Tag: Art 2025

In 2009 I embarked on my journey as a Second Life photographer.  I like to share the richness of the creations from various sims, by trying to show all their aspects in my pictures. During my in world travels, I encounter numerous individuals from around the globe who share their backgrounds, passions, and interests with me, for which I am very grateful.

– Michiel Bechir

With these words, Michiel Bechir introduces himself – if such an introduction is even required, his work being well known with in the SL arts community as both a photographer-artist and as the owner of his own gallery where he promotes other artists – and his latest exhibition, which opens on January 6th, 2025 at the Hermit Gallery of Saint Elizabeth’s University.

As a fellow traveller across Second Life, Michiel has done much over the 15 years he’s been recording his travels to capture the beauty of many places across the grid, sometimes casting his photographic net wider to include avatar-centric photography. In that time – as do so many of SL’s talents – he has refined his technique and learned to use editing tools with a fine touch in order to enhance his images and imbue them with further sense of mood and/or genre / and uniqueness.

Within Beyond Borders: A Visual Journey, he offers a selection of his work as both a demonstrations of his art and as a mini retrospective of his photography over the years. And when better than to hold a retrospective than, perhaps the beginning of a new year, thus offering a look back even whilst eyes might be set on the future?

Spread across the gallery’s three levels – with some also out on the roof terrace, the collection is focused on a given theme within each area of the gallery: Animals, History, Landscapes, and Flowers. While the collection is bracketed within the period 2009-2024, the majority of the images lean towards the latter years, being particularly focused on the period 2020-2024. Whilst this is far from a negative per se, I would have enjoyed perhaps seeing a wider spread of images in terms of years, so as to better appreciate Michiel’s evolving style; but this is a purely subjective comment.

As it is, what is presented is engaging and rich display of Second Life photographic art, the use of sub-themes split between the different galley levels allowing each to stand as a mini-exhibition in its own right, and I have no hesitation in recommending Beyond Borders for a visit.

SLurl Details

• Hermit Gallery, Saint Elizabeth’s University (Dark Dreamer, rated Adult)

Just before Christmas 2024, Iris Okiddo (IrisSweet) invited me to visit the latest exhibition she and Jules Neveille (Jules Catlyn) are hosting at their Andante Gallery, entitled Hooray for Hollywood.

This is an ensemble exhibition organised by Iris and Jules, featuring piece by Alsatian Kidd, Angel Kavanagh, Awesome Fallen, Ben J, Carter Holloway, Daimaju Clowes, Inka Enkeli-Neville, Jazz Delenz, Jo Aquacade, Ludi Taurus, Mimi Soleil Firelight, Morgan Talbot, Orion Octane, Partee Mytili, Simone Landes, Sparklebottom Lasertits, Tamara Aristocrat, Tupper Moran,
Valeries Muircastle and Vexx Daines with a piece each form Iris and Jules.

Jules and myself have again asked several photographers to give us their interpretation of a theme. This time we asked the invited photographers to send us a picture that would pay tribute to movies and/or moviestars. This wonderful new exhibition is the result. We are very grateful to all the photographers who have agreed to take part.

– from the introduction to Hooray for Hollywood.

The result is a highly expressive  – and in places humorous – largely avatar-centric series images celebrating some Hollywood’s most iconic films, movie stars and franchises, spread across the two halls of the gallery and the intervening courtyard. Some of the references are all too clear, others perhaps not so much, depending on your knowledge of films and actors.

To go through all of them would spoil the pleasure of seeing them first-hand, but I will say Jo Aquacade’s 188921977 is a beautifully-framed tribute, whilst Alsatian Kidd’s  Iron Man is a very clever tribute to two modern blockbusters; once of which has a soundtrack that sits in my all-time top ten film soundtracks, and Iris Okiddo’s Another Fine Rezz definitely had me smiling.

Bur personal picks aside, all of the pieces are worth taking the time to view, and kudos to all of the participating artists involved – and my thanks to Iris for the personal invite.

SLurl Details

• Andante Gallery (Amityville, rated Adult)