Tag: Nitroglobus

Four years ago to the month, Dido Haas invited me to visit a new exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. Entitled Camouflage, it was a double first for the gallery: the first time art produced outside of Second Life had been displayed at the gallery, and it was the first Second Life exhibition by an artist known in-world as Traci Ultsch.

It was an exhibition which immediately captivated me, as I noted in Camouflage and questions in Second Life. The style of the art was visually engaging to the point of exhibiting a sense of being tactile, whilst the questions within them served to encourage us to both peel away the layers present within the images to bring forth thoughts on both the artist’s own introspections and on the relationship between our virtual and physical identities.

Since that time, Traci has exhibited her work across Second Life, and I’ve frequently covered her work in these pages. I’ve continued to be fascinated by her work, both in the manner in which it has evolved, and for the depth of expression and interpretation it contains. Her art has always been deeply personal, reflecting thoughts on life, the impermanent nature of all things, and the importance of capturing of moments in time.

Traci is now back at Nitroglobus for November / December 2024, where she is exhibiting what might be her last exhibition of art in SL, CTL ALT Delete, within the gallery’s Annex. And one again it combines many of the elements noted above as it explores matters of inspiration, procrastination, fragmentation of thinking, the desire to create – and the confluence of these opposing streams which leads to the creative drive to stall, turning it from what should itself flow through a process to become a struggle to move from half-formed, shadows of ideas to what might be called a finished piece without simply cancelling it (hence CTL ALT Delete).

Framing the exhibit, Traci uses a quote by Philip Larkin, variously called England’s most miserable genius, the voice of post-war England (and more besides!):

I dreamt of a beach, of the sun in my eyes and your hands in mine. Instead I still just see these dark fucking trees.

It’s an ideal quote in terms of CTL ALT Delete, in that it both reflects the blocks that come between desire – be it in wishing for visions of love and warmth or in the desire to create – only to become mired in darker moods / feelings; and in the way we use trees to express our inability to see something clearly because the details get in the way: I can’t see the woods for the trees –  which can so often be the case when it comes to creativity, be it in art, writing, music, or whatever.

Trees also feature in the first elements of CTL ALT Delete, which offered an enumerated passage through its images, starting to the immediate right of the entrance tunnel  connecting the Annex with the main gallery when you arrive at the landing point in The Annex. Their use, against an overcast / foggy sky serve to lead us into the ideas contained within the images, expressed through fragments of thought given as text; fragments which demonstrate how the creative process can be interrupted and distracted. These continue through the rest of the series, becoming less and less coherent as the images themselves also become less and less coherent, underscoring, as Traci notes, the essential role of both within the exhibition:

The absence of a defined subject becomes the subject itself … The images and text invite viewers to witness the act of this failing creative endeavour as a dialogue between presence and absence, construction and deconstruction … In embracing this state, the works magnify the struggle to make something out of nothing.

– Traci Ultsch

A fascinating exhibition, one I hope will not be Traci’s last in Second Life, even if there is a pause between this and the next.

SLurl Details

• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated: Moderate)

In March 2014, Dido Haas hosted a joint exhibition by Sina Souza and Sabbian Paine entitled The Masks We Wear, at Nitroglobus Gallery. It formed an exploration of the fact that whether we are aware of it or not, we all wear masks / adopt personas on a daily basis throughout our lives in respect of the people with whom we interact and the places in which we engage with them.

To be honest, I thought I had covered that exhibition in these pages, but alas, my memory is playing tricks on me and it appears not; matters of self, identify and the pressure of society are subjects I find fascinating. Fortunately, that exhibition was celebrated in film and can be found on You Tube.

Also fortunately, and a decade on from The Masks We Wear, Sina and Sabbian have again returned to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery to present a continuance to their original exhibition; one that can be explored and appreciated regardless as to whether or not we saw or remember The Masks We Wear. This is because the new exhibition, which runs through October 2024 and is entitled The Faces We Have Lost, looks at the subject matter through a slightly different lens, as Sina and Sabbian explain in their introduction:

While people still wear masks every day to protect themselves, to hide, to achieve advantages or to slip into another form of existence [as explored through The Masks we Wear], they also lose parts of their real face in the form of innocence, happiness or the freedom, to be the person, who they really are. At a certain point in life we ​​may be more the mask than the real face or the mask has become a face. The question which [then] arises is ‘what is the mask and what is the face?’

– Sina Souza and Sabbian Paine, The Faces We Have Lost

Thus, across the two halls of the gallery, Sina and Sabbian individually and jointly explore the concept of the blurring of true self and projected self (“masks”) and, to my eyes at least, on how society has sought to constrict us through the expectation that is is the mask and not the true self we are expected to wear at all times. In this they are both uniquely and jointly gifted through their ability to use metaphor, surrealism, abstraction and colour to present images that resonate in meaning.

These are pieces which beautifully encapsulate how the use of masks to hide ourselves can be as harmful as it can be – as Wilde observed in The Critic as Artist; A dialogue Part 2 – liberating, largely thanks to the demands of society. So it is that within this exhibition might be found reflections of having to hide personal feelings – hurt, sorrow, loneliness – behind a smile, a quip, and assumed jollity to the point when even when we are in a position to take of the mask, we no longer can; the clown persists, the tears lost, the body as faded and blackened as the moods that grip us.

These are very visual essays on matters with which the vast majority of us will recognise; that no matter what our fears and anxieties must be, society demands we always look and appear “normal”, and that giving vent to those fears – by they of flying or simply another day at the office – is “wrong” and “unnatural”, thus leading us to a point where even when alone, it is the anxieties that replace the mask, becoming us, suppressing who we might once have been – and thus we become numbed to the needs of others, our masks of indifference between defining aspects of who we are, rather than what lies behind them.

And if this sounds dark, perhaps it is; but The Faces We Have Lost is also positive in its message: by shining a light and encouraging us to ask questions about who he are and how we behave and that those around us might be feeling exactly what we are feeling, it might well encourage to be more empathic with ourselves and others.

SLurl Details

• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

Frank Atisso makes a return to The Annex at Dido Haas’ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery for September  / October with Echoes of Illusion, a selection of bold – in a literal sense – images that offer a series of challenges to be considered; some of which are intentional on the part of the the artist – as he states as much in his own introduction to the exhibition – others of which, given the nature of the world in which we currently live might well not be entirely the artist’s intent, but which may nevertheless resonate with those viewing the pieces.

Frank explains Echoes of Illusion thus:

The images I created … reflect and amplify the deceptive nature of concepts like peace and freedom.

I chose the combination of black, white, and red as it best represents the stark contrasts and underlying truths of these dark themes, highlighting how illusions and false promises resonate and reverberate through society.

– Frank Atisso, introducing Echoes of Illusion

Thus on offer are nine very large images presented purely in red and/or black and/or white. Each one can be interpreted both directly and indirectly, and many carry the idea that contrary to the general (and mistaken) perception that white is akin to purity and goodness and black and red are so often associated more with anger, violence, darkness and death, as with many things in life, things are not so clear cut, and the purity of white can veil much that is itself harmful or hold harmful intent. Within them is also that broader commentary on the current state of society to which Frank alludes, and the increasingly pervasive dangers of false promises and the use of disinformation to blind people to realities that could so easily entrap them.

The best way to appreciate each image is to right-click it and view the title, and then allow it and the title to permeate your thoughts. In this way the core meaning of an image is readily identified, whilst the mind is free to consider it in light of the aforementioned boarder state of increasingly polarised (particularly western) societies: the echo chambers of social media; the aggravation of ill-conceived “injustices” as a means to foment anger and resentment under the guise of bringing hope, strength and security; the false realities of so-called wealthy “thought leaders” and their thirst for authoritarian control of those they seek to persuade and the reality that they care little for the welfare of those same followers, other than then heed the call and be ready to spread divisiveness and inflict chaos, no matter what the cost to themselves or their own rights.

It is because there is so much potential here, coupled with the fact that outside of Second Life I hold very particular views concerning those leading the extreme right and the realities of their words and deeds which has already potentially biased my commentary, that I do not want to inflict my own views further on this exhibition. Instead I urge you to go along and spend time within it and allow it to speak to you.

SLurl Details

• The Annex, Nitroglobus (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

In introducing the July / August exhibition at the Annex of her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, Dido notes that she Established the extension to her gallery with the goal of providing young, talented artists an opportunity to showcase their work, but she feels she have not always succeeded in this goal. I would, with love and respect to Dido, dispute this.

One of the major attractions of Nitroglobus is Dido’s ability to provide an opportunity for new talents in Second Life to display their art. Whether it is via the Annex or within the main galley, Dido has consistently been able to showcase the work of people who have subsequently gone on to be highly regarded within the broader Second Life arts community.  It is this innate ability to recognise talent – and to challenge and stretch the abilities of established artists beyond their comfort zones – that makes Dido one of the most skilled curator / patrons of the ats in SL, and Nitroglobus one of the foremost galleries in-world for hosting consistently engaging and often personal exhibitions.

Such is the case with Connections, which opened on July 19th, 2024 within the Annex. This is a small but utterly engaging collection of pieces offered by Miu (MiuMira) in what is her first public exhibition of her photography in-world, although she has already gathered deserved recognition on Flickr. Her work mixing colour and black-and-white photography, predominantly avatar-centric and showing a highly skilled eye and touch for post-processing.

Connections is very much a themed exhibition both in focus and tone. All of the images are black-and-white, the majority with highly minimalist backgrounds (and those that do have a visible background utilise a considered depth of field to ensure it does remain a backdrop, rather than becoming a distracting focus for the eyes), whilst the overall tone is set by a quote from Margaret Atwood:

In the end, we all become stories.

–  Moral Disorder and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood

First published in 2008, Moral Disorders is an exploration of the interconnectedness of lives and life, the stories within it winding through the lives of parents and children, of siblings and friends, of mentors and enemies from the 1930s through the the present, offering – if you will – an album of photographs written in words, spanning the decades from the 1930s through to the present.

It’s a fitting quote and fitting selection of stories, perfectly reflecting the way Connections offers a visual essay concerning the relationship of the connections between mind, heart and emotions which give the passage of life meaning to each and every one of us. Each image offers an expression of one or all of these aspects of experience, offering a set of images which, as Miu notes herself,  reflect the fact that, “We are the authors of our lives, creating our own beautiful adventures and deciding on the main characters within our book”.

For me, more than this, is the fact that Connections reads as a very personal story: throughout the nine images – and with encouragement from Dido – Miu gently reveals how her avatar is very much the digital embodiment of who she is, and how she embraces her own moods, sensitivities and emotions.

Take, for example, Connections (4); the use of the shawl in both hiding most of Miu’s features, the over-the shoulder revealing just a hint of nose and mouth, suggest a person given to a certain shyness and possible introverted self-reflection. However, the shawl also draws attention to the partially-visible tattoo Never Give Up. Even without the rose which tops it (as seen in other images) being visible, the statement speaks to an inner strength, to embraces the lessons of life and the ups and downs of emotions and use them as a means to learn and grow, and also speaks to an ability to support and love.

In this, Miu’s avatar bears much that reflects her own nature, expressions given form through tattoos and via her mode of dress and choice of looks. They combine to tell a story of a person who is very at ease with herself, her heart and her emotions, and who can freely give expression to her inner self, writing the story of her life with each passing day.

A genuinely impressive and engaging collection, and a superb debut exhibition. Highly recommended, and congratulations to Miu and Dido.

SLurl Details

• The Annex at Nitroglobus (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)

Monday, June 17th see the return of evocative photographer Maghda to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery operated and curated by Dido Haas with a monochrome collection entitled Demons of Reason.

Maghda’s avatar studies are never less than richly composed and layered, frequently presenting explorations of self and life, and this is clearly evident in Demons, offering a visual essay on the struggles we have all doubtless suffered: dealing with the demons of irrationality as we try to face the daily challenges of life.

The Demons of Reason lurk in the shadows of our thoughts, challenging the clarity of our understanding. These elusive forces twist logic and distort perceptions, leading us into the labyrinth of irrationality. They whisper doubts and fears, causing us to question even the most evident truths. In this eternal struggle, the Demons of Reason remind us of the fragile balance between knowledge and ignorance.

– Maghda

These are beautifully minimalist pieces, the majority set against a plain white background, with several using the motif of a bottle or bottles – a motif also seen within the sculptures by Adwehe which support the exhibition. It’s an interesting motif, potentially symbolising a number of elements within the overall theme, such as referencing the way we so often try to bottle up the doubts and irrational thoughts we have all they way through to how we might try to silence them though more liquid means.

As well as the use of the bottle, the images in the collection offers views on how we might respond to our inner demons – and how thy might equally and irrationally take us over, becoming more that tiny voices inside us but near-physical entities whom we cannot ignore, leaving us feeling their darkness or somehow separated from those around us, leaving us ghosted to them – or them to us. Meanwhile, the tinges of green suggest the jealousy / envy that so often accompanies such irrationalities.

Maghda has intentionally avoided giving her images individual titles, and this allows us to appreciate them more fully, allowing each one to speak directly and individually to our own thinking / mood / imagination. As such, Demons of Reason is an exhibition which should be seen rather than experienced second-hand.

SLurl Details

• Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (Sunshine Homestead, rated Moderate)