Happy New Year!

Haveit Neox gave me a  gift yesterday: The New Years Hat 2013. It is so great that I am wearing it since then:

The photo is taken on front of the Silent Peacock Hotel. 

"The Silent Peacock Hotel has been recently closed for an investigation after 15 people have disappeared from their premises. What the people have in common is that they all have spent a night in Room 326. It's a mystery of how this has happened since the door has been locked and there are no signs of struggle or forced entry. All of the personal belongings of the guests have been untouched.  The local police has been left clueless.

The players will take the role as private investigators to examine the evidence and search for the truth behind the disappearances. Do you dare to enter Room 326 and discover the evil secrets it holds?"

That is the story of the latest MadPea Game, the Room 326 Hunt.Alone the builds are worth a visit. The builders of the Hotel are giving their Haunted Mansion as gift. Alone that is worth to do the 15 destinations. But also big names as Patron by Eliza Wierwight and Boudoir by Vitabela Dubrovna + Precious Restless and other great brands are taking part of the hunt and giving great gifts. Should you have some free time, play the hunt and be prepared for a surprising end.

For more information: http://madpea.blogspot.de/2012/12/the-room-326-hunt-how-to-start.html

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hoshi%20Island/122/138/901

Should you be in exploring mood I recommend the new Headquarter of AVENUE. One of my favourite architects in SL, Colpo Wexler has build on 16 sims a whole urban setting with event location, shopping malls and residential places from apartments to town houses. All in a modern, urban style. Sadly the residential area is only open to public until tomorrow. It is really worth a look.

But the other sims remain open of course. I should add that in the shop are almost all important fashion designers to find. ost of them offer opening gifts.

Read more here:

                            

Open publication - Free publishing - More arts

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Zenshi%20South/14/251/27

Gallery Hopping

Louly Loon: Souviens-toi

This installation bases on a poem by Charles Baudelaire. It is about the merciless running of time and forgetting. The theme fits to the end of the year and is beautiful as all installations by Louly Loon.

L'horloge

Horloge ! dieu sinistre, effrayant, impassible,
Dont le doigt nous menace et nous dit : " Souviens-toi !
Les vibrantes Douleurs dans ton coeur plein d'effroi
Se planteront bientôt comme dans une cible,

Le plaisir vaporeux fuira vers l'horizon
Ainsi qu'une sylphide au fond de la coulisse ;
Chaque instant te dévore un morceau du délice
A chaque homme accordé pour toute sa saison.

Trois mille six cents fois par heure, la Seconde
Chuchote : Souviens-toi ! - Rapide, avec sa voix
D'insecte, Maintenant dit : Je suis Autrefois,
Et j'ai pompé ta vie avec ma trompe immonde !

Remember ! Souviens-toi, prodigue ! Esto memor !
(Mon gosier de métal parle toutes les langues.)
Les minutes, mortel folâtre, sont des gangues
Qu'il ne faut pas lâcher sans en extraire l'or !

Souviens-toi que le Temps est un joueur avide
Qui gagne sans tricher, à tout coup ! c'est la loi.
Le jour décroît ; la nuit augmente, souviens-toi !
Le gouffre a toujours soif ; la clepsydre se vide.

Tantôt sonnera l'heure où le divin Hasard,
Où l'auguste Vertu, ton épouse encor vierge,
Où le repentir même (oh ! la dernière auberge !),
Où tout te dira : Meurs, vieux lâche ! il est trop tard ! "

Here is the English translation of the poem:


Clock! Sinister, frightening, impassive god
Whose finger threatens us and tells us: « Remember!
The vibrant Pains in your heart full of terror
Will soon drive in as if into a target

The vaporous Pleasure will flee towards the horizon
Like a sylph in the depths of the wings;
Every instant devours a piece of the delight
Awarded to every man during his time

Three thousand six hundred times per hour; the Second
whispers: Remember!- Fast, with its insect
Voice, Now says: I am In The Past,
And I have sucked up your life with my foul proboscis!

Remember! Souviens-toi! prodigue! Esto memor!
(My metal throat speaks all the languages.)
The minutes, playful mortal, are gangues
Which you must not release without extracting the gold from!

Remember that Time is a greedy player
Who wins without cheating, every game! It is the law.
The day falls; the night rises; remember!
The abyss is still thirsty; the clepsydra is emptying.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Myhns%20Land/55/90/24


Winter Nightfire: Dreaming of White

 A neat presentation of a small collection of new RL works.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mount%20Owen/75/148/126

Danse Macabre

Fae Varriale is not only a builder. She creates beautiful images too. In her latest installation "Danse Macabre" she combines both. Landing there it appears as a gallery, but the newspaper at the wall does not sound good:

But since I was already here, I dared to explore. The first scene is a table with tarot cards. The installation is about our fate, the hopes and fears. The followin scenes mirror the good and dark situations in life. To me it appeared as dreams and nightmares.

And of course there is no way out. Not even death allows us to escape the everlasting cycle of life.

Worth to see!
Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA26/214/43/552

Party today - Don't Panic and Carry a Towel

Eupalinos Ugajin officially opens the installation 'You are the music while the music lasts' today with a party 'Astres et Désastres' (Stars and Desaster).  From the invitation:

"The World outside was changing and while "musak" (aka elevator music) was being permanently removed from the surface of the Globe you were as usual rotating in Second Life"

With "instant scenes" by Kikas and Marmaduke and security equipment by Simotron Aquila.

*In case of emergency please press the "random" button in your inventory and attach (using the "center" attachment spot?) what comes up."

 Click all you see and have fun. As always I assume no warranty for your adventures caused by my blog. And especcially by mental confusion at LEA25! Carry a towel and don't panic.               

Costumed Party today @ 1 PM SLT. Not to be missed!

Taxi: maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA25/236/128/70

The second part: 'There is a whole in my inventory will have a party too and I am sure it will be great too. I'll keep you updated.

A Christmas Gift for you @ Art India Gallery

The Music Box Charity has a gift fot you: For Christmas get this box with Lorin Tone's collection of Christmas songs for 1 Linden!

And find here some more examples of the huge collection:


Melusina Parkin - Music Box

Melusina is not only a great photographer, she created a collection of art deco furniture. Her Art Deco  music box plays Swing Jazz.
Price: 200 Linden


pallina60 Loon - Bench Carillion

These music boxes are swing benches at the same time time. Click the cushions to sit and the key to play music. The bench is available in wood or white.
Price: 200 Linden each


Pol Jarvinen . music box 12

The works plays sounds an changes when walking in.
Price: 500 Linden


SaveMe Oh - F-ART

Click the buttons to create your own 'symphony'.
Price: 500 Linden


SaveMe Oh - Gravesounds

Click the buttons to create your own 'symphony'.
Price: 500 Linden


All proceeds are donated to SOS Children India to give orphans a home.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shekhawati/100/68/22

Happy Holidays!

Thank you to all my readers; for our interest, appreciation and comments.
It really motivates me!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

The Red House in Italy

Today opens an installation by Aloisio Congrejo: The Red House

Referring to my second last post the invitation is completely in Italian. I am to short in time to look for a translation and to decipher the text.

Opening is today at 1.30 PM SLT, Have 232m draw distance and land stream enabled.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Whispering%20Angels/225/175/3006

Great Article about the Music Boxes @ Prim Perfect

This morning I got a link to the latest issue of Prim Perfect and  was very surprised and happy to see amongst many interesting topics and great photos an article about the charity event at Art India Gallery, starting from page 14:

Prim Perfect: Issue 44 - December 2012

Publish at Calameo or read more publications.

Thank you Tricia Aferdita, Judith Lefevre and the Prim PerfectTeam!

P.S.: Please let me add that the wonderful huge snowglobe to be seen at page 14/15 is created by Fairy (fairyzette.sahara). It is a gift at the MadPea Enchanted Frost Hunt, which sadly ended today.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shekhawati/102/68/22

The Auction at Art India Gallery is Ending today at 2 PM

This is a reminder that bidding some wonderful art pieces for the benefit of SOS Children Village gives orphaned children in India a place to live rather than on the streets. The auction will end today, Dec. 22nd at 2 PM, so try to get there before and bid on works by Bryn Oh, Eliza Wierwight, Igor Ballyhoo, Rebeca Bashly, Trill Zapatero and Ub Yifu. All pieces are listed here.

The exhibtion is set as a skating area where you can skate from item to item and pick up information on each piece.  However the sale will continue until January 22, so you will have a chance to purchase the works by Arduenn Schwartzman, Betty Tureaud, chefkoch, Eupalinos Ugajin, Fiona Blaylock, Giovanna Cerise, Josiane Sorciere, Kicca Igaly, Linus Humphreys,Lorin Tone, Melusina Parkin, Pallina60 Loon,  Pol Jarvinen, SaveMe Oh, Secret Rage, Shari Davies, Sir Real, Rose Borchovski/Caer  Balogh and Ub Yifu.

Most works are already posted here and here.

BUT THE BEST IS TO COME AN ENJOY THE SOUNDS!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shekhawati/102/68/22

How to Avoid Visitors - A Guideline for Artists....

...and gallerists.

Ich bin ein Künstler-Plakat von EmporiumGiftShop
Posterdruck auf www.zazzle.de

You are artist and you are brilliant. The public knows that and as soon as you open  a new installation your work is flooded by the masses of visitors. It is laggy, the sim crashes. That is no fun! So read here some simple advices how to avoid visitors. Most of you have already some talents in avoiding public attention, but one always can learn from others. Therefore I collected and listed all tricks I know here:

1. Opening times

Only losers are thinking that reliability is needed in SL .This is not RL. So keep the opening times as short as possible. If you already announced opening dates, postpone them! The more rare your art is to see, the higher the interest and less people an make it to see your art.  Some masters of this technique made it to open their works for just a week.

2. Prims

Never care about the prim count while building. You are artist and must not stuck to such earthly issues! And as you usually do not pay for your building platform and your installation because you know that the world in SL is honoured enough with your work that you can  leave the monetary side to patrons and gallerists. 

Many of you don't sell artworks. You have people who are generously  allowed by you to pay for you. You don't need money. And in case you sell some pieces: Make sure that the prim count is as high as possible. As I calculated here, a placed artwork of 250 prims costs 32.000 Linden tier a year. So have in mind, that high prims has less chance to be placed and therefore less chance to be admired by others. At the end you reached your goal that your atwork is known and owned by a very small small circle of people in SL.

2. Patrons and Gallerists

Those poor people have such a boring life that they need to pay for the opportunity to get a bit of your glossy shine as brilliant artist by exhibiting your works. Therefore you do right to treat them as condescended as possible. They love it and they deserve it.They know, how lucky they are to have you as artist. You made an agreement? Ignore and forget it! They asked for deadlines or prim count?  Ignore or refuse to exhibit! There was a planned exhibition timeline and it is advertised? Ignore and remove your works whenever you feel it is the right moment!

You take part of a corporate exhibition? Forget applications and make sure to send your work as late as possible. Gallerists love surprises. Don't forget to build with high prim count that the gallery is running out of prims last minute. With a bit of luck there is no space anymore for your work. If you accidentally made it to take part, complain about the setting, placement and the lousy other artists which has been invited. The exhausted curator is grateful for good advises last minute. And if you are honoured in a contest don't forget that only losers appreciate a prize gratefully. You deserved it! The gallerist will be happy to invite you next time again.

4. Press and Bloggers

Never send press releases! Isn't it the job of writers to investigate? So if they are worth to write about your work, they should be able to find out. And if you are testing your work and want some feed back, invite your best friends, your current and future lovers, but never an art writer! Who wants to hear honest critics of people who pretend to know what they are talking about? If you mistakenly invited him, ignore the comments. And it could be seen as if you are in despair of public attention, when you keep press people updated of your creation process.

If your gallerist insits in sending a press release, so give him the desired information as late as possible. Have in mind that the best way to avoid publications is to send press releases or invitations when already half SL has seen the work! For magazines it is easy to reach, because they need several weeks of preparation. Bloggers are harder cases. You can invite them just a couple of hours before the opening. Only the fastest will make it to post if they happen to be online at the press hour.  If they made it to post around the opening and are responsible for undesired visitors, complain! They are too stupid to understand your genius work, posted too early or are not able to take good photos of the genious outcomes of your brilliant mind. Very helpful are WL Settings, which only allow dull photos. Most of you are very skilled in it. Since you don't give advice for alternatives as good WL settings for photos, for sure you will find a reason to complain and to avoid that way that bloggers have fun to write about you in future. Don't forget, bloggers are the same class as gallerists. These people spend their free time to do unpaid advertising for you. How poor!

If you made the mistake to agree to an interview, there are several ways to handle it. Have in mind that press has deadlines. Forget and postpone appointments or be too exhausted! You are a Diva and the world should respect and admire that! Ask for the interview on a  note card and disappear. If you made the mistake to answer on time you still have the possibility to postpone the opening after publication.

If these tricks did not work and the public found you, try the final visitors killer: Spam all art groups at least on a daily base until everyone mutes you!

5. The Opening and Visitors

You could not avoid the opening and now people are coming, you never have seen before. What do to? First off  all, relax.The world can wait for you. Postpone the opening, despite you sent invitations.Make sure to have the opening at a time on a working day that makes it either for Americans or for Europeans impossible to attend.  And finish your favourite movie in TV before you appear. Don't say hello to visitors and ask your friends and your special someone to stand close to you that nobody dares to talk to you. Disappear with your special someone as fast as possible and keep the information about your work as lousy as possible. Very successfully tested is by many the the trick of endless note cards in their preferred language instead of English.

And here special tips for French and Italian artists: Your language is like music. Shame on all, who learn English instead! They should rather learn from you. You don't speak English, you don't need to! Let them feel it. If you send notes to the art groups - never in English!  At the event voice with your friends and let others admire the beautiful sound of your talking. Ignore the text chat completely until all left! 

As builder of course you have a computer with fantastic graphics. And of course you build with highest settings. Under no circumstances check how your work would look with low graphic settings! It is not your fault when the majority joins SL with average graphics and / or bad Internet connections. You should rather complain later about the ugly photos you find in Flickr or Facebook.

6. Other Grids

If artists don't find a patron for their building platform, they usually fast start to complain about the high tier and low prims in Second Life and flee to others grids. And quite a few already open their works there to public. 

Let me ask you a personal question: Where do you live? Paris, Chicago, Oxford, Canberra? Why so expensive? I was told that in some villages in Inner Siberia the rent for 10 years is less than you pay for a month! And with garden for free!

It is the the infrastructure that makes the difference! And as well in virtual worlds! I used to travel a lot for many years in RL. I was in metropolises as well as in some of the most rural areas of the world and learned something. You can stay relaxed everywhere as long as you have your most needed stuff around you. I never forget how I felt , when I arrived at Moscow in the middle of the night for a fair next morning without my case. That was at that time, when you could not even have your toothpaste, make up and your nail file in the board case. I felt so dirty and ugly! Luckily I landed in a hotel which provided the most needed things. But you never know before arrival. And still I had to visit a fair with my travel clothes in the city with the most elegant women worldwide.

And the same feeling I have, when I  am urged to go to other grids. If they even let me in after hundreds of downloads and trials, I look and walk like shit! No search function works;  I feel blind and helpless. That is really no fun for me as visitor! No artwork is worth to give up my nice avatar. Sorry! And in a special case I realised later that the grid I visited had only 400 (!) registered users!!! Do you really think I write about it? As good as the work can be. So have in mind, that the lower prices of other grids have some reasons. Use it as building place, learn to build smart with low prims and exhibit in SL! Or use that grid as an efficient way to avoid public attention and visitors.

7. Special tips for gallerists

You invite for a special exhibition in your huge gallery. Don't allow your visitors just to see these particular works. All gallery is brilliant and the world should admire it! Therefore urge all to a fixed landing point and give no help to find. Bloggers under time pressure love to explore.

Your gallery surely is the best in SL! Therefore of course everyone has a group space free for your group notes all three months. Invite them into your tiny group, especially press people are tremendously grateful for this occasion! They are honoured to be invited by you, so why should you have a press list? 

P.S.: I hope everyone realised that this text is satire. BUT....nothing is fantasy here. Almost all I experienced myself in the last months, a few I heard from other curators. So if you complain next time about the weak number of visitors, check the list and I am sure you will find some topics. Sorry if this theme does not really fit into the Christmas time, but it needed to be out and maybe it is helpful for some. And feel free to complete the list!

Musix Boxes for SOS Children Villages India II

It is very impressing to see results of all the efforts and good idea's of the contributing works. So many brillliant artists take part and show their ideas of amusisch box. Some of them rarely or never sell in SL.

This is the second part of my presentation, fin the first part here. And here are the auction pieces. Have in mind that the auction ends December 22nd, the sale runs until January 22nd.

Almost all works are trans and therefore perfect gifts.

Haveit Neox: Deaf Music Box

This Music box has no sound. The greatly animated puppet tells a little story.  Just click and watch.
Price: 1.000 Linden


Josiane Sorciere: Musicbox

The second animated doll which tells a story. Sweet and sad. Just click and enjoy!
Price: 300 Linden


Kicca Igaly -  Carillion

The idea behind the work is to show the protection of a child in a family. Exactly that provides  SOS Children to orphans.
Price: 1.000 Linden


Linus Humphreys - Alma Music Box

Linus is a texture specialist and his works are always worth a closer look. This music box is a little masterpiece with 5 Songs and volume control for little money.
Price: 40 Linden


Lorin Tone - Christmas Music Box

Nobody has better sounds than Lorin. For the charity event he gave me a collection of wonderful Christmas songs together with a script, that allows volume control and more. I have taken it in a present box and you can get Holiday sound ambience for a very small price.
Price: 10 Linden

This is only a small part of all works. Come, have a look and hear!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shekhawati/102/68/22

Gallery Hopping and an Opening Today

And again some place worth to see:

Pieces of Cica

"Cica has definitely her own style. She became rather well known after her first  installation here in Second Life 'Black and White World' at LEA. Nitro and I, we loved it like many others did and are proud to present a new installation of Cica here at Nitroglobus Gallery called 'PIECES OF CICA' "

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife//61/144/1003


Dryland

Anita Witt has redesigned her gallery: "Over the last couple of months I have remodeled my sim, inspired by pictures from the giant dried out Aral Sea in Kazakhstan/Uzbekistan. This is my first whole sim design and I am quite proud of what I have accomplished, considering my limited building skills." Dryland is really worth a visit! A great place to take photos and 4 artists already took and are dsiplayed in the high building:  Melusina Parkin, Ziki Questi, Marlen Slazar and William Weaver.

Pallina60 Loon's circus for Burn2 found here a new home too. It reminds me again how much the design of Burn2 is destroying the quality of the single artworks. It looks 100 times better here!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mado/127/178/38


Opening today: Slightly Twisted

Katz Jupiter wrote in the invitation: "No angst or sorrow...the Spirit of Christmas has decended on Slightly Twisted.  The sim is open for the holiday season and filled with artistic treasures from some of my favorite artists in second life.  A whimsical fantasy world accentuates the art scattered around the sim.  It`s  fun, surreal and sure to capture your imagination.

Opening party will take place the day before the end of the world ;)...

That`s thursday Dec, 20th, 2012.

Not sure of anything beyond that."

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Slightly%20Twisted/177/140/115

Musix Boxes for SOS Children Villages India

Yesterday I saw in TV once again 'Slumdog Millionaire', which is seen as one of the best movies ever. It reminded me that our project 'Music Box for Children' is not only fun and an occasion to find  artworks to collect or have a nice gift for someone, but has a very serious background. SOS Children Village gives orphans a save home. So come, enjoy, buy and donate!

After presenting the auction pieces I start now to show the music boxes on sale in alphabetical order. Have in mind that many of the artists rarely sell anything and this is an occasion to get a piece starting from 10 Linden.

Arduenn Schwartzman - Chaconne by Bach

Just click an and off. Beautiful music by Bach!
Price: 10 Linden


Betty Tureaud - Music Box for Q

This cool and funny items is a sound mixer. Just click and find your own mix.
Price: 500 Linden


Eupalinos Ugajin - [Kou!] Bach's Spine

Click the spine to switch on and off music by Back with beautiful natural sounds.
Price: 250 Linden


fiona Blaylock - musicbox~fairytale

Click to switch on and off dreamy bell sounds.
Price: 300 Linden

fiona Blaylock - musicbox~gregorian chants

Click to switch on and off to hear the wonderful chants.
Price: 400 Linden

Giovanne Cerise - Lillo

The music is as funny as the clowns. Click the box to switch on and off.
Price: 1.000 Linden

12 more works will be presented in future posts or go now:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shekhawati/106/76/22