Tag: Art 2026

Currently open at the Akimori, a part of the Akipelago complex operated by Akiko Kinoshi (A Kiko), is an exhibition by the talented Mareea Farresco. It is entitled Tapestry, with the subtitle Medieval Fantasy.

Presenting nineteen images, this is a narrative exhibition, unfolding a story of a maiden and her encounter with a travelling troubadour in medieval times. Mixing images of landscapes with images of avatars, the images are designed to be viewed in a specific order, starting with the image of cathedral, located on the far left of the information board listing the names of all 19 pieces. From here, the story progresses past the introductory board and on around the worlds of the exhibition space.

Thus, the pictures progress from the cathedral and through the streets of a medieval town, their ordering suggestive of a walk taken by the maiden, out of the town and past the tall towers and strong walls of a Norman-style castle standing proud on a hill. As they continue around the walls, the pictures introduce us to the maiden with a subtle hit of her love of music, before moving on to her encounter with the troubadour and the blossoming of an apparent relationship – one which we instinctively know will not last.

The images themselves are beautifully processed to give the appearance of paintings produced if not within the period of the story, then possibly by one of the great masters of the renaissance period, the start of which overlapped the end of the medieval. This is particularly true of the images of the unnamed town and its guardian castle, all of which are rich in detail, capturing moments in time. The images of the maiden and her troubadour are equally engaging avatar studies, vividly telling the tale of love and loss (or is that perhaps abandonment?)  and the inevitable hurt and loss.

In this, Tapestry appears to offer a story within a story: just how genuine is the troubadour in his feelings for the maiden? Is it a genuine love, or the opportunity for a dalliance as he goes about his travels, singing his songs to whomever will pay him, staying only so long in any one place as meets his needs before his inevitable wanderlust causes him to move on? From the perspective of the maiden, their relationship is real, and she is clearly heartbroken following his adieu and departure. From this, our imagination might build a number of possible tales within the tale, adding a personal depth to the images.

With the exhibition space decorated to match the tone of the images, Tapestry is an engaging and expression exhibition, ideal for art lovers and storytellers.

SLurl Details

• Tapestry (Akimori, rated Moderate)

As I recently noted, there are two exhibitions kicking-off 2026 at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, operated and curated by Dido Haas. The first – and slightly longer-running in terms of opening date – is by Sydney Couerblanc, as I covered that within Afterimages of Spring at Nitroglobus in Second Life.

The second exhibition, occupying the main hall of the gallery is The Colour of Vulnerability, a striking exhibition of work by Flossy Nova (flo0owl). Like Sydney’s exhibition in the gallery’s Annex, this is a collection of pieces rich in emotive content, but one very different in style to Sydney’s use of narrative as a connecting theme between the images.

Colour is often used to describe mood and emotion, and in some ways this is very much the case within The Colour of Vulnerability; however, through her use of bold, strong colours Flossy not only offers suggestions of mood, but also of self; an expression of state-of-mind when placed within a virtual realm such as Second Life and the freedoms that come with it.

The nineteen images comprising the exhibition border on the abstract in terms of their use of colour, whilst encompassing silhouette-like elements for her avatar; the two combining into a series of expressionist piece which captivate the eye completely. Rather than carrying a narrative thread, each of these images stands on its own; the unifying element being the use of colour.

The colours serve as both backdrops and as expression of mood, whilst also in some suggesting the very aura of life and emotion surrounding the figure they contain. Throughout all of them, Flossy reveals suggestions of both her mood and being in a manner which is both subtle and yet clearly declarative; a fusion of expressiveness matching the interplay of colour and silhouettes.

However we interpret each piece is a matter of personal response and mood. Clues might be found within the titles the artist has given to each work, however I would suggest allowing them to speak to you prior to taking and edit-peek at any of the titles.

A visually engaging exhibition, layered with emotional meaning and reflection.

SLurl Details

• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

Currently being hosted at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, operated and curated by Dido Haas, are two exhibitions which are very different in tone and style, but which both draw on us emotionally. Over this and a forthcoming piece, I will be covering both, starting with the longer-running of the two.

Located within the Annex at Nitroglobus is an exhibition by Sydney Couerblanc  – a Second Life photographer whose work I don’t believe I’ve previously encountered. Afterimages of Spring presents a series of images captured within the ever-engaging Bella’s Lullaby, a place I have been known to frequent and have written about on numerous occasions. For me, this would usually be enough to encourage a visit to an exhibition; however, Afterimages of Spring presents two further attractions: Sydney’s use of black and white photography, together with the fact that these images are not intended to present the beauty of Bella’s lullaby per se, but rather they use the region to present a story, one that might be seen as part of a larger narrative, given the questions it spurs.

Spring is ending. It is her last day as light keeper on Blackheart Key. She took the job as a desperate attempt to get away. From the city, from the ex, from herself. Although challenging at first, she found solace in the island, and in time came to call it home. Today, with departure upon her, she misses it already.

– Artist’s statement on Afterimages of Spring

So it is that we join this unnamed light-keeper on the island carrying a name that is the negative (so to speak in photographic terms, that is) of the artist’s, as she travels through her final day at this remote location. Through eleven carefully framed and beautifully executed images, we follow her day from rising, through a final round of tasks to a final farewell, the island apparently seen from aboard a departing vessel.

The unfolding story is heavy in latent emotions, which follow outwards from each image: sadness at a forthcoming departure; apprehension at what now lay head; heart-tugging final times with friends soon to be left behind, and more. Through her framing and the gifted use of focus and depth of field combined with the sharpness , and black and white itself, Sydney conveys her story perfectly.

In this, I particularly like Sydney’s use of the lighthouse itself in the majority of her pictures. It is present in nine of the eleven images, generally in the background and in a soft focus. This gives the lighthouse a sense of being; it is not so much a structure designed to fulfil a function – it is a friend; a guardian, a comforting presence keeping a companionable watch on our light keeper without making demands or overshadowing her life and thoughts.

Then there is the broader story hinted at both through the artist’s statement and the idea of the light keeper now leaving this sanctuary she has lived within: what did happen to her city life, her ex – perhaps even her career? – to cause her to seek such remote a withdrawal in the first place? And what now that she is departing – what will see discover or encounter? How will she fair? Might she yet have cause return?

These are questions Afterimages of Spring perhaps stirs – but does not seek to answer. Like all skilled storytellers, Sydney presents enough to provide her core story, then leaves the rest to our imaginations.

SLurl Details

• The Annex, Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine homestead, rated Moderate)