Now open at The Dirty Grind is an exhibition by John Brianna (Johnannes1977 Resident) entitled The Mask Collection. While it may at first seem to be a modest collection of nine images, it is nevertheless a nuanced, eye-catching display, mixing the physical and the virtual which challenges us to consider what may or may not lie behind the mask we may wear at any given time.
The images, seven of which can be found within the main room at Dirty Grind Theatre and the remaining two in the foyer area, feature studies of both avatars and people wearing a variety of masquerade and other masks. All have been marvellous finished is style suggesting they are either either painted or drawn, and such is the skill with which this has been achieved, I leave it to you to decide for yourselves which are taken from Second Life and which from the physical world.
“I wanted a collection that fits the theme of the Dirty Grind,” John told me as we discussed the display. “And to reflect the idea that we can wear masks in Second Life which can both conceal and reveal.”
The idea that we all wear masks, whether in the virtual realm or the physical, is an old one, subject to many debates and discussions on the nature of self, identity and how we project ourselves in different circumstances. Within Second Life, such debates can often become far more philosophical, simply because we have a much greater freedom to project an appearance through an avatar, or to play a role within an environment without revealing much of ourselves beyond that role. Or equally, through the very act of “concealing” ourselves within an avatar /role, we can gain the security which allows us to project far more of our personality and nature among strangers and acquaintances than we would were we in the physical world.
It’s an engrossing subject, but truth to tell, even without being drawn into such philosophical ruminations, this is a superb exhibition which should be seen to be appreciated. The images – as noted above, and which are offered for sale at L$400 each – are exquisitely produced; each one has a unique look and style, coupled with a very individual use of texture and colour, which makes it instantly captivating, drawing the visitor into it.
The Mask Collection will remain at The Dirty Grind through until the end of September 2016 – not to be missed.
Opening September 16th, 2016: Pandora Resort – click any image for full size
Note: this vision of Pandora Box of Dreams has closed.
I’ve admired the region designs by Lokhe Angel Verlack (Jackson Verlack) ever since first encountering Pandora’s Box of Dreams, an evolving series of designs he created, intended to encourage visitors to relax, free their minds, and simply dream. Towards the end of 2015, I was invited by Lokhe’s partner, Miza, to preview their role-playing environment Château Village, which drew inspiration from the World of Darkness universe.
On September 16th, Lokhe and Miza will be opening their latest venture in Second Life called Pandora Resort, which they’ve been working on for the past few months. In their preparations for this, Miza kindly extended another invitation for Caitlyn and I to pay a visit in the run up to the doors opening – and I can honestly say that what we found completely blew us away, presenting visitors with one of the most exquisitely designed regions in Second Life. So much so, that I’ve hopped back daily ever since.
Opening September 16th, 2016: Pandora Resort
As the region won’t be open to everyone until mid-month, I’m not going to offer an in-depth look here, as that would pre-empt things too much. Instead, I’ll leave my more usual travelogue post for around the time the gates are opened for everyone, and use this article – with Miza’s and Lokhe’s permission – as something of a sneak peek of Pandora Resort, which I hope will whet appetites.
“We really wanted to create something different. Well mostly Lokhe! He really got a wide scope of ideas,” Miza said to me during one of my visits. “He really went out of his way this time to bring something unique.”
Opening September 16th, 2016: Pandora Resort
“Unique” is certainly a fitting adjective for Pandora Resort, as is “stunning”, the word which immediately entered my head as I first flycammed around the region. I can say without any exaggeration that over the years I’ve visited many regions in my Exploring Second Life series, and Pandora Resort offers one of the most impressive landscapes and use of ground space, both horizontally and vertically, I’ve ever witnessed. As your explorations take you from paved streets with boutique shops, public gardens and café seating, to rugged paths passing through clefts and alongside deep gorges, it is genuinely hard to believe everything is contained within the space of a single region.
Pordora Resort is, to use a final adjective, breathtaking. So do make a note in your diaries / calendars for the weekend of Friday, September 16th, and get yourself ready to take a trip and see for yourself? You will not be disappointed.
Opening September 16th, 2016: Pandora Resort
For those interested, my articles on Pandora’s Box of Dreams can be found here, here and here, and my review of Château Village can be found here.
Surreal Cube is a complex art installation conceived by art archivist Art Blue, known for his celebrations of virtual world art and artists, including The Surreal Tower (of which Surreal Cube could be considered a direct descendent), Art Walk on the Moon (which you can read about here) and A Room for Ferrisquito (which you can read about here).
As with many of Art’s installations, Surreal Cube is enmeshed within a lengthy narrative (provided in note card form at the landing point), involving an attempt to save Earth’s art heritage (in this case, works by Molly Bloom) by building a gigantic space ship – the Surreal Cube – in which the art should be preserved. Those familiar with science-fiction and / or Art’s previous works and activities elsewhere may recognise some of the references within the story, such as Vulcanicus and the passing mention of billionaire SR Hadden – who featured in the late Carl Sagan’s seminal (and only) science-fiction novel, Contact.
Surreal Cube – Mistero Hifeng (with the Cube by Gem Preiz as the backdrop)
While the central focus of the exhibit is Moll’s work, the installation includes contributions by Juliette SurrealDreaming (who is also the exhibit curator), Hyde Hackl, Mistero Hifeng, Gem Preiz, and Moewe Winkler., some of which are placed one inside the next, matryoshka doll style. Mistero’s sculptures are to be found around the perimeter of the region – perhaps those who came together to witness the landing of the great cube ship before it was frozen in time by Dr. Kawoom, who can be found in one corner of the sculpture parade.
The ship itself sits slightly canted over the dark waters of the region, caught in the moment of landing by Dr. Kawoom when it was realised it was too big for it’s intended landing space. The surface of this vehicle, designed by Gem Preiz, features his trademark fractal designs, which periodically change across the cube’s faces.
Within the vessel lies an aquatic environment designed by Moewe Winkler, occupied by alien life forms and over which a ghostly pirate ship stands-to. Here, also, is a short story by Juliette SurrealDreaming, and an LM giver to visit the Second Life Surreal Tower exhibit. At the very centre of the cube lies an enormous egg designed by Hyde Hackl, within which lies a garden and the gallery of some two dozen pieces of Molly’s art (part of which can be seen in the banner image at the top of this article).
If all this sounds a little confusing, visitors are offered a choice of ways to find their way around. The first is to take the Meta Harper chair, available at the landing point. This takes control of your camera, carrying you a visual tour through the exhibit. The second is to use the network of teleport discs found throughout the installation and which offers the best way to examine each element of the exhibit in turn. In addition, there are various interactive elements – poses, a ridable flying horse – to be found and enjoyed.
Surreal Cube – The Egg: Hyde Hackl (with ghost ship in the foreground, added by Juliette SurrealDreaming)
The Surreal Cube has a twin available in OpenSim, and the installation will also feature at the Santorini Biennale, running from September 1st through to October 15th, through a video of the exhibit filmed by Wizardoz Chrome. After October 15th, the core of the Surreal Cube will be cleared away, remaining only in OpenSim, and the cube in Second Life used to house further installations curated by Juliette SurrealDreaming.
Update, January 16th, 2017: Bernhard Dörries passed away in a hospital in Augsburg, Germany, on Sunday, January 15th. Our condolences to his family and friends. Those wishing to personally pass on condolences can do so through Concetta Curtiz in-world. Please see the comment from Draxtor which follows this article.
“My name is Bernhard Dörries, basically for as long as I have been alive. In Second Life my name is Bernhard McIntyre; I am 88 years old. In Second Life I am, and I feel like, 37.” And thus the focus of the September 2016 segment of The Drax Files World Makers introduces himself in what is one of the most remarkable pieces so far filmed in the series.
His name may not be familiar to most of us, but Bernhard Dörries was instrumental in the establishing the German New Cinema movement following the end of World War 2. Perhaps not as recognised even within cinematic circles due to his focus on television, he nevertheless made 129 films during his career, ranging in scope from experimental meditations on the moral decline and subsequent clash of upper class society in Germany, through documenting the existence of two German states during the Cold War, to pieces examining art history and the influence of colonial powers on middle east painting and sculpture in the 20th century.
What’s more, he is still filming, having turned his attention to machinima and the potential of Second Life – a platform which has become as much his home as the assisted living centre in which he resides in the physical world.
Bernhard McIntyre ” “My avatar is [my] co-creator, equal partner in sharing feelings, co-owner of feelings and emotions.”“I discovered Second Life in 2008,” he says. “It not only showed me new worlds, it opened new worlds inside myself! I became a new person!” Bernhard says of his experience of the platform. It is within Second Life that Bernhard lives with his Second Life partner, Alsya, where they share a tropical island home modelled after Stromboli – up to and including the volcano! – and which removes the physical world distance between them.
Throughout his career, Bernhard has looked into the nature of society; starting in Munich at the end of the war, and the near-destruction of his homeland. He has constantly sought to scratch away at the surface veneer of our modern society and look at what lay beneath, and how progress so often involves the burying (and ignoring?) of the past, perhaps leaving issues and situations – and lessons – ignored.
Bernhard’s own situation is perhaps a reflection of this. Elderly, in need of care assistance, confined to a wheel chair, he is of a generation our commercial, consumer-driven society can often see as having little intrinsic value (in the UK, for example, the most frequent television adverts we have for those of 60 or over present their commercial worth in terms of life insurance policies aimed at meeting funeral costs).
The fathers of German New Cinema, post WW2 (l-to-r): Christian Doermer. Dieter Lemmel, Bernhard Dörries, Edgar Reitz, Rob Houwer, Hans Jürgen Pohland, Wolfganf Urchs, Roland Martini, Alexander Kluge and Hilmar Hoffmann, director of the International Short Film Festival, Oberhausen, Germany (1954-1970)
Yet, as Bernhard demonstrates, while his body may be frail, his mind – and heart – are as agile as ever, and through Second Life he can fully enjoy creative expression in building an island home and in putting together an 80-minute machinima film. It is a place where he can also enjoy emotional release and partake of the company of loved ones and friends on equal terms, free from and shadows or outlooks which might otherwise colour interactions with him.
Bernhard himself recognises this, saying, “My avatar is [my] co-creator. Equal partner in sharing feelings, co-owner of feelings and emotions.” While the comment may have come in response to a question about his film, there is little doubt he’s referring to the broader dynamic between himself and his avatar. It’s a sentiment anyone who has invested time and self in their avatar will doubtless find resonating. However, with Bernhard, we should see within it a special value.
As with Fran Swenson, whose story Drax covered exactly three years ago in September 2013, he demonstrates that Second Life is as much about expressing who we are, regardless of age or situation or location as it is about creativity. It offers a genuine mix of potential and opportunity unmatched in any other medium.
So much so, that I find my thoughts sliding off at a tangent. Just how well will the upcoming new platforms – High Fidelity, Sansar, et al, with their onus more on the “real” self, through elements of identity, voice, and so on, manage to replicate the broad freedoms all of us enjoy in Second Life when expressing who we are – or who we prefer to be? It’s potentially an interesting subject on which to cogitate, although one perhaps better served in a separate article.
As it is, this a beautiful piece, fully deserving of the slightly longer running time, providing us with insight into a remarkable man who is still as much a pioneer today with his embracing of Second Life as he was when he and his colleagues set out to redefine German cinema.
Crystal Gardens, designed by Sandi Beaumont (Sandi Benelli) is presented to Second Life travellers as a place for photography and exploration, offering visitors a ruggedly beautiful pastoral seam which is stunning in its simplicity and looks. This is my third visit to Sandi’s designs, having previously written about her work with her partner, Mikal, in February and July 2015.
A homestead region, Crystal Gardens currently comprises three north-south oriented islands separated by a channel of water. The more westerly pair form a finger of land, the tip of which has been sliced off by a further, narrow channel spanned by a log bridge. Both are low-lying and somewhat rugged – the smaller island to the north decidedly more so than its southern cousin. On it sits a conservatory with a distinctly French feel to it, offering visitors comfortable armchairs in which to relax, a small selection of drinks at a small bar, and the promise of possible entertainment, given the microphone and amplifier. It’s a place which hints at being a refined little club, tucked away where only those in the know might find it.
A bar area also comprises part of the southern island, located on the terrace of a Mediterranean villa which appears to be someone’s studio. Bee hives close by offer the promise of fresh honey, while a rowing boat tied up at the wooden jetty offers couples the chance for a little dalliance on the water.
The twin of this rowing bow sits alongside the jetty across the narrow channel separating the largest of the islands from the others. It is here, outside a row of little beach huts that visitors first land. A cooked breakfast awaits anyone feeling peckish on their arrival, and a raft hints at possible adventure at one end of the jetty.
Beyond the beach huts, the island opens out into a gently undulating scene ripe for exploration. To the south sits a small farm of distinctly Tuscan design, whilst northwards, over the low hill marking the centre of the island, a narrow rugged bay cuts deeply into the land, a distinctly modern, open-sided summer-house overlooking it, with horses grazing close by. The summer-house might belong to the occupants of a converted workshop sitting on the east coast of the island. This has been converted into a comfortable home, while the ramshackle pier on which it sits suggests both have seen a hard-working life in the past.
Watched over by two lighthouses, one to the north-east, and the other to the west and off-sim, Crystal Gardens suggests itself as a small, private island lying just off the coast of somewhere like Scotland or perhaps the Canadian coasts (although I couldn’t help but picture it lying Lundy-like in the Bristol Channel). It is ruggedly beautiful, with an air of serenity about it which naturally encourages visitors to tarry.
For photographers there is much to be found here. While entirely natural in look and feel, and flowing as a considered whole, Crystal Gardens also offers the locations and scenes scattered across its rocky isles and around its coastline as individual vignettes, ripe for the camera – and I hope some of my efforts here show. So attractive is it for photography, it is very easy to lose track of time when taking pictures!
Whether looking for somewhere to take pictures, a place to explore or somewhere to simply pass the time of day, Crystal Gardens has everything you could need. Beautifully conceived and executed by Sandi, and topped with a matching ambient sound scape, it’s a place which should be on every SL traveller’s itinerary.
Located on the north coast of Nautilus and occupying almost the entirety of a region, sits the Peace is a Choice Gallery, founded and curated by Dove (TheDove Rhode). It is the home to an art display collected / provided over some nine years, from installations and artists past and present. As well as the gallery spaces, Peace is a Choice provides an event venue and an associated dance studio / meeting place.
Originally founded as the S&S Gallery of Fine Art, the current gallery is centred on a huge steel-and-glass building of sleek, modern design, and which is home to both 2D and 3D art. Outside of this, on the surrounding waters and the shoreline behind the gallery, larger pieces of 3D art can be found, together with the other facilities offered here.
The cross-section of art on display is astonishing, with pieces from Francis Bagration, Mona Byte, Giovanna Cerise, Treacle Darlands, Asmita Duranjaya, Russel Eponym, Duna Gant, Cica Ghost, Instincta and Stem van Helsinski, Stem van Kicca Igaly, Pol Jarvinen, Gleman Jun, Livio Korobase, Daco Monday, Robin Moore, Moya, Nessuno Myoo, Fuschia Nightfire, Bryn Oh, Cheen Pitney, sChan Resident, Spiral Silverstar, Miso Susanowa, Ub Yifu, Noke Yuitza, and Jedda Zenovka. Such is the diversity of the of the art on display, it’s very easy to lose track of time wandering through the gallery and exploring outside.
Whether you start your explorations inside or outside the gallery is entirely a matter of choice; there is no set path to follow, and Dove has wisely placed the art so that there are no assigned areas for individual artists. This allows for some interesting juxtapositions of art, technique and expression, allowing visitors to gain a strong feel for contrasting styles among artists in Second Life. That said, the interior of the gallery building can be a little bewildering: during one of my trips to the gallery, a fellow visitor candidly admitted in IM that he had been admiring two pieces of art on one side of the gallery, only to realise they were part of a small stage area for musicians!
I’m fortunate enough to have a SpaceNav, so I initially cheated with the art outside, flycamming around (although doing so does give a unique perspective for viewing 3D pieces of art). For those restricted to shanks’ pony, there are invisiprims set over the water, allowing visitors to examine the works up close without fear of vanishing under the waves.
The outdoor display also encompasses events area outside of the galley structure, where music events are regularly held. Another way to see the outdoor art is to catch a teleport to the neighbouring dance studio – still part of the overall complex – via one of the boards displayed around the gallery. From there, it is possible to stroll out onto the beach and appreciate the art (or take a dance lesson, if you’re also so inclined!).
Peace is a Choice makes for a fascinating visit, offer a lot to see. For those into sailing or boating, it’s location makes it reachable by water as well, although I didn’t spot any mooring facilities – so if you do visit boat, the teleport limo may well be needed when leaving. However, you do opt to visit, please consider a donation towards the continued existence of the gallery.
![Bernhard McIntyre " “My avatar is [my] co-creator, equal partner in sharing feelings, co-owner of feelings and emotions.”](https://modemworld.me/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bernhard-1.jpg)
