, most of which are created more-or-less as a stream of consciousness approach, rather that any “premeditated” approach, as Mathilde herself notes:

My paintings suggest themselves to me a little at a time without conscious planning. I often use small sections of them as materials to develop into new paintings … I love strong colours and flowing abstract forms. You will often find ambiguous suggestions that lead the viewer to imagine various possibilities and interpretations.

La Maison d’Aneli: Mathilde Vhargon

Sharing the same level of the gallery is another stunning selection of drawings by McGrafite, also known as Marisa Camelo, MC.

A physical world artist focusing on pencil-based drawings, I was first introduced to her work at the end of 2018 (see The art of MC Grafite in Second Life), when I noted there is only one word that can be used to describe it: striking; the selection of art presented at La Maison d’Aneli fully reinforces this fact.

Beautifully produced, with marvellously clean lines and presentation, these are drawing rich with life and vitality and – in the case of a couple at least – a hint of menace. Such is the beauty of McGraphite’s drawing I admit to being an admirer of her work since that first introduction in December 2018.

La Maison d’Aneli: McGraphite

Beautifully produced, with marvellously clean lines and presentation, these are drawing rich with life and vitality and – in the case of a couple at least – a hint of menace. Such is the beauty of McGraphite’s drawing I admit to being an admirer of her work since that first introduction in December 2018.

On the upper level of the gallery is an exhibition of art and photography by Lune (Delalune Ella). Again split between the main floor and the galleried mezzanine, the lower part of the exhibition features seven pieces of Lune’s digital art. These have a spiritual element to them, which is perhaps most noticeable in the pieces that include mandala-like rosette forms. Rich in vibrant colours, these are modern pieces that quickly captivate and engage.

La Maison d’Aneli: Dellalune Ella

Above them, Lune presents 13 photographs that appear to reflect some of Lune’s travels around the world, and within which a love of water is evident. Again, these are evocative pieces, expressive in their tone and presentation.

Across the hall are twelve pieces by yogib33r (Tshirtkikill Straaf). These are perhaps the most unusual pieces of art I’ve recently come across in Second Life, reproductions of yogib33r’s physical world art. Pen and ink (I believe), these are whimsical pieces that completely defy description, but have a unique charm and attraction about them that allows them to stand as pieces of modern art.

La Maison d’Aneli: Tshirtkikill Straaf

Rounding-out this ensemble exhibition is Mirrors a 3D installation by Vroum Short of Vegetal Planet fame. When visiting, it is essential you have the Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled in your viewer (Preferences > Graphics > make sure Advanced Lighting Model is checked – you do not need to turn on shadows as well), and to set your viewer’s time of day to midnight.

As the name suggests, this is an installation – split between two levels – representing mirrors and reflective surfaces. The installation comprises a series of halls with mirror-like rooms containing static and animated pieces, some of which are designed to physically mirror one another. Created through the use of projectors, these are visually stunning effects – providing you have ALM enabled, as noted above. For those who are interested, the installation includes teleports to Vroum’s Vegetal Planet art region.

La Maison d’Aneli: Vroum Short

A further intriguing ensemble exhibition from one of my favourite SL galleries.

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Shattered Egos in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Lin C Art Gallery: Matt (Thompson)

Shattered Egos is the provocative title of an exhibition of art by Matt (MTH63), which opened on May 11th at the Lin C Art Gallery, curated by Lin Carlucci.

Also known as Matt Thomson in the physical world, Matt is a professional abstract artist and digital designer who, as well as producing some truly fabulous abstract pieces also has a quirky sense of humour, as witnessed by his bio liner notes:

Matt Thomson … approaches his art with innovation, fun and breakfast cereal. Matt believes that art should please the eye and make you feel like a man can paint in a straitjacket. He doesn’t take himself seriously, and his art shows a sense of fun and over dependency on sprouts and curry powder.

– Matt Thompson, describing himself

Lin C Art Gallery: Matt (Thompson)

To use a truism, the beauty of abstract art is oft in the eye of the beholder; or to put it another way, it’s not everyone’s cup of hot brown milky beverage. However, it is among the art forms I particularly enjoy, and I seriously doubt those visiting Shattered Egos will not be captivated by the 20+ pieces Matt presents here.

Rich in colour and contrast, these are pieces that demand exploration and appreciation. Each has a story to tell  – and I urge those visiting to allow each picture to tell its story  as they see it, before using mouse hover / a right click to reveal the name of each piece. By doing this, the manner in which the narrative may suddenly morph – or perhaps be confirmed – is as remarkable as the shifting, swirling colours present within the art.

Lin C Art Gallery: Matt (Thompson)

I’m not sure why the title Shattered Egos has been selected for this exhibition, but I suspect that it is in reflection of the fact that Matt’s work is ego-free. It’s clear from the irreverence he displays towards himself, together with the sheer expressiveness present in the images, it’s clear that each of these pieces has been created with a love of art and free expression, and not as a means of deep self-expression or personal reflection. Hence why, again in his bio liner notes, Matt quotes Oscar Wilde:

Art is the only serious thing in the world. And the artist is the only person who is never serious.

This further makes this selection of art richly engaging and well worth the time taken in visiting the gallery.

Lin C Art Gallery: Matt (Thompson)

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