I was awe struck when I arrived at Forgotten City, created by the very talented Jenne Dibou. This unique, sim-sized build contains steam punk elements that somehow sit comfortably next to columns and arches that appear to have time traveled from ancient Rome...Greece...Venice...wherever!
Built on a number of different levels it's very detailed and intricate. In fact there was so much to see a friend and I hopped into a handy blimp for a tour. This helped orient us to the overall layout but there was still so much to see. In my wanderings through the labyrinth of buildings I came across a very weird bar and properties for rent. Yes, you can even live here!
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Grab your SL diaries and pencil in these immersive art exhibits - both opening in January 2013! They can also be found on our SL Art Exhibit Schedule. Imogen and the Pigeons by Bryn OhWe all get excited when the ever talented Bryn Oh launches a new installation and, yep, it's almost time for another. Yay! Here's a trailer (aka teaser) of Bryn's latest work titled, 'Imogen and the pigeons'. The story is told via poetry and is complimented by wonderful music by Vera Lynn. Bryn's real life background as an oil painter is evident in the subdued pallets of soft blues, sandy earth tones and more. And, as with all Bryn's creations, it's packed with fabulous characters. Allow time to explore 'Imogen and the pigeons' in depth and be prepared for your avi (and you) to be astounded! Opening: 13 January 2013 In world Location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Immersiva/15/125/22 Danger in Evolution by Nessuno Myoo & Kicca IgalyTeleport from station to station to experience this new installation that raises important questions about technological advances in relation to our social values. 'Danger in Evolution' is an interactive build that explores the contradiction that is at the heart of any technological and scientific evolution. The artists, Nessuno and Kicca assert that, "Without growth, maturity and an awareness of value there are potential risks to everyone's lives - especially when the interests of economic, social or religious interests come into play." To get the best effect, remember to set your preferences to those the artists recommend when you arrive. This one is really going to make you think - enjoy! Opening: 10 Jan at 2pm (SLT) In world location: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA27/155/148/25 What's next?I'm happy to advise it's a busy month; there are several more quality art openings coming up. I'll blog about them all in advance, so check back in or use the RSS feeder (top right) to keep yourself informed.
I'm resurrecting an article to post today that's far from new, having been written in 2009 by Nettrice Gaskins for the Art 21 blog. This is one of those articles that deserves to be dusted off and redistributed because:
re-read) Virtual Artists’ Immersive Discoveries in a Virtual 3D Frontier. I dropped by Galería Méxoc to take a peek at FirleFanz Roxley's new art exhibition. I had not been to this gallery before, nor had i seen FirleFanz work. I was pleasantly surprised on both counts. The bulk of FirleFanz's exhibition, consisting of RL photos, digital pictures and SL art, was on one level and there were 2 further animated pieces on the floor below. Step into the Dream When I first took in the works displayed on walls and the floor I thought they were by several different artists, but closer inspection proved otherwise. There were colourful patterned digital images juxtaposed against some surrealist works and landscapes - all by FirlFanz. It was certainly a surprising mix! One series of her artworks centred around a 'dream' theme. The hot avi in the picture (left) is yours truly standing on 3D ramp that FirleFanz had integrated into her 2D work aptly titled, 'Step into the Dream'. Nightmares and Dreams I was drawn to 'Nightmares and Dreams' (right), and even moreso when I read the associated note card. Here's a snippet of the content; it poses some interesting questions, "...realitiy is real and virtual reality is not. In virtual reality we can fly, we survive falling down from heaven, we have supernatural power. But what about real dreams? Are they real? For a certain time we step into the world of dreams and it has its own law of nature. We can fly, we can survive falling down from heaven, we have supernatural power. Is that real? The dream is real - you can see a person dreaming by analysing EEG waves. So if the dreaming is real, is the dream real, too? ..." The Exhibit The picture to the left shows just a few of the colourful digital artworks and, central to the exhibit, was the fun addition of a giant tube of paint. If you'd like to see the many styles of FirleFanz's work in world, simply use the gallery link below. (These artworks are for sale.) While I was at Galería Méxoc, I decided to explore further. After all, art galleries are my idea of heaven. It turned out to be quite a large Aztec inspired building, spanning several levels. A wide range of artist's works were exhibited, both 2D and sculptures. I spied some interesting pieces that I'll return to look at in more detail another time. This post is not directly related to SL Art, but I feel it's important nonetheless...
I mentioned Second Life to a work colleague recently. He’s a corporate educator so I thought he might be interested to know that many Universities have in-world campuses and some large companies even run international meetings in their virtual office. My colleague had never visited Second Life nor did he have any first hand experience of ‘virtual life’. Even though he was completely ignorant on the topic his immediate response was, “You play in Second Life? That’s just plain sad!” This experience was a real eye-opener for me. I knew SL had a poor reputation but I hadn’t realised how prevalent this view was. So I’ve decided to write a list of my top three misconceptions to set the record straight. Misconception 1: All people in SL are virtual-sex crazy Wrong! I am an active SL resident and I do not indulge in virtual sex. Not that I have an issue with others jiggling their pixels, whatever rocks ya boat. It’s just not my thing and I’m not particularly unusual in that regard. There are so many creative and fun things to do in Second Life - like making art - that, frankly, sex isn’t on my list of priorities. Misconception 2: Second Life is full of paedophiles Sadly, there are likely to be a few sick types in SL who try to lure youth (SL is intended for people aged 16 years and over), just as there are weirdos in online chat rooms and in ‘real life’. But I must stress that this is the rare exception, not the rule. Personally, I’ve yet to hear the name of a single avatar that’s known, or suspected, of having these tendencies. It’s far more common for the SL community to be protective of the young and vulnerable, offering advice and warnings to keep them safe in a virtual environment. Misconception 3: Second Life is expensive Second Life is 100% free to join and I know loads of people who don’t spend a cent/euro/lira in-world. The currency in SL is called ‘Linden Dollars’ and these can be bought by credit card. There are certainly in-world shops here, there and everywhere to buy clothes, vehicles, homes and more. But there are also many, many places to go where all goods are free. So, unless you want to rent land or get yourself some up-market goodies, there’s absolutely no need to spend any money in Second Life. It’s really a matter of choice. That's the end of my Top 3 List although there are lots more I could add. Hopefully I've managed set a few things straight. Contrary to what seems to be popular belief, SL residents are not all sex-crazed, latent paedophiles who'd let our own kids go hungry because we just had to buy a virtual Maserati. Most of us are just normal folk who enjoy the creativity and freedom that an alternative reality offers. After all - we can fly! :) What's the number 1 SL misconception that you'd like to have cleared up? It can be difficult keeping up with SL visual arts events - there are so many around, but there's no need to troll the web searching for these any longer. The SL Art Exhibit Schedule, found under the Events tab (above), is a handy resource for art lovers. It includes all the key exhibitions I'm aware of and is updated regularly. I hope it's helpful. There's also a Submission form so you can have an art event added to the schedule - it might be one of your own or one I have missed. Feel free to share this with anyone who may be interested :) I am cheating a little here because I visited this installation but, as my PC is dying (get my new one in a week!), I really didn't experience it exactly as described below. However, it seems it could be amazing ... with a better PC ... and well worth a look.
So, what's it all about? Konnected Piano is a 3D installation which is collaboration between Metameets (NL), Aen Aenis and Marx Catteneo. The exciting part is that by moving your real life arms you can steer your avatar through the installation. Yup, no mouse. How? It's pretty much techy magic - when you sit on the red hemisphere that you see when you arrive, you connect to (are controlled by) RL Kinect hardware and that's what makes it work. To add to your experience, every "string" (pole) that’s touched during your flight makes a piano sound so make sure your wear your headset. Alternatively, vehicles can be flown with any viewer through the installation (without the Kinect hardware) to trigger the sounds. Konnected Piano is currently open at LEA18. A good graphics card is recommended and you need to pay attention to the optimal viewer settings. These are clearly displayed on the base of the arrival platform. If you experience a bad frame rate (stuttering or choppy view) it's suggested to drop the shadows first, then try reducing draw distance. Please let me know if it works for you ... I really wanted to try this! *thumps my poor old PC a bit* Last night I visited the dark, eerie world of Tim's Dream, a 3D art installation by the very talented Romy Nayar. Romy uses mesh to create uber surreal characters and places for us to explore in Second Life. As a child I suffered from nightmares but nothing like this! It sent shivers down my spine. I won't add too much text because there's a short Tim's Dream vid by Erythro Asimov on the Machinima page and this, coupled with the images below, convey more than I possibly can about this incredible build.
If you'd like to experience Tim's Dream in an avi-to-nightmare way - and you really should - it can be found in world at MetaLES. Fly from scene to scene and immerse yourself in Romy's latest chilling fantasy. (Many thanks to Alvir for this recommendation.) It's hot and oh so arty!I'd heard Dryland, the art sim of Anita Witt, was amazing so today I decided to check it out for myself. I arrived on a weather-worn deck wearing winter clothes but my poor avi was sweltering within no time. It was hot! Looking around I realised I was in the middle of a barren lake bed with hulks of old rusted ships scattered throughout the dunes. A decayed warehouse, now used as an art gallery, stood in front of me. A helpful notecard offered upon arrival explained that Dryland's landscape was inspired by the giant dried out Aral Sea in Kazakhstan Uzbekistan, sadly a man-made disaster. So, what's there to see?Anita exhibits her own art and photography at Dryland and also invites artists to display their work. The exhibitions are changed regularly so when you visit remember to grab a landmark - it's a destination worth returning to. One of the first 'guest' artworks to catch my eye was 'Woops a Baby' by Pallina60 Loon. The carnival atmosphere of this build should have felt incongrous in the parched setting, but somehow it looked as if it had emerged from the cracked earth and truly belonged there. At the time of my visit, the wonderfully dilapidated warehouse-gallery was hosting an exhibition featuring four of Anita's favorite SL photographers. They'd been asked to present their vision of her creation. The photographers Melusina Parkin, Ziki Questi, Marlen Slazar and William Weaver, each excelled in their own unique and distinctive style. There were other quality exhibits at Drylands as well but, being the tease that I am, i'll let you discover these for yourself...
It was an interesting, fun visit and the artworks, many quite quirky, were of a high standard. I extend my congratulations to Anita; Dryland is a must-see destination for any SL art lover. |
AuthorHi there. I scribble my thoughts on the latest artworks, exhibits, 3D installations & machinima that I come across in my Second Life travels, along with other arty SL news. I offer my impressions of the pieces, but I'm certainly not an art critic. Each artwork will impact individuals in unique ways, so I encourage you to draw your own conclusions by visiting them in world. Enjoy! SearchCategories
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