The Political Culture in Second Life

…shown by an Example in the Art World.

Is that accepted art? (with the beautiful avatars of Cherry Manga and Anley Piers)

We all know that Second Life is no democracy, but something like an absolutist system. To me it is a bit like China. Freedom in economics, but the rest.... We, the residents, have no other choice to complain about the incomprehensible decisions by LL that affect our lifes here but nobody cares.

A good example of it is the LEA's committee. LEA is for Linden Endowment of Arts which enables artists to make use of about 30 sims for a limited time. The great initiative of some has led to the formation of this committee, which approves the applications. Without knowing details, it was certainly not democratically determined. Different approaches of the members have led in the meantime to a deep crack. It is an open secret that this committee is more ore less paralyzed. Those of them I know still do their best. But despite all good intentions it creates an unhealthy culture of favoritism. Some great artists have got no LEA parcel, on others I wonder what them has brought to this privilege. But that's just my very subjective opinion.

Is that Griefing?

Artists are a unique species. I know this too well, as there are some in my closest RL. Dear artists do not be upset with me but most of you are divas, with more emotional and irrational thinking as normal people. Probably exactly that is what makes you creative. But it is also dangerous to live with you; conflicts with you turn much faster to major dramas as with others.

A good example is the everlasting drama about a particular person: SaveMe Oh

When I talk to artists, SaveMe is almost described as the devil himself. She is blamed to satisfy her huge ego on other artists costs. And above all, she is denied again and again to be an artist.

How is the art world in SL? First of all, it is very small, people know each other. RL artists and RL laymen are appearing here as an artist. There are copyists of their own RL works and there are virtual, immersive artists. There are content creators and buyers of prefabs. And of course there are all styles of art. Between these groups is smoldering huge conflict potential, but gladly one common enemy holds all together: SaveMe Oh.

What is so terribly bad with SaveMe? She walks with giant attachments to particular art events, such as openings. They are usually so large that visitors can barely see the exhibited works. Sometimes she also practice verbal criticism of the exhibition. This regularly leads to the fact that SaveMe is banned or has been banned as a precaution. The results of the discussions are found in SaveMe's blog. The visitors, including myself find these incidents often amusing. And if one feels really disturbed, he just mute or derender her and moves on. But not the artists - oh noo. THEY ARE TERRIBLY UPSET! And gather with friends to verbally incite against this disorder. I understand that an artist gave his heart blood to a new work, but a bit more sovereignty should be possible. And sometimes it really helps to take yourself not so very important. Once an artwork is displayed, it belongs to the public. There is no guarantee of praise and approval. And unfortunately, the prevailing opinion against SaveMe leads to the fact that her supporters are constantly in a defensive position or rather just enjoy silently.

Enioying the Action (taken by Rose Borchovski)

Such a situation can be handled cool and confident. Ux Hax has shown this last Friday at the opening of Anley Piers "The Dark Side". He let play SaveMe a while and has even offered her to get the sim Metales for a monthly display, which she denied. He had the last laugh on his side. And after a reasonable time SaveMe was banned from the event. Obviously also fell no evil words in IM, that it was for SaveMe not interesting enough for a blog entry. Bravo, that way all had their fun!

Now, many readers will wonder why I think these actions are good and needed. First of all, I saw especially in Anley's monochromatic world that these attachments created something new and nice. But there is a much more important reason: Everyone knows almost everyone in this small world. That creates a “kiss kiss society” as we say in German, where nobody wants to hurt the other. There is no real art critic in SL. The small handful of bloggers are so integrated that they keep quiet, instead of practicing negative criticism. But every artist needs criticism to grow. And I say here without any political correctness, that a large number of artists in SL overestimate the quality and importance of their works. They just listen the praise from their friends. SaveMe is a pleasant cure glitch in this world. And her actions are not always, but often funny. Here for example an opening by Betty Tureaud, the only I ever wrote about:

Opening of "The Fall" by Betty Tureaud

And I had tears of laughter at an event where she simply wore the sign “Booooring” . Since it was a voice event, I realized that it was not just me. But with the examples of the openings of Betty Tureaud and Anley Piers it is also clear that SaveMe select the disturbed events according to popularity. I do not write about these actions regularly, because I want to present to the readers of my blog content about places they can see and experience themself. I've often asked SaveMe of giving me a hint before, but that did not happen so far for obvious reasons. Therefore, I would be grateful if SaveMe really would make an installation maybe at Metales. Then could come all the artists of SL, and embellish the work with their own attachments. That would be a great spectacle and something one would talk about a long time!

These actions are an expression of pure egoism and griefing? Would a vain artist write this in his own blog: “…and then the awful witch SaveMe Oh found it again necessary to say some awful words about it as if she produces herself higher quality…” I think many are not able to see the humour in all that.

The "eye" to my right is Typote Beck

SaveMe Oh is far from beeing a saint. I myself have witnessed personal attacks of her, that were beyond all tolerable. But I also note, that this is as well a question of different communication cultures. More than once I saw that I had to laugh about actions which others found quite horrible. Northern Europeans are simply more direct and harsh in tone. From others often perceived as rude. I spoke to Kiana Writer. She is the owner and creative head of MadPea and Finn. She said: "Northern Europeans definitely have a different way to communicate than let's say Southern Europeans or Americans. We are perceived as cold and even rude, but the truth is far from that. Our humor is slightly different and we do not often just chit chat about things. We say what we mean and stand by our word .. so we may talk less, but it's more straightforward and to the point. I always try to make sure when communicating with people from other cultures that either side is not misunderstood and it's often easier to do that one voice, when you get to hear the actual tone of the voice. "

But now to the cause of this much too long post: Between the Pirats artgroup and SaveMe there is a long enmity, whose origin I do not know and do not even want to know. I am personally a supporter of Pirats because no other group of artists actually brings together so many different styles and artists on one platform. This is actually practiced tolerance. So it is only natural that in each exhibition are some works I like and others I do not. Nevertheless, I agree with SaveMe's criticism that the reconstruction of concrete buildings as virtual walls for copied RL works is not necessarily an effective artistically way to exploit the possibilities of a virtual 3D environment. But SL is big enough for everyone. SaveMe is constantly banned from the Pirats sim. Someone said yesterday in the Pirats gallery:  "Freedom stops where the freedom of others is hurted."  I reply: True tolerance begins where it hurts. And I say, yesterday we saw an expression of freedom of the strongest or lets say the better connected to the force! In such situations my Joan of Arc gene turns active!

Iono Allen, Rose Borchovski, Cat Shilova, me watching SaveMe's action from Pirats

 (by betty Tureaud )

Pirats had recently financial difficulties and have found after a rescue event asylum on a LEA Sim. Of course SaveMe was banned before it opened yesterday. I appeared a bit earlier and had problems to get into the sim and came by a neighbor sim. The faithful friend of Pirats openings, lag, was already there! The LEA sims are connected, and maybe 20 minutes after the opening SaveMe Oh started on the empty sim behind Pirats an art action with attachments, supported by several colleagues and friends. I would like to particularly mention Kikas Babenko and Marmaduke Arado. It was colorful, funny, friendly and beautiful!

…until Sasun Steinbeck, a member of the LEA Committee appeared in the Pirate's Gallery and banished SaveMe Oh from the neighbor sim. The other artists were spared.

I don’t know Sasun, but I asked for an explanation. Here it is: [05/03/2012 15:11] Sasun Steinbeck: she was wearing a very large prime of some sort that was blocking access by avatars in the gallery here and intruding into their space " I'll spare you the rest because there were only repetitions of the same content.

Sasun Steinbeck at Pirats (2nd from right)

Unfortunately I have to state very clearly that I can not confirm. I was on both sims. The attachments were as always set on phantom. I could pass at any time and I was able to move freely as well in the Pirats Gallery. For a longer while I stood at the window with others. At no time intruded the attachment visibly the Pirats Gallery. Right at the moment of the ban I was walking through the gallery and was before able to move freely besides the lag.

In this context, I quote myself from a comment to a great post by Rowan Derryth that has been written about another SaveMe drama: "I'm German. My country has a very special story in the oppression of artists. Famous artists seeking as Kandinsky, Munch, Kokoschka, Dix, to name just a few, were classified as degenerate by the Nazi's. 20 000 art works from 1400 artists were removed from German museums and destroyed or given away. Countless are the artists who were killed or simply starved to death and are forgotten today. Who was behind it? An artist: Adolf Hitler. Twice he was rejected for lack of talent at art school in Vienna, Which did not prevented him for painting and worship the romantics of the 19th Century. But that's not the end. I grew up in the West with constant media coverage on artists, who wanted or had to leave the GDR because of suppression of their work. The GDR had a constant leakage of important artists to the west. In my personal opinion the mechanisms of repression under fascism and communism are exactly the same. The GDR leadership was even with her bad taste in art in the tradition of the Nazis. Shortly after the fall I moved to East Germany and saw partly personal, partly through media more personal tragedies in the art world, which are attributable to differing opinions about art and its role in society. They were always held with a special passion and hardness by artists. I could write about this topic alone a whole book. I'll spare you now deeper thoughts on that and come to my conclusion: Legal certainty and freedom of expression / art are the largest and most sacred treasures of modern culture and must be defended at all costs. And just in our little global village in SL should be banned because someone else artist feels itself under attack? This is unacceptable for me and the first step to fascism. Who is here to determine what is art and what is not, who may exhibit and who not, how shall be presented and how not? "

The rest after SaveMe was banned

A creative and humorous counter-demonstration by artists was simply eliminated by favoritism. The action yesterday was a dark hour for the art world in SL. I think it's really high time that the residents should think about democratic structures in SL.

Taxi to Pirats: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA28/134/253/24