Tag: Art 2024

The First Day … at Nitroglobus in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, May 2024: Selen Minotaur – The First Day

Most of us have likely heard the expression “[Today / This] is the first day of the rest of your life” – but what exactly does it mean when we hear it / say it? What does it pertain to life and how we face it?

For most of us, the response to that question might well lean towards the promise that with each new day comes the opportunity to seize new opportunities, to put the past behind us and look forward to all the potential the future offers. For others, however, the expression might be seen as more a curse than an expression of hope, as Selen Minotaur explores in her exhibition The First Day, (subtitled of the rest of your life) which opened on May 13th, 2024 at Dido Haas’ Nitroglobus Roof gallery.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, May 2024: Selen Minotaur – The First Day

The easiest way to describe the installation – which encompasses 2D and 3D elements an multimedia, is to refer to Selen’s own words:

“The first day of the rest of your life” usually refers to a new beginning, full of promise and hope. But what if that first day was actually a repeat of the previous days, or worse, a nightmare?
This exhibition speaks of the fears, beliefs and fantasies that invade us in the face of the unknown. And the courage it takes to overcome them, mobilize and move forward. Because no matter what anyone says, the first day of the rest of your life remains a mystery…

In terms of the images, this brings forth a series of richly layered pieces which, depending on your mood and perspective on visiting, might be interpreted in differing ways, both within the context of the the exhibition’s theme and in a manner which might also encapsulate different aspects of both it and how we opt to interpret the underpinning expression.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, May 2024: Selen Minotaur – The First Day

Take The First Station, a marvellously layer image encapsulating ideas of trying to move forward in life whilst forever unable to leave what has come before as it seeks to pin us in place and blind our ability to see how we can move forward, instead making us look forever back at what has been rather than towards the freedom of what might be. Beautifully symbolised through the use of red colouring, the black and reaching out from between the rail sleepers, the tracks themselves and the eye in the mirror, the symbolic core of this piece is perfectly framed.

Then there is  First Sunrise. This is a piece which might be seen as one of those casting a wider net of potential interpretation. The promise of a new day, of open horizons and all the promise they hold – be they through the arrival of a new day which marks our decision to mark it as a new beginning, our “first sunrise”, so to speak, or the literal first sunrise of birth. At the same time, the Sun rises as a clock, the ever present reminder that life is finite; that no matter who or where we are, we are allotted a finite time. Do we allow it to dominate us, to cause us to live in fear of the every diminishing pile of minutes left to us? Or do we simply “live in the moment”? Where does the balance lay? Is life itself not a state of progress from the former to the latter?

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, May 2024: Selen Minotaur – The First Day

There is more I could state here around the likes of the caged head, the face mask, and the 3d elements; in fact, I did start – but the reality is, The First Day should be experienced first hand and interpreted directly – and possibly over more than one visit. All I will say here is that I recommend viewing the images and sculptures first prior to viewing the video; in this way, ideas are neatly framed and the narrative then unfolds.

SLurl Details

Kit Boyd’s Details of life in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Monocle Man Gallery, May 2024: Kit Boyd – Details
Life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.

– Allen Saunders, 1957

I was reminded of the above quote – which is often and incorrectly attributed to John Lennon on accord of his 1980 record Beautiful Boy – when I visited Kit Boyd’s exhibition Details in response to a personal invitation for me to do so.

Open until May 23rd, 2024 at Monocle Man Gallery, which Kit co-manages with Lynx Luga, Details brought the quote to mind because of the manner in which it reminds us that the beauty and importance in life is not in what we are or do – but in who we are, how we treat the world and all the details that offer us pleasure and the opportunity to smile and simply to be.

Monocle Man Gallery, May 2024: Kit Boyd – Details

From the moment one enters the foyer of the exhibition space, this over-arching theme is made clear thanks to a trio of images and a quote by artist Elizabeth Murray in celebration of the art of gardening. Supported by the considered use of props, this leads visitors into the main galleried room of the exhibition.

Here, Kit expands on that core theme, presenting us with images of things that can offer those receptive to them an ineffable richness of experience: reading, music, and luxuriating in the simple pleasures brought of a personal indulgence – in this case, that of the enjoyment of coffee.

Monocle Man Gallery, May 2024: Kit Boyd – Details

I admit that as a pianist with a love of music and as a avid reader, Kit’s use of all three as motifs for Details immediately resonated with me, although I was particularly drawn to her use of coffee as a metaphor for the pleasure of personal indulgence, as the images (shown above) encapsulate and personify the detailed craft of home coffee-making, from the initial measuring and grinding of the beans through the anticipation brought forth by the resistance of a cafetiere (aka French press) plunger as it is being pressed down, to the first hint of that rich aroma and the promise it brings. There is a delight to be found in all of the little details of making and sharing coffee which to me make it less of a drink to be slurped and more of an experience to be savoured – particularly with friends at the end of a home-cooked meal.

Above these celebrations of music, reading and indulgence, and around the room’s gallery, Kit offers more reminders of how much pleasure can be had in pausing and taking time to enjoy the beauty and detail Nature has to offer.

Monocle Man Gallery, May 2024: Kit Boyd – Details

To reach the gallery, visitors must take the stairs up from the foyer. Doing so means passing two more sub-themes with Details. The first – formed by Split Personality and Hang In There, both hanging over the stairwell – offers a neat underscoring of the central theme within Details, by drawing attention to the fact that modern life can so often mean losing sight of oneself the the daily struggle to deal with all the demands placed upon us.

The second sits apart from the rest of the exhibition both physically (being largely confined to a single room) and figuratively. It has within in a message that is increasingly important in this current era. Headed by the inspirational quote A woman Should be whatever she wants, it stands as an expression that women have a right to be themselves – not a chattel or confined by a role or title defined by society, but individuals free to express their own selves and indulge in those aspects and details of life which bring them the most pleasure and / or freedom.

Monocle Man Gallery, May 2024: Kit Boyd – Details

In this I found Kit’s uses of images that might be considered erotic to be particularly effective; all too often, erotic expression by women is framed within the boundaries of male pleasure; but why shouldn’t we be free to express and enjoy such eroticism because it pleases us? Thus, within this small but effective display of six pieces (including Moonlight View on the wall outside), Kit frames a question about a woman’s right to self-expression and freedom of choice which casts a net far wider than the images themselves might initially suggest.

Details  is an elegant visual essay operating on several levels. One which can be enjoyed simply for the beauty of the art itself, or which can have those layer explored through introspection, recognition and consideration.

SLurl Details

Women’s World: art and perspectives in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Black Tulip Gallery, May 2024

Black Tulip Gallery is a small art venue operated by Zoey Rhodan (ElizabethZoey); one which I admit to not having come across before. Offering a boutique-style approach to selected art, Black Tulip is currently (as at the time of writing) hosting Women’s World, a sublime collection of work by some of Second Life’s most gifted female photographers and artists, each of whom has offered between one or two pieces from their portfolios for display.

Neatly split into three rooms in which the art can be easily viewed and appreciated, Women’s World features work by (and on the lower level) AmandaT Tamatzui (1 piece); Tallulah Winterwolf  (2 pieces); Monqiue Beebe (1); Bamboo Barnes (1); Louvre (1); Maghda (2); Joanne D’arc (BrazilianGirl49) (1); and Jullyane (Jullyane Python) (1). The exhibition continues on the level floor, reached via the external stairway, with: Rita Glad (Sanem Albatros) (1); Scylla Rhiadra (2); Raven Arcana (2); and Manoji Yachvili (1).

Black Tulip – Women’s World, May 2024: Jullyane (l); Maghda (r)

The art is richly engaging with all of the pieces framed, cropped and finished in a manner that underscores the talent of the artist behind each of them, allowing all of the pieces to be enjoyed in their own right. However, and given the overall title of the exhibition, they all perhaps – directly and indirectly – offer reflections on what it is to be a woman – both in terms of self and in terms of societal expectations. This latter point is, I admit, entirely subjective on my part; as regulars to these pages will be aware, it is my wont (correctly or otherwise) to attempt to peel back the layers of possible interpretation within some art and exhibitions.

For example, there is sufficient evocative power within Maghda’s The Void for it to be fully appreciated without having to look beyond its innate beauty and elegance – but through the application of measured depth of field, it also does perhaps convey the idea that all too often, a woman is looked upon purely in terms of her facial beauty, with the soft focus blurring suggesting what goes on within the head and mind behind that face is all too often overlooked.

Black Tulip – Women’s World, May 2024 – Syclla Rhiadra (l +c); Rita Glad (r)

Meanwhile, facing it through the arch connecting the two lower floor rooms are The Untemptation of AdamAnt by Tallulah and Moni’s Desire. Both are exquisite and unique in approach and execution, offering visually striking pieces; at the same time, one also perhaps raises thoughts / questions on the nature of beauty and what makes a woman desirable to herself or through the eyes of others; whilst the other perhaps a rightful rebuttal to patriarchal Christianity’s view that Eve (woman) led Man (the male) to “sin”, thus casting her more fully into the role of subservience.

Upstairs, we are perhaps more fully encouraged to cogitate the potential for subtext and narrative within the images offered, potentially because of the presence of Scylla Rhiadra’s work. Scylla is an artist who can challenge perceptions and present ideas with the most beautifully composed and presented pieces, encouraging us to look deeper, to pause and consider what her images are communicating. As such, for those who – like me – do enjoy stepping back and looking at the broader canvas (so to speak) of possible commentary, this might also cause the eye and mind to look towards Raven’s Heading Down and Laundry Day also as both as perfectly composed images captured from within Second Life and perhaps as comments on both the role of a woman as a mother and how (for too long) a woman’s role was constrained in terms of house and home.

Black Tulip – Women’s World, May 2024: Raven Arcana (l); Manoji Yachvili (r)

In this, I could go on; but as I’ve noted, these are subjective and personal reactions on my part to the pieces. What should not be overlooked here is that Women’s World brings together some extraordinary digital artists, presenting their work in a manner than both emphasises the rich diversity of art and expression available through and because of Second Life, and does so – thanks to the galley’s size and general ambience – in a manner that encourages a level of intimacy with the art which might have been lost within a larger, more formal environment.

Alone: an immersive literary experience in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Alone, May 2024 – click any image for full size

It has been a fair time since Sheldon Bergman (SheldonBR) has presented an immersive experience within Second Life; so when he contacted me personally to tell me he has a new installation available for people to visit, I was immediately intrigued, and as soon as time allowed, I followed his invitation and hopped over to Alone.

Often working in collaboration with Angelika Corral – with whom he once co-ran the always engaging DaphneArts gallery and arts centre – Sheldon earned a rightful reputation for developing immersive art installations leveraging the (then new) capabilities of SL Experiences. In particular, these installations sought to bring the work of poets and artists from the physical world to life within the virtual, with a noted focus on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe (as covered in these pages, for example, by A dream within a dream: celebrating Poe in Second Life (2017) and Annabel Lee in Second Life (2019)).

Alone, May 2024

With Alone, Sheldon continues within this theme, presenting installation with a personal dedication to Angelika, featuring what is Poe’s most revealing – and potentially his best – verse. It may not be as well known as the likes of The Raven or Annabel Lee – in fact it wasn’t even published until well after his death in 1849, finally appearing in print in 1875, having been held within the possessions of a family in Baltimore – but what it does say does much to help our understanding of Poe’s nature and what lay behind his writing.

Exactly when the poem was written is unclear; the original manuscript was both untitled and undated. However, the year is widely taken as being 1829 – no doubt the result of the poem’s first publication being accompanied by a facsimile of the original manuscript and on which the editor of the magazine had taken upon himself to add the date “March 17, 1829”. As this does sit as the middle year of the three in which Poe’s poetry was at its most focused terms of annual output (the other two being 1827 and 1831), it’s potentially not unreasonable to pin it to that year.

Alone, May 2024

But whether it was 1829 or 1827 or 1831, the poem would have been written when Poe was in his early 20s; as such it shows a remarkable sense of self-awareness and personal perception. At its heart, Alone focus on themes of loneliness, isolation and – most particularly – of being different and apart from others. It marks how Poe had always known he had a substantially different outlook to those around him, one that has existed from a childhood in which he saw himself unable to see things as other children saw them, perhaps because of the tempestuous nature of his first two years on Earth, marked as they were by abandonment by his father, the death of his mother and his being taken into a strict foster care – as the poem directly references:

And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone—
Then—in my childhood—in the dawn
Of a most stormy life—was drawn

Alone, May 2024

This autobiographical element flows throughout the poem, right up to its open-ended final line in which the dash seems to state, that just as he past and present life had been, so to will be the future; whatever might pass as normalcy for those around him will forever be a foreign land to him, whilst his world will forever be beyond their understanding.

In this, Alone perhaps does more to shine a light on Poe’s short and tortured life than any amount of analysis of his work or examination of his death , both of which are too often the focus of any such analysis. Hence why, perhaps, Sheldon’s installation includes references to some of Poe’s famous works, both visually and through quotes: The Fall of the House of Usher (1839); The Black Cat (1843); The Raven (1845); A Dream Within A Dream and Annabel Lee (both 1849); doing so underlines the foundational element of understanding Poe’s view of himself any thus all of his writing.

Alone, May 2024

To appreciate Alone in its fullness, visitors should accept the local Experience after arriving at the landing point by clicking on the displayed poster. This will allow a HUD to be temporarily attached to the viewer – it will detach on leaving the region, but must be left in place through a visit – which will initially offer instructions on how to correctly view the installation. In short these are: use the local Shared Environment; make sure local sounds are enabled and you have Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) enabled via Preferences → Graphics. Once these points have been followed, clicking on the HUD text will deliver visitors to the installation proper.

From here, it is a case of walking through the landscape from the landing point, up to the cabin sitting on the shoulder of a hill and then through it (upstairs and down), before exiting through the back door and following the path down to the waters and pier at the back of the cabin. In doing so, visitors will trigger visual elements at various points (such as the candles lighting to guide you up the hill) and text elements within the HUD, whilst also encountering reflections of the poems and stories the text references. Some of the latter might be obvious (such as the rave at the open bedroom window) others perhaps less so (e.g. the image on the wall of the cabin; the cabin and the wilderness in which it stands, etc.).

Alone, May 2024

The final element of the installation requires climbing the ridge rising from the east side of the cabin (where the sheep are grazing) to run first south and away from the cabin and then back to the west as it rises to reach the top of a hill overlooking the landing point far below. Crowned by a trio of windswept trees standing as bent-backed guardians, the hilltop is home to a low, alter-like stone within candles and a tree stump seat. It’s a place I have little doubt the poet would have approved for the recital of his poem (triggered as visitors reach the trees), its isolation and position apart from the rest well suited to the poem’s themes. Further, in coming at the end of the experience, it offers another underlining of the poem as a means to better understand Poe and his work.

Alone might not be the easiest of installation to grasp, but for those with a love of poetry and the work of Edgar Allan Poe – and who indeed who might feel separated and apart from the rest of life for whatever reason – it is an engaging and potentially evocative one.

SLurl Details

  • Alone (Canary Islands, rated Moderate)

Vision of Spring in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Serena Arts Centre and Plaza, May 2024: Spring – Vita Theas and Teagan Dawnbringer
The four seasons of the year have long served as focal points for artists who sought to portray the emotions and feelings that each one brings to most people. Spring is a season that is overflowing with life and new beginnings a season where we’re making friends with our emotions again , our emotional reactivity and responses blossom with nature around us, happiness, serenity as flowers hatch and colours explode everywhere in intense expressiveness.

So reads the introduction to an expansive exhibition of art and artistry from Second Life and the physical world, mixing photography with mixed media and painting to express the beauty and renewal of springtime, all of which is being hosted at the Serena Arts Centre and Plaza in Second Life.

Serena Arts Centre and Plaza, May 2024: Spring – Sisi Biedermann and John (Johannes Huntsman)

And when I say expansive, I mean just that: the exhibition is located across Serena Arts Centre and Plaza, featuring both indoor and outdoor displays  which have been thoughtfully laid out so as not to overload the senses with art by the 25 artists who have been invited to participate in the event by the Serena Arts team.

Officially opening at 12:00 noon SLT on May 3rd, 2024, the exhibition – officially called Visions of Spring : Rebirth and Recolouring, will run through until May 23rd, and the 25 invited artists comprise:

Dante Helios (Dantelios), Maggie (maggiemagenta), Greg Parker (GregParker), Terrygold, Christian Carter (XJustFriendX), Tara Paxlapis-Savior  (Tara Aers), Sisi Biedermann, Sheba Blitz, Zia Branner, Raven (Raven Cedarbridge), Teagan Dawnbringer, Prins Evergarden, John (Johannes Huntsman), Layachi Ihnen, Hermes Kondor, Jaminda Galênê Moon (Jaminda Lygon), Dreams (barry Richez), Tempest Rosca-Huntsman (Tempest Rosca), Vee Tammas Shocker (Veruca Tammas), AmandaT Tamatzui, Vita Theas, Nils Urqhart, Pask Wasp, Meycy Winchester, Onceagain (Nanoji Yachvili), Deyanira Yalin, and Cayla (YumiYukimura).

Serena Arts Centre and Plaza, May 2024: Spring – Tempest Rosca-Huntsman (Tempest Rosca), Cayla (YumiYukimura) and Deyanira Yalin

Each artist has been invited to display two items of their work that encompass the central theme of spring the richness and vibrancy of its colours, its beauty, and the sense of renewal and rebirth evident within it. In addition, artists have been able to include their biographies and information on where more of their work might be seen in-world and on-line.

Given such a diversity of artists, it’s impossible to highlight particular pictures of images; suffice it to say that all offer highly individual views of spring, be they images from locations in Second Life or avatar studies, paintings or photographs of their physical world work uploaded to Second Life or purely digital compositions (some of which combine elements from within and without SL). the majority have opted to offer copies of their pieces for sale (some of a limited quantity basis), although one or two have not.

Serena Arts Centre and Plaza, May 2024: Spring – Nils Urqhart and Vee Tammas Shocker (Veruca Tammas)

All of the displays comprising the exhibition are located across the canals from the Centre’s landing point, with the majority being to the west of the landing point, under the two geodomes located there and along the walk linking them, with the rest on the plaza area to the north of the landing point (and directly connected to the area with the geodomes) and the gallery building to the north-east build out over the water and reached via the two decks alongside of it.

Given the organisers have taken care to present a broad mix of genres and art types in each location, rather than focus on a specific genre / approach in each one (e.g. one area devoted to work originating in SL, another for those artists offering work uploaded from the physical world, etc.), the exhibition should be explored in full, and the spread of the exhibit spaces – as noted above – present the eye and mind becoming too overwhelmed whilst also being a pleasant stroll.

Serena Arts Centre and Plaza, May 2024: Spring – Dante Helios (Dantelios), Terrygold and Onceagain (Nanoji Yachvili)

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Three for May at La Maison d’Aneli in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
La Maison d’Aneli, May 2024 – Blip Mumfuzz

Having opened on April 24th, 2024, the May exhibition at Aneli Abeyante’s La Maison d’Aneli brings together three unique talents in the world of Second Life art, in three highly individual and engaging exhibitions. As usual, all three can be reached from the ground level of the gallery, either via the main teleport disk, or by walking onto the “whirlpool” teleport on the floor directly in from of the three large posters advertising the exhibitions.

Blip Mumfuzz needs no introduction to regular readers of these pages; I’ve been an admirer for her art for a long time, and have often reviewed her exhibitions. Blip has a way with the images she creates of the Second Life places she visits which sets her work apart from merely being landscape photographs. She is unafraid to flood her work with colour, sometimes to the point of it being almost abstract, whilst elsewhere she captures marvellous scene which evoke the rich diversity of nature and the wildness of its growth whilst also, through a subtle direction of the eye to linear elements within them, can impose a sense of order and / or subdivision.

La Maison d’Aneli, May 2024 – Blip Mumfuzz

These linear elements can come in many forms – the framing of, or focus on tree trunks in a grove; the subtle splitting of a scene by a hedgerow or shrubs; the more direct references to order through the inclusion of fences, gates and doorways; the natural stepping grace of rock formations or the overlay of hillslopes, small to large – or even the simple foreground focus on stalks of grass growing against a background of foliage or rock. This technique is much in evidence through the pieces making up Blip’s multi-level exhibition at La Maison d’Aneli, particularly in the upper section of the exhibit, which she has  – appropriately enough – entitled Fences, a selection of pieces intended to offer reflections on a number of physical and metaphorical reflections o nature, art, photography and – life, as Blip herself notes:

Fences are rich symbols, signifying barriers, or boundaries, both physical and metaphorical, protection, security, division, exclusion, confinement. In art they can signify isolation, societal restrictions, and the tension between freedom and constraint. They can serve as a metaphor for personal boundaries or emotional barriers. The fences in my images are broken or partial suggesting barriers broken, or limits eroded over time.

– Blip Mumfuzz

La Maison d’Aneli, May 2024 – Tutsy Navarathna and Adwehe

Within their joint exhibition, artist, videographer and social commentator (and a conscience of the world through his work) Tutsy Navarathna and lighting and media artist Adwehe present what might be best referred to as an artistic commentary on modern life and the horribly pervasive banality, mundanity and shallowness of modern advertising. It’s a theme (and threat) most easily expressed through the artists’ own words:

Whether you’re a Pop-Artist, Cubist, Surrealist, Futurist, Expressionist, Psychedelist, Post-Impressionist or even a Promptist!… Come and enjoy the captivating experience of being plunged into a whirlwind of megabit-deficient pixels! Let yourself be drawn into the strangest, most fantastic, most dreamlike, most sensual vision of an extravagant metaverse parasitized by invasive advertising slogans!

– Tutsy and Adwehe

On arrival, it is important to accept the local Experience in order to see the exhibition under the correct environment and lighting. There is a sign about this at the main teleport disk landing point, but I found I had to descend the steps to the lower level in order to trigger the Experience dialogue.

La Maison d’Aneli, May 2024 – Tutsy Navarathna and Adwehe

I admit I found this installation a little hard to get into – whilst appreciating the pop-art nature in the use of colours within it – and felt that perhaps some of the images could perhaps have been a little larger for more comfortable viewing. However, the humour across several is clear (and I have to admit to chuckling at one image which pokes fun at the oft-referenced commentary on the inverse relationship between male genitalia size and the need for big / fast cars). However, I’ll leave it you you to appreciate the installation for yourselves!

SLurl Details