CYBER ORTHODOX

Axi Mundi, Forest of Scissors, Metamorphoses, to name just a few...the name of Igor Ballyhoo stands for many virtual artworks which can be already called classics. When he decided to leave Second Live in 2011 and to delete his account most of these works are gone forever since he never sold art and just a handful pieces pieces remained in the hand of friends. The large exhibitions at UTSA artspace disappeared with the sim.

Luckily friends convinced him to come back with a new avatar and privately he created pieces which grown to a series over the time. Thanks to JayJay Zifanwe, the curator of the LEA Full Sim Art Series, Igor is exhibiting for the first time almost 3 years later (The only exception was a beautiful musicbox that he created for the "Musicbox for Children" auction at Art India Gallery in Dec. 2012).

Titan

Landing at LEA 6 the visitor immediately recognizes his typical style, impressive structures with a martial effect at first glance which expose their sensuality and vulnerability on closer look.

 orthodox DNA

Igor was so nice to give me a guided tour. The first work at the landing spot "regular process of splitting things" is giving the guideline to the installation. Igor: "I am trying to satirically address to everyone who think their word is only true." The satire starts with the word Orthodox, which of course is the name of the large Christian church but literally translated from Greek orthos (right, true, straight) + doxa (opinion or belief) is adherence to accepted norms. Igor is playing with Orthodox iconography, because "just the name "orthodox" is imposing their way of thinking, you don't find that in other religions names." Igor and I agreed that other religions as Christianity, Islam and Judaism claim the same right on the only truth in opposite to Buddhism and other Eastern religions. Igor: "Orthodoxy is dangerous mutation when it comes to imposing your way of thinking because it is practically aggressive and dismissive in one word." The result is that people try to match the ideals with lifestyle, fashion, plastic surgery or even GMO. On my comment that perfectionism can become boring Igor answered: "Perfection will never become boring because fashion changes." The vision of all the "masks" in Hollywood changed by even more surgery maybe made me shuddering.

Icarus

Igor about Icarus: "I was a child when father told me story and I was extremely impressed how strong attraction to beauty is to die in effort to reach it as he aimed to the sun."

Hypercross of All Seeing Eye

"This is the hypercross. In certain moments this cubes form a perfect same sided cross in space.
This work is my reach for 4th dimension, dimension of time so that is why it is perfect just for one short moment." It is the first of a couple of pieces which are using Orthodox symbolism and patterns to deal with the idea of perfection in several ways and dimensions.

I especially like the dripping Orthodox images, which look as if the idea of a "true belief" is getting lost. Igor has been inspired to this work in an small Orthodox church during the ceremony on an insanely hot day which brought the candles to melting.

Igor about the apple: "Scientists for decades already modify gene of different species of plants to be resistant to this and that and the apple is of course symbol of our fall from heaven. So my question is: What if we have now is heaven and corporation push us to try the GMO apple?... Visual perfection sells. When I go to the store nowadays I look at fruit and every single apple looks the same. They are all looking like apple from Snowhite. Cartoon good! Everything starts to taste like water."

Valkyrie Cross

The "Valkyrie Cross" is not directly added to the installation as stand alone. But I see the conclusion of the builds in these flying horses in flames which might help to get "out of the box" of restrictions by Orthodoxy. And if they are there to pick up the fallen heros of the fight against monotony of perfectionism and conformism I am glad too.

CYBER ORTHODOX is open through May.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA6/218/180/26