Tag: Linden Endowment for the Arts

 

Mourningstar is described as “An exploration of the ideas of the fallen angel, the vengeful god, and the diverse perceptions of Lucifer in various religious and social traditions. A virtual pilgrimage, proposing an alternate mythology…”

An immersive installation by Anahera (Fox Nacht), Mourningstar is in three parts – theological, Romantic and (for want of a better term) “present day”. Literary, theological and practical references are to be found throughout, making for an interactive piece. On arrival, do take a moment to read the notes on how best to full appreciate the installation.

The pilgrimage starts in the theological: a heavenly walk towards the upraised hand of God, culminating with a quote of Isaiah 14:12: How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!  And thus we, too are cast down to the ground, landing amidst a litter of broken angel wings within a ruined landscape – a reminder that around a third of the heavenly hosts fell with Satan – within a landscape. 

Through this grey engraving of a landscape lie a series of paths marked by arches. One continues the theological theme, taking us to the Tree of Knowledge. But here, as with the celestial hand above, a question mark is thrown over God’s role in things. In the heavens, the hand of God has strings attached to fingers and thumb, suggestive of a puppet master, while at the Tree of Knowledge, we are asked to ponder What sort of father would deny his children knowledge?

The remaining paths through the landscape encompass the great 19th Century Romantic era of poetry, encompassing an extract from Alfred de Vigny’s 1824 tripartite poem, Éloa, ou La sœur des anges (Éloa, or the Sister of the Angels), which offers Satan as capable of love, but unable to deny his own twisted nature, thus drawing the one who loves him – an innocent young angel – Éloa, down into hell.

Also to be found here are images of the great English Language Romantics – Blake, Bryon, Coleridge, and  Mary and Percy Shelley. According to Ruben Van Luijk,  writing in Children of Lucifer:  Origins of Modern Religious Satanism, these Romantics were spurred on by Milton’s Paradise Lost to see Satan as the ultimate rebellious hero, a champion of individual freedoms in an age of increasing political and social constraint.

One final path remains, one perhaps not so easily seen. It lies to one side of the reading area where visitors can delve into the writings of Blake, Byron and Milton. It leads to a pair of ram’s horns planted in the ground – their meaning clear enough – together with the definitions of “Belief” and “Faith”. A teleport disk before these provides the way to an examination of modern Satanism, with an introduction by Professor Darren Oldridge, and which sharply contrasts with the view of the Romantics.

I’m not so sure Mourningstar is an “alternate mythology” so much as a visual immersion into the theological, philosophical, Romantic and modern interpretations of Satan’s influence on people’s thinking and actions; one which also takes a short, sharp poke at the Christian view of a benevolent God in the process. Wisely, no attempt is made by the artist to direct or lead our thinking. Instead, we are encouraged to explore, examine, consider, and determine for ourselves.

Mourningstar will remain open through until the end of June.

SLurl Details

• Mourningstar (Rated: Moderate)

Open now through June at LEA 26 is a retrospective of Gem Preiz’s entire catalogue of fractal art installations in Second Life. For anyone who is familiar with his work, they offer a visual treat in spades; while for those who have yet to encounter Gem’s stunning canvases of intricate, fractal-generated images, all of which combine technology with wonderfully organic forms, even when depicting artificial structures, there has never been a better opportunity to be immersed in his work.

The installations are reached via individual teleports, arranged in chronological, left-to-right order as the visitor looks at them, each with its original info card giver located on the wall above the teleport disc. This allows visitors to not only visit each of Gem’s past installation in turn, but also to witness his growing confidence in using fractal generators to not only create scenes, but to weave narratives through his work, offering insight into his own growth within his medium.

I have covered Gem’s work extensively in this blog (all of my reviews can be found by following this tag, or view the menu: Second Life > Reviews > Art Reviews > Art in SL > Gem Preiz), and so was personally delighted to see his two earliest installations, Heaven and Hell and Complexity are included in the retrospective, as I’ve not previously had the opportunity to view them.

Heaven and Hell, Gem’s first ever exhibition in Second Life, dates from 2012 and takes as its lead a quote from French artist Georges Braque, “Art is made to disturb, science reassures.”

“It seemed to me funny and interesting to evoke the concepts of hell and paradise, which are by definition irrational, by means of one of the most accomplished domains of the science: mathematics and fractals.” Gem says of the installation.  inviting people to cross the Styx and enter the devil’s domain before being reborn in paradise.

Complexity, first displayed in October 2013 at Timamoon Arts, is an intriguing voyage of creation and growth, physically and in terms of knowledge, reflected in a quote, “The detailed knowledge of the world helps us to better understand it, but we never understand it better than when we forget its details.”

It takes us through fifteen images, each an ever more complex outgrowth of the last, carrying us from a single fractal at the centre of a blue realm, to the most intricate and complex shapes which form their own universe, expanding ever outwards until at last we come to … what appears to be a single fractal floating in a blue realm. A perfect summation of the quote.

From Complexity, one can travel onwards through Cathedral Dreamer – my first exposure to Gem’s art,  to Polychronies, which still stands as one of my favourite installations by Gem,  and onwards through to Metropolis, with his most recent joint work: Heritage: Vestiges and Wrecks, also on display above the same entrance hall, thus providing a complete tour de force of Gem’s work to date.

Gem’s work is a wonderful mix of art and science, organised structure and organic growth. Within it complex themes are interwoven, which also doesn’t prevent him from having a little fun as well. But when taken as a whole, his work simply isn’t something to be missed, as this retrospective amply demonstrates.

SLurl Details

• Gem Preiz Retrospective (Rated: General)

Now open for all to enjoy is the latest installation by Eupalinos Ugajin, Gravity is a Mistake. As one can always expect from Eupa, this is an involved, interactive and above all, fun installation to which additional elements will be added over time.

It’s also a piece that is experience-led, so on arrival, you’ll be asked to join something called – in difference to the title of the installation – “Le Cactus”. Respodning with Yes grants you seamless interaction with the piece, and is a necessary part of Gravity is a Mistake. As with all experiences, remember that the permissions granted on joining will be automatically revoked when you leave the Gravity is a Mistake region, so there is no worry about what might happen elsewhere.

Once you have accepted the experience, you’ll notice a couple of HUDs have attached to your screen on the right. The upper one will detach (if necessary), the other will teleport you back to the start of the ravine you’ll be delivered to on stepping through the doorway of the landing point.

This ravine cuts through a strange island. Objects are littered along and over the ravine (and scattered about the island), leading to a circular opening in the middle of the island. The key here is interaction; as you make your way down the ravine, be prepared to touch objects (and have some touch you!). Exactly what happens on touching an object is open to question. But remember, this is Eupa, so tongue is firmly in cheek, and a sense of humour will carry you forward. You may find yourself in receipt of a gift, doing a mad little dance, or unexpectedly wearing something, being transported to another part of the island, offered web page to look at …

At the far end of the ravine sits a rather unique dragon. He’s determined to guard the circular opening, once a swimming pool, but now a public library. Getting past him may take some figuring out, but look for the door that comes with scales 🙂 .

The library is designed to be the second part of the build, which Eupa hopes will see those invited to join the project to add builds, sounds, and interactive elements of their own which can be enjoyed by visitors who manage to get past the dragon. As it is, entry will see you into a “gravity free” zone, offering me opportunities for fun!

In introducing the piece, Eupa notes the inspiration came from The Centrifuge Brain Project, an equally tongue-in-cheek mockumentary, well worth watching. And after playing in Gravity is a Mistake and watching the video, you’re still in the mood for silliness, hop up to Le Cactus bar, Maya Paris’ celebrated creation from times past, and which Eupa invited her to recreate here. You can reach it via the teleport at the top of the island, and read about it here.

All told – fun and silliness, and worth having local sounds on for as well!

SLurl Details

• Gravity is a Mistake (Rated: Moderate)

 

Artist Slatan Dryke drew my attention to Light Thoughts 2, a full region installation by Mario2 Helstein which is now open. “I really would recommend a visit, it’s a jewel!” Slaton said, refusing to give away more. Intrigued, I hopped over to have a peek – and “jewel” is precisely the right description for this build, glittering as it does with light and colour.

The arrival point occupies the centre of the region, which has been flattened and flooded for this installation. Lights flicker up from under the waves, while all around, huge structures and sculptures rise into a midnight sky.

And when I say huge, I mean just that. On one side, great seahorses hover above and exotic torus of spines from which two human figure seem to be attempting to escape, arms and legs snagged by the spines. On another what appears to be a great swirling stage offers an ever-changing pattern of colour beneath turning spotlights which play back and forth across its surface.

Elsewhere the forms seem purely geometric or abstract; however, look carefully, particularly at the larger elements, as there is  more to be seen than might first appear to be the case. Take, for example, the DNA double helix rotating slowly at the heart of a huge sphere held aloft by a giant hand. Others elements embody both form and abstract, such as the giant butterfly hovering over exotic plants rising from the water.

The entire installation is both striking and extraordinary. It brings together light, colour, form and motion in the most captivating of ways guaranteed to hold the eye and boggle the brain.

For those seeking meaning in the art they see, Mario2 offers a disarmingly simple description of his creation, “Light Thoughts is a world of forms and light,” he states, otherwise remaining enigmatic on the matter – and quite rightly so. Light Thoughts 2 isn’t something to be witnessed through the dryness of words or through the two-dimensional limitations of images. It is something to be experienced.

This being the case, I will close the same way as Slatan first brought Light Thoughts 2 to my attention:  by recommending you pay a visit yourself. And do keep an eye on the LEA blog for news of the music and particle shows Mario2 plans to present at the installation.

SLurl Details

• Light Thoughts 2 (Rated: )

Open through until the end of March 2016 is Retrospective: Barry Richez, an expansive exhibit reflecting the vast catalogue of work by this expressive artist, who works in both 2D and 3D.

Barry opens his introduction to the exhibit with the words, “Welcome to my Universe,” and thus we are thrust into an environment with a distinctly science-fiction edge to it, in which he has framed his work for visitors to appreciate.

This is actually a journey through three “universes” of art, undertaken via teleport, with the artist recommending visitors proceed through each in teleport order from the arrival point (teleport 01), with station 02 – 11 taking visitors through the Centaurus galaxy, stations 12 – 14 through the Tourbillon galaxy, and 15 – 20 though the Sombrero galaxy.

Station 19 is worth an additional note, as it offers a special exhibition of art by Barry’s partner Lou Robinson, in what I believe is her first public exhibition.  The remaining stations are also split into two groups, with 21 through 25 presenting “relaxation places” with Tai Chi, meditation, and dancing, while 26 – 28 teleport visitors to additional poseball spaces in each of the three galaxies, where they can simply float around, meditate or observe.

For maximum impact, visitors should set their viewer to midnight and make sure particles are enabled. I’d also recommend Barry’s suggestion of running through the teleport stations in numerical order as far as station 20, and then perhaps taking more of a random look around.

The sculptures on display tend to be one per level, and some offer opportunities for interaction. The 2D art is displayed in a more gallery-like form, and everything is presented against a galactic backdrop of turning stars, the spaces filled with planets, space ships and space stations (some of which can also be explored at which may contain little treats of their own) alongside of the art.

This is a fascinating trip through the art and mind of the artist; the items on display a veritable kaleidoscope, but in terms of the use of colour and the narrative in the pieces on display, some of which share a gentle humour with the visitor, while others challenge our thinking. The inclusion of Lou Robinson’s art adds a further touch to the exhibition, and has certainly left me hoping we’ll be seeing more of her work in the future; Her fractal images are captivating.

SLurl Details

• Retrospective Barry Richez, LEA 6 (Rated: Moderate)