Reviews – Page 357 – Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld

Trust and art in Second Life

Posted on May 4, 2018January 1, 2022 by Inara Pey

“In my work I like to explore the possibilities of developing a context to display digital images,” Marina Münter says in introducing her exhibition at the University of Texas, San Antonio (UTSA) ArtSpace gallery. Entitled Adcredo – meaning “believe”, “give credence to”, or more generally “trust” – the translation Marina prefers – it is a curious / intriguing installation.

Under a large tent-like drape, held up by ropes extending from the ceiling of the gallery space, is a large, C-shaped table space, set-out for a meal, centred around an arrangement of potted plants. The tables provide 44 places, all of which are occupied by 44 identical wooden marionette bodies, each topped by a head-and-shoulders photograph of an 44 avatar, each of them blindfolded.

Marina points out that Adcredo is strongly inspired by the Tropicália, an artistic movement which arose in Brazil in the 60’s. A dominant principle of Tropicália was antropofagia, a type of cultural cannibalism that encouraged the conflation of disparate influences, out of which could be created something unique.

Antropofiagia is also perhaps the dominant aspect of Adcredo, which seems to bring together aspects of identity, societal ritual (dinner as a social event), and a unique setting by which it can be framed – the tent, the plants and carved animals.

For example, the marionettes and identical place settings suggest the conformity of society; the ritual nature of a group meal (as noted above), and the social niceties it involves; and the question of who we really are to others – and ourselves – as pictured by the blindfolds, which itself encompasses the title of the installation: trust – trusting one another when sightless, and trusting the one taking the photo.

All of this makes for an installation that builds on the essential approach Marina takes to her work: providing a contextual framework (the dinner and place settings) by which to display her images; to potentially build something of greater depth, an installation where almost every element has a potential meaning or a possible comment to make.

As such Adcredo presents itself as both a straightforward exhibition of photography and a layered presentation of ideas.

SLurl Details

UTSA ArtSpace (Rated: Moderate)

The return of The Shire in Second Life

Posted on May 2, 2018April 9, 2021 by Inara Pey

The Shire – click any image for full size

We were delighted to receive an invitation from Ima Peccable to visit the newly re-opened The Shire, the enchanting Tolkien-themed region designed by Chocolate Aftermath, and which Ima is now helping to run. As it’s been over two-and-a-half years since our last visit, we grabbed the first eagle flight across the waters and dropped in for a visit.

For me, the great attraction with this region has always been the way it blends considered region design with a very Shire-like feel, where hobbits and Big Folk can mix.

The Shire

The new design for the region retains this feel, although the landscape is perhaps further removed from Tolkien’s Shire, being somewhat rugged and suggestive of a coastal region of Middle Earth, complete with multiple small islands lying off the main bulk of the land. There’s also more of an elven feel to the place than perhaps on our last visit, which harkens back to the time of my first visit in March 2015, when the region originally captivated my eye and heart.

I’m not sure whether it is merely a matter of the intervening years playing tricks on me or not, but this new iteration of The Shire seems to have more rental properties on offer than previous iterations. Nevertheless, it still has plenty for the casual visitor to see and appreciate, and the overall design means that it is hard to accidentally transgress into someone’s private space.

The Shire

A good many of the rental parcels are located on the outlying islands or on small headlands extending from the main bulk of the land, with its public upland areas located atop the tall cliffs. It is here that the landing point sits within a pair of tree houses linked by a rope bridge and which is home to the rental map for the region. It shares the plateau with a garden area and a windmill, with different paths leading down from the plateau offer assorted ways to explore the region along its public paths.

The rental properties are a mix of hobbit holes and regular houses, while two towers suitable for wizards overlook the land. There aren’t intended for rent (as far as we could tell at least, but appear to offer high perches from which to look out over the land. Also to be found along the paths and trails leading around the region are elven-like gazebos offering places to sit under crystal domes – and in one case at least, a feast fit for a … hobbit; while out on a tongue of land stretching out into the water sits a larger structure, set for weddings or other celebratory events.

The Shire

These seeking a place to live in Second Life that has its roots in fantasy but without overburdening rules might want to give The Shire a look; the mix of accommodation is rich and – for those wanting a little extra privacy – extends into the sky, where houses float serenely on little airborne islands of their own. Also scattered around the region are little reminders of Tolkien – such as the spider’s webs to be found here and there providing little echoes of a certain journey through Mirkwood, while mushrooms can also be found, offering another reminder of a path trod by a certain group of hobbits.

The public area of the region seems to be a little more limited that in previous iterations, and the outlying islands, while offering those renting them an added level of privacy, do tend to break up the land somewhat – there’s no direct route from them to the public places should residents wish to enjoy them. However, this doesn’t detract from the peaceful beauty of the region nor the opportunity to take photos or simply relax with a visit. Certainly, for those who wish to rent a parcel within The Shire, the region has a lot to offer by way of finding a Homely House.

The Shire

With thanks to Ima for the invitation.

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The Shire (The Shire, rated: Moderate)

Cica at Paris Metro in Second Life

Posted on May 1, 2018October 15, 2024 by Inara Pey

Cica Ghost is widely known for her 3D art installations – which I always find a joy to blog about. Within many of her installations visitors will often find little two-dimensional stick figures, often animated. While perhaps less well-known to many more recent appreciators of art in Second Life, is that these two-dimensional pieces are very much a part of Cica’s Art, and have formed central parts of past exhibitions she has displayed in-world.

A reminder of this can currently be found at the Paris Metro Art Gallery, which is hosting a modest but charming exhibition of Cica’s work, 2D and 3D. On display are five of Cica’s 2D art elements, four of them her wonderful stick figure characters: three framed, and the fourth to be seen riding his bicycle along one wall, appearing and disappearing at either end of the barn-like setting for the exhibition.

Also on offer are several of the quirky (and fun) little vehicles Cica often provides within her 3D installations so that visitors can drive around in them.

The first of these – and one of my favourites – is the catomobile from 50 Cats (see here for more), just inside the gallery’s front entrance and sitting with the 2D art.beyond the dividing wall are six more of the vehicles, with the Catomobile, BirdCar and MouseCar offered as drivable models for pootling around the exhibition space. As well as these, the exhibition has elements visitors my recognised from installations such as the metals girders seen in the likes of Bird People (see here).

This is small, uncomplicated exhibition, and a great introduction to Cica’s art for those unfamiliar with her larger exhibitions, and a great reminder of her past work for those who are.

SLurl Details

Cica Ghost, Paris Metro Art Gallery (Paris Couture, rated: Moderate)

Seduction and Vettriano in Second Life

Posted on April 27, 2018January 1, 2022 by Inara Pey

Seductions is the title of a combined 2D and 3D installation by Alo Congrejo and Lorys Lane, with Alo providing the overall build and Lorys the photographs.

“[Seductions is] An urban pathway,” the artists state of the installation, “that guides the visitor through images representing the seduction in different fields and contexts.”

It’s a curious piece; one suggestive of depth, but which can be can be slightly confusing in the manner, the images appearing to be at odds with the general geometry of the setting, in which cubes (including the rooms in which the images are displayed), squares, rectangles, cylinders, spheres, and so on, can draw the eye to them, and away from the photographs.

The images themselves, spread across a series of red rooms – the colour itself matching the core theme of the installation -, present multiple aspects of seduction, from couples becoming intimate through to the initiation of seduction – the use of undewear and nightgowns and slips; to the way casual or suggestive acts can lead to more intimate acts: the casual touch of hand on body, the more deliberate placement of a bare foot placed between spread thighs, the start of attraction in catching sight of someone across a room. It’s a fascinating range of images, each with a unique narrative – and some have something more – as the artists openly acknowledged.

Jack Vettriano (born Jack Hoggan) is a self-taught Scottish painter, who images can encompass themes of seduction and acts of seduction (although his portfolio covers far more subjects). Several of the pieces within Seduction are offered as an homage to Vettriano’s work. Which they might be, I leave to you to decide; suffice it to say that they are presented in such a way to offer an homage without in any way being derivative – they are all of themselves unique in style and presentation.

And the setting? It exudes a certain amount of impersonality surrounding the photographs; this in itself fits the overall subject, as the act (or art) or seduction is a personal act, one that generally takes place in rooms and spaces away from the public eye, even as the world continues on around it: the ebb and flow of people in streets and places outside. Acts of seduction and intimacy can also cause embarrassment; hence, perhaps the reason for the 3D animated pieces: the offer the eye a “distraction” from the acts of – dare I say – foreplay depicted here.

The setting also has another interpretation: acts of intimacy, of seduction, can be born out of the most unexpected encounters: a meeting on the street, at a café, in the midst of the bustle of daily life. Some of this is to be found within the photographs, and the setting itself offers a further echo of this.

Seductions is, as noted, a curious installation – but this is not meant negatively; the simple fact is, the more time spent within it, the more it engages the eye and mind, the 3D environment and the photographs working in unison to attract us and offer stories for our imaginations. From the landing point, take the teleport to the main platform.