Strong and Tender: UTSA Artspace

I land on some kind of aircraft carrier. The sim was built by Igor Ballyhoo and Rebeca Bashly and depicts a scene from the Novel Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. This novel tells of the fight against a conspiracy in the real and virtual World and is considered the model for Second Life. Around the ship scattered works of other great artists. There is so much to see. It is not easy to move between the islands, I've fallen many times into the water. But it's worth it! Threatening looking fishes are swimming around. One has probably overindulged on the fallen visitors and is now in a pool in quarantine. On the second view and up close you can see how delicate and fragile it is.

Taxi to the Landing Point: http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTSA%20Roadrunner%20II/142/140/38

From the landing point TP system leads to 4 other installations. The largest, almost gigantic, is Metamorphosis. The landing point is kind of broken chess board with blood dripping upwards. And a lot of blood and soul moved obviously into that work. You can fly of course to admire all the details but I recommend first to fly under the chess board and then walk up. Through the arduous climb you understand the meaning of the long winding pathway. Otherwise you might be overwhelmed by many details and do not get the whole picture. It's about the life stages of a man, his constraints, efforts, passion, fights and protection mechanisms which can't really prevent abuses. But the higher you go the more one sees how mind and heart can not be beaten. No, they even grow through obstacles and one gains more freedom. All leads to the question of all questions: Who am I? The long tunnel at the end reminds that at latest in the hour of death we are forced to find an answer.

Now fly and look at the details: What a great, diverse and imaginative art of building! The work is not accomplished and I think a piece like this, if ever, only can be finished at the end of an artists life.

Taxi:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTSA%20Roadrunner%20II/105/123/4096

From the sim landing point you can tp to 2 other installations of Igor Ballyhoo. Both are also great and again I could write a lot. This time I let the pictures speak. Go there and think your part ^^

Wood of Scissors

Taxi:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTSA%20Roadrunner%20II/125/129/1997

Axis Mundi

Taxi: http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTSA%20Roadrunner%20II/126/140/1020


At the end, I go to the new exhibition of Rebeca Bashly: Ice Gallery. Infinitely delicate structures are standing there, touching the heart. The dark and heavy building reinforces this delicacy and offers only apparent protection. You want to take them into the hand, warm them, while you know that it would destroy their structure. There is incidentally a gift for visitors, a beautiful rose of ice crystals.

Taxi:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/UTSA%20Roadrunner%20II/126/140/1020


Let me briefly refer to another exhibition of Igor Ballyhoo amongst others artists in the Nordan Art Gallery. Flora Nordenskiold has a very good hand for great choices and combinations of artists and really is everything worth seeing, as always. The current exhibition runs until September.

Taxi:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nordan%20om%20Jorden/20/103/25