
On Sunday, December 13th, 2015, the Grand Finale of the University Of Western Australia’s (UWA) Pursue Impossible was held at the impressive UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre. During the event, over L$500,000 was awarded in prizes to artists, machinima makers and those who took part in the audience participation competitions. The last in an impressive line of grand challenges organised under the umbrella of the UWA, the event was a very special celebration of artistic expression in Second Life.
Pursue Impossible took its theme from the UWA’s clarion call to students in the physical world to achieve their fullest possible potential by studying with the university. For artists and machinima makers it sought to have them consider what their “impossible” might be – personal, part of their lives or those they know, or a consideration of the things we deem to be impossible, but which yet be overcome, or illustrations of how the virtual encourages us to reach beyond the possible, etc.
The Grand Finale was hosted by the UWA’s Jayjay Zifanwe, with the UWA’s art curator, FreeWee Ling also on hand to announce the special Curator’s awards in both the art and machinima categories.
Opening the event, Jayjay said:
Today brings to an end the 6th year of the major art challenges at UWA, with 59 artworks by 61 different artists (2 entries were collaborations) in the running for the 3D Art Challenge and 43 machinima for MachinimUWA VIII: PURSUE IMPOSSIBLE.
As announced on the web previously, this winners ceremony also marks the end of the yearly cycles of major art and film challenges at UWA. UWA still remains, the UWA Art Gallery still remains, and is in fact renewed, as FreeWee will take the helm fully when it comes to art, without me meddling, and we have a new partner for art as well, as the Main UWA Gallery will be renamed the Windlight-UWA Gallery as Windlight Magazine will be providing support for the art initiatives that FreeWee will run in 2016. Much thanks to Johannes1977 for helping to make this happen.
It’s been an absolute pleasure for me to work with all of you over the course of these challenges, and over the years, and especially to those who went above and beyond the call of duty to make all of this a success. Thank you FreeWee Ling, curator of art at UWA & RL Honorary Fellow at UWA. Thank you LaPiscean Liberty, co-host for MachinimUWA VIII, champion of machinima of Second Life. Also much thanks to those who have provided support and sponsorship which sees the overall prize pool standing at more than L$500,000 across both art and machinima.
Audience Participation Awards
There was a total prize pool of L$82,000 for the audience participation challenge, split equally between the 3D art and machinima categories. This saw members of the public invited to submit invited to what they thought the top 10 items in either or both of the categories would be, as decided by the Pursue Impossible adjudicating panel. In all 5 cash prizes were on offer, ranging from L$5,000 to L$12,000 in each category.
Prize | 3D Art Audience Participation | Machinima Audience Participation |
1st Prize L$12,000 | Lalie Sorbet | Karima Hoisan |
2nd Prize L$10,000 | Elle Thorkveld | Lalie Sorbet |
3rd Prize L$8,000 | Morituna Watanabe | Pearl Grey |
4th Prize L$6,000 | Pearl Grey | Zakali |
5th Prize L$6,000 | Lira Savira / Vivian Shan (L$2,500 ea) | MAagicfairy Merlin |
Art Awards
Note that SLurls are given with the titles of all winning pieces, and all the entries into the Pursue Impossible 3D art challenge can still be viewed at the UWA art gallery.
There were no fewer than four 10th places winners, all tied on a total of 16 points from the judge’s selections. The four winners each received a L$1,250 prize and were:
- Pursuing the Impossible – quadrapop Lane (Australia)
- The Gift – Secret Rage (USA)
- Perspectives – Pixels Sideways (USA)
- Dream – Mistero Hifeng (Italy)

The ninth through seventh place prizes, all of L$5,000 each, were awarded to:
- 9th place: RACE: Human – PLANET: Earth – Sharni Azalee (Australia)
- 8th place: The Shadow of Quicksand – Haveit Neox (USA)
- 7th place: Impossible Geometry – Peli Dieterle (Germany)
Due to a 5th place tie, there was no award for sixth place.

The top five winners were::
- Joint 5th place winner (L$7,500): Pursuing order is pursuing impossible – Takni Mistwalker & Misio2 (Spain / Australia)
- Joint 5th place winner (L$7,500): Rise Above the Mundane – Kazuhiro Aridian (USA)
- 4th place winner (L$20,000): Impossible Quest – Jipe Loon (France)
- 3rd place winner (L$30,000): Pursue the End of Homelessness – Nino Vichan (USA)
- 2nd place winner (L$40,000): Achieve Impossible – Carmsie Melodie (Australia)
- 1st place winner (L$60,000): The Bridge – Alpha Auer (Turkey)

UWA Special Prize and UWA Curator’s Choice Prize
In addition to the prizes above, the Pursue Impossible 3D Art Challenge featured three additional awards: the UWA Special Prize and the UWA Curator’s Choice Prize, and Jayjay’s Personal Choice prize, which was awarded to mark the conclusion of the Grand Art Challenges and the fact that since they were conceived in 2009, Jayjay has never had the opportunity to vote on any entries other than as a member of the adjudicating panel. These were awarded as follows:
- UWA Special Prize, selected by the UWA members of the judging panel (L$35,000): Dream Within A Dream – Krystali Rabeni (UK)
- UWA Curator’s Choice Prize, selected by FreeWee Ling (L$25,000): Pursuing the Impossible – quadrapop Lane (Australia)
- Jayjay’s personal selection (L$5,000 each): Impossible today? … Possible tomorrow! by Dusty Canning (Australia) and Mars by Jesse Keyes (USA)
Continue reading “Pursue Impossible: celebrating art and machinima in Second Life”