Sometimes art doesn’t have to mean anything; sometimes it doesn’t have to form anything; sometimes art can simply be – and sometimes it can simply be fun.
These points all apply to Wired, an installation by SL couple eta (etamae) and Jos (mojosb5c), which is currently being hosted above Dragonfly Lake – spiritual English countryside.
Eta and Jos – Wired, October 2026
Wired evolved from the imagination of Jos who built the structure that resulted in a play of form and geometry, then offered it to eta to texture and fill. Always up for a challenge, eta set to texturing, trying to keep the clean lines and open feel to the build, maybe to keep its integrity?
All of the works made into materials are from real life photography taken by eta, all sculpts are made in Blender or other free sculpting programs.
– From the description of Wired
Eta and Jos – Wired, October 2026
As Eta and Jos note, the installation – a marvellous work in open geometry – has no hidden meaning or purpose; it exists simply for people to enjoy.
To do so, and after arriving, do locate the information board and touch it for the installation’s experience. Accepting the latter will allow you to select several different local environments in which to view Wired. Note that these can be changed at any time by again touching the information board and selecting a further environment from the dialogue box list.
Eta and Jos – Wired, October 2026
Also, to see the installation to its best advantage, you should either use a PBR-enabled viewer or, if not, make sure Advanced Lighting Module (ALM) is enabled through Preferences Graphics.
Once you are set, then turn your pedal extremities and start walking. However, before head for the teleport door, try heading for tubby chaps standing around and bumping them. All the installation needs is a nice meshy bowling ball to have even more fun with them.
Eta and Jos – Wired, October 2026
The teleport door will take visitors up a level for more wandering, more sculptures and quite gorgeous 2D art (available for purchase), together with some pedestal-mounted 3D pieces.
And if you can manage it, do cam out – you’ll get to see why the installation is called Wired – although it could have perhaps also have been called netted!
A fun and light – and also beautifully intricate – installation.
Cica Ghost once again invited me to drop into her region of Mysterious Isle and her installation for October, Lune. And given the time of year, it should come as no surprise that it is spookily themed.
I’ll make no bones about it, Lune creepily fun and offers both tricks and treats wherever you go.
Cica Ghost: Lune – October 2026
As is usual for Cica’s installations, Lune features a quote. In this case, line from Joseph Conrad’s Lord Jim, itself something of fitting choice given its focus on a young man haunted by a decision made in a moment of terror when he bowed to the pressures of his peers.
There is something haunting in the light of the moon.
– Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim
Cica Ghost: Lune – October 2026
However, rather than offering a treatise on the novel’s themes, Cica uses the quote to underscore the haunting delights of her setting, where even the Moon is looking a little skeletal in nature.
Indeed, under this Moon’s crescent, trees whip upwards like tentacles, a graveyard lies is shadow, some of its occupants attempting to rise even and others are already wandering abroad. At least one even appears to have returned home!
Four
This is a place where crows and vultures watch all that happens and bones lay scattered across the ground.
In the middle of all of this, an little quintet of Trick or Treaters appear to have wandered – one of whom has something of Cica’s own look about her as they glance nervously around, there costumes fitting the setting even if their eyes are wide in possible trepidation.
Cica Ghost: Lune – October 2026
This is a place where even the term “bat mobile” takes on a near literal form as it provides one mode of transport, the other being a little more gruesome. Not that it prevented me from, umm, revving up with fellow blogger and Second Life traveller, Sam Rougefeu (Dodderi Haifisch)!
Finished with a very suitable audio stream – do have music enabled when visiting – Lune brings a lightness and sense of fun to Halloween that’s delightful in its touch and difference to the darker region themes that tend to come out at this time of year!
Cica Ghost: Lune – Sam Rougefeu takes to a BAT mobile to avoid my SKUL(L)duggery 🙂
Dido Haas dropped me a line concerning an emotive exhibition by Second Life artist-photographer Christian Carter due to open at Limoncello Gallery, operated by Dave (Lord Junibalya) with the assistance of Fenella Allen, on October 1, 2026.
Dido’s note prompted me to realise I haven’t actually covered Limoncello since 2021, so before turning to Christian’s exhibition I will take a look at Limoncello as it sits within its most recent location and remains one of the longest-running art collections in Second Life.
Limoncello Gallery: Janus Fall, Sina Souza and Diconay Boa
The collection was originally founded nigh-on 20 years ago (at the time of writing) by the superbly-named LastDitch Writer in 2007, and stood as a private collection within the unique environment of a massive airship. In 2011, LastDitch departed SL for a time after the passing of his wife (although he is now again active in-world as the Chieftain of the Clan McDitch and live at Nyuvegan Castle on the Isle of NyuSkye).
Rather than vanish from SL, Limoncello passed into the care of Dave. In 2020 an annexe opened in Bellisseria, which I covered at the time. However, the main gallery now sits in a towering skyscraper rising over the City Borough of Manda Vale, itself located high above NyuSkye.
Limoncello Gallery: Janine Portal, Louvre, Stephen Venkman, April Acorn and Prins Evergarden
The many floors of the skyscraper contains pieces by artist right across Second Life, featuring SL landscapes, avatar studies, 3D pieces, physical world paintings. And yes, right up on the roof the airship with its gallery spaces is moored, reached via the Experience-based teleport doors on both the roof of the skyscraper and on the ground floor, where a similar teleport door connects to the Bellisseria annexe.
Movement between floors in the gallery is via elevator, which is where I have a minor niggle. Whilst “real”; the elevator is painfully slow if it is more than a couple of floors away from you. Perhaps a teleport or-whilst space-intensive – stairs might be a better choice.
Limoncello Gallery: Royal Shippe and ArtemisGreece
But be that as it may, the entire gallery is more than worth a visit for its collective history of Second Life Art. Also, while visiting, Amanda Tamatzui has a gallery a short walk from Limocello’s front doors, whilst the far side of the Bellisseria Consulate (facing Limoncello’s tower) is Art Galleries of Second Life, presenting teleport portals to many of the galleries to be found in-world.
Christian Carter: After You
Which brings me to Christian’s After You, located within Limoncello Tower. This is a small but emotional collection of pieces mixed with text elements. To describe it, I’ll simply use some of Christian’s own words.
These photos grew out of an experience of absence, loss and the strange space that remains when someone is no longer there. They are not meant to tell a complete story, but to hold fragments of one.
– Christian Carter, After You
Christian Carter: After You, Limoncello Gallery
These fragments as thus presented in four parts: Before (or connection); Loss (or distance), Aftermath (or disappearance) and Becoming (or what comes after).
Each section comprises two or three images, each one highly minimalist in presentation whilst including individual styling. This minimalism and choice of style – monochrome, light colour wash, chiaroscuro and deep colour tone – serves to give all of the images there emotional depth.
Christian Carter: After You, Limoncello Gallery
I’m not going to offer any personal interpretation of the art; how each piece speaks to us is down to our own experience of loss and absence and how that shapes our response to these pieces.
All I will say is that loss does not doesn’t necessarily mean being physically without; loss can be felt as much by a sense of distance in terms of mental / emotional separation as by any physical absence (and can eventually result in the latter) – which is beautifully represented here by Christian is the second and third parts of After You.
Christian Carter: After You, Limoncello Gallery
A sublime and moving collection, perfectly presented, After You formally opens at 12:00 noon on October 1, 2026 and will remain in place through until December 31, 2026.
Limoncello Gallery is an ideal destination for Second Life art lovers, and After You is the ideal exhibition from which to commence a viewing of the collection.
I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o’er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden daffodils;
Many of us will probably recognise these words as the opening lines of William Wordsworth’s Daffodils, written in 1804 and first published in 1807. Now the poem is brought to life by Second Life’s master of visual poetry, Sheldon Bergman (SheldonBR) within his SLEA2 installation Visual Poetry.
I’ve covered Sheldon’s work in these pages, both in its own right and via his collaboration with Angelika Corrall as artists at and curators of the former DaphneArts Gallery in Second Life. I’ve always found Sheldon’s work to be visually and aurally engaging, rich in context and narrative, and so was only to happy to pop along to Visual Poetry ahead of the installation’s soft opening and at his invitation.
Sheldon Bergman: Daffodils, September 2026, SLEA2
Wordsworth’s poem forms the focal point of Visual Poetry, presenting visitors with the opportunity to both partake of a walk similar in nature to that which inspired Wordsworth to pen his poem and at the same time become immersed in the poem imagery, aided by the selected music (played via local sounds rather than via the audio stream).
The poem, often referred to by its opening line, came about as a result a walk taken by Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, around Glencoyne Bay in England’s Lake District in April 1802. Whilst walking, they came across s field of daffodils dancing and waving in the breeze, easily rivalling the flick and flow of ripples and wave on the waters of the Bay; their yellow twinkling across the green of the shoreline offering a sight as beautiful and captivating as the stars in the night’s sky.
It was a sight which became so fixed in the poet’s imagination that it would continue to lift his mood and chase away what otherwise might have been afternoons or evening of dark reflection set in solitude; instead lifting his spirit and allowing his thoughts to dance once more with the daffodil’s sway and turn his solitude into thoughts of joy.
Sheldon Bergman: Daffodils, September 2026, SLEA2
All of this is presented through Sheldon’s gently immersive installation. Experience-driven, visitors should, on arriving, touch the sign on the Landing Point wall and follow the instructions as presented for viewer settings and also accepting the Experience. The latter will then trigger the addition of the installation HUD and teleport visitors to the installation proper.
The main installation forms a landscape intended to evoke the rolling beauty of Glencoyne Bay and its shoreline. Theo building occupy the shore – the near being a small stone cabin, and the more distant a country chapel. Arrival will trigger the installation’s introduction on the HUD, followed by the music playback
The entire setting perfectly matches the poem’s intent, offering a scene of natural beauty in which daffodils are scattered across the green, rolling landscape, bring the opening lines of the poem to life. More than just a part of the setting as it sits amidst the daffodils and with sheep grazing in their field on the hill, the chapel is a reflection of Wordsworth’s own religious outlook, which grew from a conventional Anglican outlook common to his times to a more personal, nature-centric faith. The environment settings, meanwhile offer a touch of the vacant or pensive mood Wordsworth notes recollections of the daffodils helps him to escape.
Sheldon Bergman: Daffodils, September 2026, SLEA2Where you go after hearing the poem matters not; this is very much an installation for wandering and quiet reflection and contemplation; for taking heart and joy in the beauty of nature as presented by the setting. The music selection is simply perfect, starting with Satie’s quite beautiful Gymnopédie No 1 (a personal favourite I enjoy playing myself), then continuing with Chopin and Mozart before finishing with Beethoven’s Für Elise (another personal favourite I enjoy playing).
It would be nice if the music continued or at least looped through the selected tracks rather than the single play-through, and for the setting to perhaps offer one or two places to sit outside and allow the mind to flutter and dance in the breeze or enjoy the jocund company of a companion. But even without these, Daffodils is an engaging installation, fully reflective of Wordsworth’s poem and his Romanticism.
I don’t know if this will be the only poem presented within Visual Poetry or the start of a series. I would hope for the latter, as I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed Sheldon’s work – but I’m only too aware of the work involved in putting out an installation like this. In the meantime, Daffodils will have a soft opening at 14:00 SLT, Tuesday, September 29, 2026.
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026 – click any image for full size
It’s been a while since I last visited Alpha Auer’s Alphatribe Island (more fool me), but after seeing the Destination Guide recently and seeing the island’s latest entry, there was no way I was going to miss it!
As can be seen from the title and header image to this piece, the autumn iteration of Alphatribe is called October, and it is something quite marvellous in its touches and humour – even for a region that is always filled with much to delight.
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026
As the name suggests, this is a setting not only celebrating autumn, but also all that October brings with it by way of oddness, although here the touches are very subtle.
For example, there are no hordes of pumpkins everywhere (they are present, but keep themselves well under control!), nor eerie lanterns or suchlike; just little touches offering a nod towards the end of the month: the odd pointed hat perched upon a head; a purple Minion-like character among those greeting new arrivals, the young beau chaperoning his belle, his arms both on the same side…
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026
The village itself is a marvel in keeping with the season. The colours are all muted and caught under an autumnal sky of soft bronze (do use the Shared Environment setting when visiting!).
The houses in particular offer another little October twist: they are both inhabited and inhabitants, many of them sharing a certain resemblance with their occupants, others with entirely unique features. And talking of features, there is something charmingly Tim Burton-ish in some of the locals’ expressions.
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026
Between the human locals and the houses there is also a touch of Steampunk to be found here and there, particularly when it comes to some of the headgear being worn (and the rooftops of some houses!). Elsewhere, meanwhile, hats and clothing perhaps lean more to celebrating the season.
All of which is to say this is a fascinating and quirky little place. One which, whilst touched by October’s lean towards Halloween, is by no means dark or spooky but rather openly fun and bright; even the scarecrows are perhaps more crow than scare!
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026
Thus, October is a place to be wandered through slowly; Alpha always packs her settings with details large and small, but October has so much that some of it might easily be missed (who lives in one of the local wells? Did they divert the water so it runs down from the top of the well in an attempt to keep their home moderately dry?).
One also cannot help but wonder if the two chaps apparently in deep, earnest conversation are aware that their heads have taken the second line of Scott McKenzie’s If you’re Going to San Francisco quite literally!
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026Do be sure to take a stroll along the line of trees to the south west. Not only will you come across a couple (grandma and granddaughter?) pausing in sweeping leaves (assuming their pointy headgear and brooms aren’t indicative of their occupation – Granma in particularly appears to be trying particularly hard to look innocent!), you’ll see a little flotilla of boats parading through the bay, each one a marvellous little vessel with plenty of quirky details.
Wander far enough and you’ll come to Alpha’s store and the chance to purchase some of the characters found within the village or, if you prefer, obtain some headgear in keeping with some of their hats (also to be found on Alpha’s Marketplace Store along with the boats and miniatures of the houses).
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026
I always enjoy visiting Alphatribe island; Alpha’s creativity is joyous and at times mischievous. October demonstrates this is spades throughout, with everything wonderfully balanced from the environment settings through the terrain and to the characters – people, creatures, houses and vehicles.
In this regard, as well as using the Shared Environment when visiting do also make sure you have local sounds on, and to see the village as fully as possible as you wander, draw distance as high as your system can manage – or at least around 100-128 metres.
Alpha Auer: October, September 2026
A genuinely charming setting, highly photogenic and well worth visiting to take a wander through.
Oh, and don’t forget to pick up your gifts at the landing point, together with a notecard from alpha that is well worth the read for the village’s back-story.
IMAGOLand & Galleries, September 2026: Mareea Farrasco: Nature and Culture
Currently open at IMAGOLand & Galleries is an interesting exhibition by the gallery’s owner, Mareea Farrasco. Entitled Nature and Culture, it sits as an examination of the intersection of nature and culture expression, as seen through the creative lens of Second Life.
In the physical world, what we today view as culture – which here might be defined more as lifestyle and couture – largely stands very apart from the natural world. Where once culture – culinary preferences, mode of dress, belief systems, etc. -, were very much rooted within the environments in which they flourished, they now easily exist divorced from their natural origins, allowing them to be found and experienced the world over.
IMAGOLand & Galleries, September 2026: Mareea Farrasco: Nature and Culture
However, in Second Life, there is no such separation – indeed no such evolution from nature to culture / couture. As Mareea notes, everything is effectively manufactured, born out of deliberate design and the manifestation of light photons through the electronic medium of graphics chips and processing.
The result is a world in which “nature” and “culture” are – from a creative standpoint – one in the same. There is no separation of one from the other, just as there is no natural progression from one to another. They both simply exist.
IMAGOLand & Galleries, September 2026: Mareea Farrasco: Nature and Culture
This is reflected within Nature and Culture through both juxtaposition and combination through its mix of avatar-centric “fashion” pictures and images of an avatar exploring in-world locations. The juxtaposition is just that: the placing of the “fashion” images alongside of – but somewhat distinct from in terms of style (such as the triptych) and content, the “landscape” images. It’s a presentation that leaves the two as feeling separate and distinct. Until, at least, one considers the avatar herself. She brings them together, and she does so not merely because of the outfit she wears
She does so because her presence throughout all of the images reminds us of the fact that everything in SL is conjoined through the aforementioned act of intentional creation. She, the clothes she wears, the settings she is “exploring” – all underscore the fact that neither nature nor culture exist within Second Life in the manner in which they have grown together and undergone separation within the physical world.
IMAGOLand & Galleries, September 2026: Mareea Farrasco: Nature and Culture
Thus we’re presented with a series of images prompting us to consider both the nature of Second Life as an environment of consciously-created landscapes, characters and couture and – perhaps, in going beyond the exhibition itself – on the manner in which we have managed to take culture from its natural origins and environments and reduce it to a statement devoid of natural heritage and open to appropriation.
