Celebrating a decade of art at Nitroglobus in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus: celebrating 10 years

In April 2012, Nitro Fireguard and Dido Haas opened the doors of the Nitroglobus art gallery in Second Life. To be sure, it wasn’t the first gallery to open in SL nor would it be the last – but it is one of the most enduring; consistently the home of some of the most remarkable exhibitions of virtual art in Second Life.

From the moment the original Nitroglobus opened, it was clear that Dido and Nitro were prepared to encourage those invited to exhibit to push their personal boundaries. I doubt there has not been a single exhibition within the gallery’s halls with their trademark “reflective floors” (under which the displayed art is “mirrored”) that hasn’t failed to engage and excite. However, the gallery’s life almost came to an abrupt end when Nitro passed away, as Dido notes.

Nitro was a very creative person and when he died in November 2015, I was devastated and didn’t want to continue …
However, friends convinced me to continue and in January 2016 I have the first exhibition at Nitroglobus Hall … A year later I moved to the present building, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, situated above my SL home.

– Dido Haas

There cannot be many involved in the SL arts community who cannot be grateful that Dido came to this decision. In the years since, Dido has worked hard to ensure that it remains at the forefront of artistic expression within Second Life.

I don’t know how she does it, but Dido has a gift in being able to both continue the gallery’s reputation for encouraging artists to push their personal boundaries and to also encourage those who have never exhibited in Second Life to take the plunge and do so; something that cannot be easy if they are aware of even a tiny portion of the gallery’s stellar history of art exhibits.

Nitroglobus: celebrating 10 years

In this, I confess to being in awe of Dido’s innate ability to encourage and promote talent, and can honestly say that the month exhibitions at Nitroglobus are something I look forward to with great anticipation. I’m also honoured by the fact that over the last several years I have come to know Dido – herself a gifted photographer-artist who doesn’t exhibit her own work nearly enough – personally. And I can say heart-on-heart that she is one of the kindest, warmest, friendliest, caring and warm souls it has been my privilege to get to know through Second Life. I genuinely and deeply admire her for her talent, and cherish her as a friend,

To mark the gallery’s 10th anniversary, Dido is hosting a celebratory party within what I like to call Dido’s Space within the gallery. Starting at 12:00 noon SLT on Tuesday, April 19th, the part will feature music by Bsukmet Stormcrow and particle effects by Venus Adored, with the walls of a space decorated with slideshows of many of the unique and engaging posters created to promote the exhibitions Nitroglobus and Nitroglobus Roof Gallery have hosted across the last ten years, together with 3D elements from artists who have displayed at the gallery and a piece by Nitro himself and which will hopefully remain in place for a while after the celebrations.

Nitroglobus: celebrating 10 years

Those who might be unfamiliar with the extraordinary exhibitions that have formed the gallery’s distinguished history might like to avail themselves of the section of this blog devoted to Nitroglobus; I have sadly not been able to cover every exhibition at the gallery, but I hope the selection offered here will encourage those who browse it and who do regularly visit Nitroglobus to do so going forward.

Congratulations to Dido and the gallery on reaching 10 years, and many there be many more to come!

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Spring at Deer River in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Deer River Spring, April 2022 – click any image for full size

Kess Smith (Kess Crystal) recently invited me to previews that spring 2022 design for her Homestead region of Deer River ahead of its official public opening. Unfortunately, time was against me and I was unable to make a visit ahead of the opening, so I hopped over to take a look as soon as I had a couple of days to explore properly and photograph.

As its name suggests, Deer River Spring sees the region take on a spring / summer look to offer a theme Kess describes as “boho festival”. I’ll be honest, I’m not sure what that means – while there are touches of the bohemian to be found within the yurts within the region, on the whole, I found the look and feel to be more North American rural rather than carrying a noticeable bohemian feel.

Deer River Spring, April 2022

Which should not be taken to mean Deer River Spring in any way fails to deliver; quite the reverse in fact. It’s is a richly engaging design presenting a richly detailed, natural retreat within which there is much to see and do, surrounded by of-region hills and islands.

The most obvious route for exploration is the dirt track that loops its way around the setting. This starts and finishes at the two covered bridges that cross from the circular landing point islet located in the north-east of the region. Exactly which bridge you take to join the track is simply a matter of personal choice, as either direction will bring you to the region’s major points of interest.

Deer River Spring, April 2022

For example, to the south, the track parallels the narrow ribbon of rocky sand that marks the shoreline to lasso a trio of weathered buildings within a loose loop. Between them, the buildings form a fish market (the produce presumably delivered by the fishing boat lying just offshore), a garage / filling station and a café with a trellised outdoor seating area.

To the west, meanwhile, the track will take people past a rugged festival field occupying the northern sweep of the island and which is clearly intended as a festival / music space. It is home to two of the yurts to be found within the region, one offered as an “art station” and the other a “zen station” and both open to visitors. Continuing beyond the field, the track turns more southwards to reach a long wooden bridge that runs along a deep pool of water. This is fed from multiple falls dropping from an arc of blocky cliffs at the edge of the region, the bridge passing over the water to region the track as it turns to meet with its southern arm below the steps of a craggy hill that rises to the south-west.

Deer River Spring, April 2022

Stone steps have been set against the rocky side of this hill to provide a way up to where a cobbled path has been set out over the grass and which lead to a little wooden cabin. Perhaps it is owned by whoever runs the fish store / café / garage; perhaps it is a place set aside as a little retreat. It’s certainly cosy and has a welcoming meal set out on the front veranda, while the horses grazing close by are clearly unconcerned by any visitors the cabin brings to itself.

Beyond it, more steps have been laid to give access to both a secluded meadow set out with a small deck and open fire and a high platform extending out from the western cliffs to offer a look-out point covering a channel between the surrounding hills.

Deer River Spring, April 2022

The southern end of the region lays screened behind a curtain of trees, the path through them marked by a fence and a sign that warns it leads to the island’s two rentals, so informing visitors that privacy should be respected when passing through the trees. The rentals (intended for short-term stays at L$250 a day) sit within their own grounds, each with its own view. However, it is not their location that makes them interesting, it is the fact that they are also yurts, and within each of their comfortable cylinders that the bohemian aspect of the region is fully in evidence.

While the track looping through the setting has been rutted by the passage of wheels and the odd car and light goods vehicle can be found here and there, the preferred ways for getting around the region is on foot, horseback or bicycle. For the latter two, a Teagle horse rezzer can be found at the landing point and a bicycle rezzer close by the café. Those who have wearable horses / bikes can opt use those. Nor are the tracks the only marked routes across the island; cobbled paths offer alternate routes, whilst the spine of the island forms a sinuous grassy hill that makes for a gentle walk with views across the land.

Deer River Spring, April 2022

Throughout all of this are multiple places for people to sit and pass the time, from the cabin on the hill and the deck and look-out point nearby, to the little ice cream truck sitting in the lee of the hill through to swings hanging from trees and desks built over the waters of the river, and more. Finished with an ambient soundscape and with its own wildlife and waterfowl waiting to be spotted, Deer River Spring has much to commend itself to the Second Life explorer and to the photographers among us (joining the local group confers rezzing rights for those needing photo props – but please remember to clean up after yourself!).

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Deer River Spring (NewMoon, rated Moderate)

The week with Seanchai Library – April 18th-22nd

Posted on by Inara Pey
Seanchai Library

It’s time to highlight another week of storytelling in Voice by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library. As always, all times SLT, and events are held at the Library’s home in Nowhereville, unless otherwise indicated. Note that the schedule below may be subject to change during the week, please refer to the Seanchai Library website for the latest information through the week.

Monday, April 18th, 19:00: When They Saw

Having graduated from the juvenile education system, Ana Mia decides to join her sister as a part of Fort Hope’s Midnight Guard. Fort Hope is a stronghold, protecting its inhabitants from Earth’s alien invaders; and the Midnight Guard forms the eyes, ears and guardians of the stronghold’s Wall.

Without the Guard and without the Wall of the stronghold, the aliens would be free to harvest humanity, using their ships and the Coyotes who form their eyes and ears in opposition to the Midnight Guard.

But now things have changed. Now Ana is something more, as she notes herself:

I never expected to be abducted. But here I am, standing onboard Their ship, facing Them down for the first time in my life, seeing the true face of the Earth’s invaders from another world.
My task is simple: to act as Earth’s emissary and negotiate peace. But it is far more complicated than it seems. I know nothing of politics, and even little of persuasion, but I have no choice. I must do this to keep my friends, and my world, safe. I cannot afford to fail humanity.

Join Gyro Muggins as he reads the second volume of Kody Boye’s When They… saga.

Tuesday, April 19th

12:00 Noon: Russell Eponym

With music, and poetry in Ceiluradh Glen.

19:00: Shady Hollow

Shady Hollow: a village where woodland creatures all appear to live together in harmony – at least until a curmudgeonly toad turns up dead.

Vera Vixen is a fox with a nose for a good story;  that’s why she’s a reporter. So when the rumours of the passing of the bad-tempered member of the bufonidae family might not actually be down to natural causes, she makes up her mind to sniff out the truth, despite being somewhat new to the village and still regarded as an outsider.

But as Vera digs into matters, the more convoluted things become. Soon it becomes clear that there is more than one mystery that needs to be solved – and more than one life is in danger. Someone within the village appears to be prepared to go to any lengths to stop secrets from being revealed, and Vera finds she’ll nee all her cunning and quickness to get to the truth – and possibly avoid becoming a victim herself!

Join Faerie Maven Pralou to discover more as she read’s the first volume in Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow series.

Wednesday, April 20th: Dark

No readings.

Thursday, April 21st 19:00: Sci-Fi Thursday

With Finn Zeddmore.

2022 viewer release summaries week #15

Posted on by Inara Pey
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation

Updates from the week ending Sunday, April 17th, 2022

This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
  • By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
  • Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.

Official LL Viewers

  • Release viewer version 6.5.4.570575 – formerly the Lao-Lao Maintenance RC viewer, promoted Monday, April 18 – NEW.
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • Performance Improvements RC viewer version 6.6.0.570163, dated April 4, issued April 14(?).
  • Project viewers:
    • No updates.

LL Viewer Resources

Third-party Viewers

V6-style

  • No updates.

V1-style

Mobile / Other Clients

  • No updates.

Additional TPV Resources

Related Links

Melusina’s Art Deco Fragments in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Melusina Parkin: Art Deco Fragments, April 2022

Art Deco – or simply Deco – is a style of visual arts, architecture and design that we most recognise as reflecting the period of the 1920-1930s. Drawing on the bold geometric forms of Cubism and the Vienna Secession, and the bright colours of Fauvism whilst also incorporating or stylising architecture, design and art from the Far and Near East and South America, Deco influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, cinemas, trains, ocean liners and everyday household objects from radios to ashtrays, table lamps, clocks – and even vacuum cleaners. Even today it is still associated with luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress.

However, whilst most readily identified with the decades immediately prior to World War 2, Deco actually arose in the years leading up to the First World War. It took its name from the term arts décoratifs, originally coined in the mid-1870s so that the designers of furniture, textiles, and other decoration in France a form of official status. By 1901, the Société des Artistes Décorateurs (Society of Decorative Artists) had formed, and decorative artists were given the same rights of authorship as painters and sculptors.

In 1912 the Société proposed a major international exhibition of art and design should be hosted in Paris. However, such was the scale of the event that the outbreak of the Great War interrupted proceedings, so it was not until 1925 that the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes (International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts) was held. Running for seven months, the exposition 15,000 exhibitors from twenty different countries, and it was visited by sixteen million people – and the term Art Deco came into popular, recognised use around the world.

Melusina Parkin: Art Deco Fragments, April 2022

Art Deco has also exerted a strong influence within Second Life, where – in keeping with its physical world namesake – it has been applied to buildings, vehicles, furnishings, lighting, decorative items and so on. One exponent of Art Deco is Melusina Parkin, who offers a range of Deco items through her store, the upper floor of which forms her personal gallery space. As a photographer, Melu is highly regarded within SL – and with good reason; her images are among some of the most narratively rich one can hope to witness, as I’ve commented upon on numerous occasions in this blog.

With her latest exhibition Art Deco Fragments, which opened on April 15th, Melu combines her unique perspective for photography with her love of Art Deco to offer a series of marvellous images that allow the stylistic richness of Deco to speak fully and freely. Using her trademark tight focus and angle, she presents elements of Deco (and also, one might say, touches of Streamline Moderne, the art form that grew out of Deco in the 1930s) in a manner that concentrates the eye on specific elements of buildings (use of geometry, glass, metal, lighting, and so on), that give Deco architecture that richness of look and exuberance of design we cannot fail to find attractive as we come across them in both the physical world in Second Life.

Accompanying the exhibition is the first volume of a four-book series Melusina is producing on the subject of Art Deco. As with Fragments, this first volume Art Deco: Building Details focuses on the details found within Deco architecture. Future volumes will look at building exteriors, interiors and the finer details found within Deco interior styling.

Melusina Parkin: Art Deco Fragments, April 2022

Dedicated to the memory of Sonatta Morales, another Second Life resident and Deco / Retro designer, Art Deco Fragments is both another engaging and a personal exhibition from Melusina.

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Space Sunday: balloons, rockets, rovers, returns

Posted on by Inara Pey
A cabin at the edge of space. Credit: Space Perspective

Almost a year ago, I wrote about a company called Space Perspective and their plan to offer fare-paying passengers the chance to experience high-altitude balloon flights which, while failing to cross (or even come close to) the Kármán, will give the unique experience in rising to altitudes sufficient enough to witness the curvature of the Earth and see first-hand the tenuous nature of our protective atmosphere. And to do so in unique comfort.

As I reported in Space Sunday: balloons to space, Mars movies and alien water clouds, Space Perspective intend to offer passengers a six hour trip into the upper atmosphere aboard a luxury capsule slung beneath a gigantic helium balloon. And the price? US $125,000 per person – which sounds a lot, but is actually half that charged by Virgin Galactic for a flight lasting around 65 minutes, and who knows how much cheaper than a 12-minture trip aboard a Blue Origin New Shepherd vehicle.

A typical Space Perspective flight. Credit: Space Perspective

Obviously, both Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin have the added attractions of allowing passengers to experience microgravity for about three minutes and then collecting their (unofficial) astronaut wings on their return – neither of which are part of Space Perspective flights; which “only” rise to around 30-32 km. However, the watchword for Space Perspective trips is going to be a level of comfort well beyond anything Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin can achieve.

Just how much comfort has now been revealed by Space Perspective as they start to move ahead with the design of their full-scale Neptune capsule. In particular, the company has released a 3D interactive model of the capsule’s interior, demonstrating the 4 pairs of passenger seats located on other side of the capsule, the central bar / snack area alongside the access door.

The bar area and boarding door on Neptune. Credit: Space Perspective

In addition, the capsule has mood lighting and includes something necessary for a 6-hour flight: a lavatory (complete with its own window of its own so those needing it can continue to enjoy the view!). The passenger seats are designed to conform to the sitter’s body to offer maximum comfort and are fitted with fold-away tray tables. Potted plants add to the overall ambience while the floors and walls of the capsule covered in fabric to absorb sound and add to the sense of privacy.

Finally, the bar can be loaded with snacks and beverages in according with passenger’s preferences, whilst a central information display and wall-mounted tablets provide information on a flight. In addition the cabin will be equipped with wi-fi connectivity back to Earth, and heads-up displays may be included in the windows to help point out locations of interest visible beneath the clouds some 20 kilometres below the capsule as it cruises at altitude.

A view across Neptune, with the toilet on the left. Note to low-level lighting. Credit: Space Perspective

Flights will comprise a land-based launch From the Florida Space Coast with a 90-minute ascent to cruising altitude. The capsule will remain at its cruising altitude for around two hours before starting an equally gentle descent with a splashdown on water where the will be met by a support ship / yacht that will offer comfortable facilities to the passengers while the capsule is recovered, and then return them to land.

Should problems occur with the balloon during any phase of a trip, ground controllers can command the capsule to detach and drop aerodynamically to an altitude where parachutes can be deployed to slow the descent and cushion splashdown.

Space Perspective has recently secured a further US $40 million in funding to allow development of the full-scale Neptune capsule to proceed, and has secured the first of three hoped-for patents relating to the capsule’s unique structural design. In addition, the company states it already has 600 people who have paid for seats on flights, which are due to commence in 2024.

SLS: WDR Halted, Rocket to Return to VAB

In what is fast becoming something of a humiliating train of events in trying to get its first Space Launch System (SLS) rocket ready for launch, NASA has abandoned the critical wet dress rehearsal (WDR) and will be returning the rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) for a series of updates.

As I’ve reported over the last few week, the WDR is a last, critical step in ensuring the rocket and all its support systems – the mobile lunch platform, the propellant loading system, the launch control systems, etc., are ready to make a launch attempt. After been rolled out to launchpad 39B at Kennedy Space Centre, the WDR started on April 1st, and should have lasted three days.

However, that initial attempt had to be twice scrubbed as a result of issues within the supply of nitrogen gas (used to help purge and cool part of the launch system) to the vehicle. Correcting these issues took several days, prompting a further delay in resuming the test to make way for the launch of the Axiom Ax-1 private crew to the space station from the SpaceX facilities at neighbouring Pad 39A (see: AX-1 Artemis, ESA & a galaxy far, far away).

Launch Complex 39 at Kennedy Space Centre: in the foreground, the SpaceX / Axiom AX-1 stands on launch pad 39A. In the distance sits the NASA Artemis 1 SLS rocket on pad 39B. This picture was taken on April 6th, 2022. Credit: NASA

The intention had been to resume WDR processing on April 9th, but on April 7th, a fault was detected in pressure valve in the rocket’s upper Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). Rather than delay the test for at least a couple of months by returning the rocket back to the VAB to fix the faulty valve, NASA determined a process by which the test could continue with only “minimal loading” of the tanks on the ICPS, and pushed the resumption of the test back until at least April 12th to allow the necessary procedures to be properly revised.

Operations in fact resumed on April 14th – and almost immediately came to a halt due to propellent loading issues with the liquid oxygen. No sooner was this triaged and fixed than an over-pressure situation was detected within the liquid hydrogen tank, again bringing operations to a halt. After reviewing the situation again, NASA tried once more to resume propellant loading in a “modified” state, only for a hydrogen to be detected leaking from an umbilical line connecting the core stage to the mobile launch tower, again bringing operations to a halt.

The cause of the leak was found to be with the same nitrogen feed / purge system that caused the original problems at the start of the WDR process on April 1st. As a result, NASA announced late on April 16th that all WDR activities are now curtailed, and the rocket will be rolled back to the VAB to allow the problems with the nitrogen umbilical system to be addressed, and the valve in the ICPS to be fixed or replaced. The roll back will also be used to further investigate the liquid hydrogen over pressure issue on the core stage tank.

No date has been given on when the roll-back will occur  – there will be a further meeting to discuss this on April 18th. However, the move does mean that any Artemis 1 launch is unlikely to come before July at the earliest. However, to present further delays once the vehicle has been returned to the pad, mission managers are said to be considering – assuming the WDR runs flawlessly – moving directly from the test to launch readiness preparations without again returning the vehicle to the VAB for post-WDR inspections.

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