Reaching Out For The Light Of Hope

Exclusive for EB Awareness: Debra Flower Lamp by %Percent, Outfit Flight by Lyrical B!zarre

Epidermolysis Bullosa, or EB, is a very rare genetic connective tissue disorder and causes extremely fragile skin that blisters and tears from friction or trauma and other secondary complications, Cerise Emor ist working in RL for a charity foundation and restlessly raise funds for DEBRA, as well in Second Life. DEBRA is a worldwide operating organisation. Come and take part by buying one of the donation items excusively made for the EB Awareness event.

About DEBRA: http://www.debra.org/

Last 24 hours! Open until October 31st.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Tainted%20Island/198/131/23

The Eternal Hieronymus Bosch

I am wearing:  Murdered  Bride Halloween Costume by Miss Canning, Hair Seagrass - Blood and  Death's Devotion Eyes - Basic 5 - Romance, both by The Stringer Mausoleum

Looks as if life does not want to see me inworld that much.  After some time consuming changes in my RL my computer decided to break. I spent many hours in trials of fixing them, but nothing helped. This is my very first post with the new computer which has neat graphics.

Byrnedarkly Cazalet is one of the interesting gallerists in Second Life as she always brings artists inworld to her Tart gallery, which never would have been seen here otherwise. Her focus is on artists which concentrate on female portraits in different modern styles. Now and then they appear sexist to me, but usually I am amazed. Another interesting topic are her monthly Kamera Club events, which always attract a bunch of interesting people taking photos and sharing them at Flickr.

The Setting for the last event was very special. A tribute to the famous Dutch Renaissance painter  Hieronymus Bosch. His works are timeless scaring and inspire artists for more than 500 years now.

The Bosch-Setting offers a lot of poses and invites the vistors to become part of the artwork. The poses are partly created by the pose-designer team NANTRA especially for this event and only available here.

Open until end of October!
Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Terre%20Des%20Mortes/166/109/50

Gallery Hopping

 "GENTERIO" DE  DORIAN D. AGÜERO

When I walked into the gallery the cows immediately conquered my heart. They are made funny, cute and smart. I hardly could decide which I like most. but when I got the note card, I was even more impressed: "In Cuba the cow has become an icon of prohibitions and legal problems. Its illegal slaughter has led people to meet very long stages of incarceration. From the 1990s, with the arrival of the special period in the country, the crime of theft and illegal slaughter of cattle, was increased more and more until today.

The animal was becoming very important due to fear of her disappearance, and the damage it could cause in the Cuban economy. This importance has been given, has jumped many barriers, reaching to think that the life of one of these animals is more important than a human being.

My interest in these pieces is to give a personality or humanization each of my characters .Because all draw me a target to do my work, which is to increase and exceed this importance has been given to the animal, taking it to the end until you reach the ridiculous, so I pose a new visuality of the cow, and placing them maquillándolas jewelry and others. To turn them into models or characters with great importance within society. People show up and make a way of culture, folklore because of its attributes, or simply fashion." (Dorian Daniel Agüero).

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Leenas%20Retreat/106/160/21

Appunti di Viaggio

It's while that I have an exhibtion by La Baroque. The beautiful images prove her qualities as SL photographer.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Imagine/94/19/22


Paintings by Liza Lemondrop

This in an exhibtion of a painter, which is much better than just average. I am sure, that many will like her works. Worth to be seen.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Jeffrey/163/74/22

The Drax Files: Meshworxs

All photos taken by Draxtor Despres

The new Drax Files has been released with Loz Hyde. This episode is special to me for 2 reasons: The first one is that I never could imagine before that a 3D content creator for famous movies in real life could be that amazed by the possibilities in Second Life as everyone else of us. But he explains how he loves to create a whole environment. Even if you don't know his brand Meshworxs, for sure you already have seen one of his structures in SL, for example the famous Arcade pier.

And Loz Hyde is talking about another important observation. It is the amazing fact that we get to know others closer and more intimate as we would be able in real life. Obviously the protected environment of a virtual world helps to open up and to come straight to the "important things" as Loz is expressing.

Having in mind that these days two couples amongst my friends are marrying in RL who met first in Second Life first it has a special meaning to me. Just recently I saw a TV documentary about research of what keeps couples staying together. They said that all happy couples found each other optically attractive at the beginning and this attraction stays obviously over the years as if we are not growing older. The memory is still there. Maybe it does not matter if the attraction started "real" or virtual.



Too sad that this real feeling in Second Life cannot just been told others, one has to experience. We all know how it is to talk about is. People stare at us as if we suffer serious madness or have at least a screw loose. If  someone had a good idea how to communicate this to the public, SL would be flooded. Thank you Loz for pointing this out!

Taxi to Meshworx: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fresco/10/120/31

Love To Decorate is Out!

The next issue of the Love to Decorate magazine just has been released and I contributed again an art collection that is shown in the gallery shop at Aakriti Arts at page 128-131:

Sunday, Sept. 28th we'll have an opening event at 2 PM SLT.

Taxi to the Gallery Shop: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amadora/204/185/22

Gallery Hopping

For a strange reason people often more focus on that what they lose insteast of that what they win. I often hear people complain that so many artists and gallerists left, I never hear compliments of those who are new on the scene. I think for some artists thevirtual techniques are loosing their attraction after a while or RL changes and time is limeted. We have to live with constant changes and I sure you find in theiy post places or artists you never heard about before. Enjoy!

Ini Inaka: Long way down

This photo artist is the second time guest in the Nitroglobus gallery for a good reason. Her images are always of a great sensitivity, mirroring many emotions and make us feel strange and familiar at the same time.  All mesh sculptures shown in the main hall were made by the gallery owner, the artist Nitro Fireguard.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Costa%20Blanco/198/117/770


Pink

I like themed exhibitions. They bring artists together , which habe not much in common and inspire artists to works they probably never have thought of themselves. Gallerists Holterand Wayne asked for pink. Ok, Fuschia Nightfire is more or less a must with the theme, but also the others are worth to be seen: Awesome Fallen, Bianca Xavorin, ByrneDarkley Cazalet, Tomais Ashdene and Ziki Questi

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Holtwaye/82/113/54


Oil versus Glas

For a while I follow the work of Uleria Caramel. Her exhitbition Oil versus Glas in the newly opened Timeless Grace Art Gallery is beautiful and ist is interesting to hear about the techniques she used. I just miss that she includes the  possibilities of virtual art in her work. Of course it is possible to upload RL works to have a platform for a multinational audience, but SL offers artists so much more. And as you see with the oil paintings above. SL never can reflect the surface of an oilpainting. But the show is worth to see as well as the other displayed artists: Aurora Mycano and Kandece Weißbrod.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Shoals%20dAlliez/211/215/1502

Albo Artist 

Every time I see a new artist in Second Life I am happy and hope that he/she gets caught by the virtual art. Here is a new RL artist exhibtiting the first time in Second Life: Albo Artist, painter in real life as well as a teacher of art. Born in France from an Albanian family, he lived and studied in Italy before moving to the US where he continued to study art and education obtaining a Master of Fine Arts in New York. All paintings exhibited by him on SL are his real life paintings.
Let us give him a warm welcome and to wish him a long, productive virtual life :)

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Han%20Loso/204/36/76


Aakriti Arts

Next week the Gallery Shop will come after the closure of the wonderful exhibtion of Lilia Artis and Moeuhane Sandalwood back to live. They had to refill a lot of holes in the walls and let's hope that the stucco is drying on time ;)

In the meantime opened new exhibtions at Aakriti Arts with ChapTer Kronfeld, Creativesam India, Spiral Silverstar and Toysoldier Thor. All are very talented artists but I must admit that I especially fell in love with the anumated fractals by Spiral. But the works of all artists should be seen!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amadora/198/189/22

The Drax Files: Virtual Health

Funny, it happened by chance that I wrote several posts in the last time about about mental diseases and Second Life and Draxtor Despres passed the link to his latest machinima:




Of course, this virtual world is a great platform for physically disabled too. Not only to do what they hardly can do in in real life, such as travelling, dancing, meeting others, but also for mental training.  The NOVA Southeastern University College of Healthcare Sciences, USA is running a three year study in Second Life. Assistant professor Sandly Winkler is exploring how mental training in a virtual world can help amputees hoe to better master their daily life. She said: “Second Life is the perfect place for amputees to overcome emotional trauma by sharing stories and realizing they are not alone!” The study, called  "Dissemination of Amputation and Prosthetic Evidenced-based Medicine" is already running over a year.

Taxi to the inworld location:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Health%20Adventures%20I/128/128/31

I am sure that this study will end as great success, because many residents of Second Life realize that they "accidental" gained skills through their online activities. This might be some kind of creative work, but also working in certain computer programs or such as writing in a foreign language as I do here in my blog. A friend recently said to me: "Call me crazy, but I am sure that I dance better in real life since I dance at music events in SL!" Also a "real" physical body is virtual. You don't believe me? A dear old aunt of mine lost her left leg as little child during WW2 when her parent's house has been bombed. She is a wonderful person and has been honoured by our president for her life long activities and support of disabled sports. I admire her because she did all that with almost constant pain, pain at the stump in the prosthesis but even more phantom pain in the lost leg. 

Draxtor Despres as well enhanced several skills through Second Life. For the latest German magazine UpToDate I did a Skype interview with Draxtor. He told me that he learned in SL a lot about filming techniques, writing plots and organizing a video production. These are skills that help him in his RL job as journalist. If you happen to read German, please read the article here at page 100:

APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE!!!

Amazing how things get together! When "Art in Hats" came to it's end it happened that I got the chance to become curator of The Paris METRO Art Gallery. Owner and designer of Paris METRO is Rose (RFB Morpork), who generously creates a gown inspired by the current artist as visitors gift for every exhibtion. And the next artist to display has been already committed when I started: My dear friend Bianca Xavorin. By watching her first drafts we fast knew what we wanted for the exhibition.

"LAAADIIIEEESS AND GENTLEMENNNNN! AND CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. WELCOME TO THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT EXTRAVAGANCY THE HUMAN EYE CAN BEHOLD… WELCOME BIANCA XAVORIN'S MOST SPECTACULAR SHOW ON EARTH: LE CIRQUE DE LA MAGIE NOIRE!!!

THE EXTRAORDINARY GRANDEUR OF THE SPECTACLE – EVERY ACT, EVERY ANIMAL PARADE IN FULL REGALIA FOR THE AUDIENCE AS THE BAND PLAYS. WE SEE CLOWNS, JUGGLERS, ACROBATS, EXOTIC ANIMALS, FORTUNE-TELLERS …IT IS TRULY SPECTACULAR!”

This beautiful dress inspired by Bianca Xavorin's Art is visitors gift. Photo: RFB Morpork

And the actors are you, the audience. Therefore the dress code for today should be clear. Wear anything "circus or magic" in theme.

APPLAUSE, APPLAUSE for the Art of Bianca Xavorin and Gown and Tux by Paris METRO Couture

But first you can relax end enjoy the show! These photos has been taken ass teasers at the rehearsals:

taken by Babypea von Phoenix

~ Elysium Dancers New Special Performance
~ Celebrating Bianca Xavorin's NEW Art Exhibition
~ Today, August 31, 2014 - 3 PM SLT In Paris Couture

The exhibtion is open through September.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%20Couture/126/31/22

The Drax Files: Flokers

This Drax Files has been released in June when I was so busy with Art in Hats that I missed to post this:



For an interview I had the chance to get in contact with Flokers Resident and was very impressed. She is autistic and the protected world of Second Life helps her to get in a closer contact with others as she would be able in Real Life. She paints portraits of avatars in SL. For that she has to do a close  look on the portrayed avatars. Something that would be impossible for her in RL. This practise helps her to improve the interaction with others in RL. I learned that an autist does not suffer of autism. She feels ok to be alone.

It is sad that medical science still totally overseas the countless possibilities in virtual worlds to enhance the lifes and diseases of people not only with mental illness. My best friend for example had a bad stroke which left her one side lame and with many more handicaps. At the beginning when she was back she could not do anything. She needed help to rez an object or to dress and often she did not see items which where inworld. I often logged in with her avatar to fix something. But over the months and years it becomes better day by day and I am happy to see that progression. In RL she still sits in a wheel chair but in Second Life her freedom almost back. And I think it is a mental training for her and helps her to improve in RL too.

But back to Flokers: Draxtors machinima explains as well her Synesthesia, a rare ability to see letters and numbers as colors and why Flokers has chosen to be child avatar. Very impressive!

If you are interested in her portraits - here is the LM of her gallery:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Huron/51/234/25

And if you are able to read German, find the interview here at page 85:

Mental Health Fair

As so often I stumbled by it's end over this interesting event but I think it is that important that I share with you here. What is a "Mental Health Fair" and what to get there? Going there I saw a row of tents with trade goods but the interesting part is in the center where events are held. Every day the event provides information about different mental illness. Today I learnt about healthy and unhealthy relationships, also in SL.

I guess everyone meets in Second Life sooner or later someone with mental diseases. In RL I worked a while with a healer and was more than once surprised how many people have mental issues and that one cannot see that from outside. In SL the anonymity gives us the freedom to expose more of us and as I learnt today at the fair, the protected virtual world is a good platform to learn different and better ways of dealing with issues. Joshuan Banx, the head of "Inspirational Mental Health" said: " People with mental diseases find refuge here but it's the same here and in RL. Some find their refuge in drugs, sex, gangs, and other things. Many find it in virtual worlds...people with mental illness should be loved and supported just like those with cancer but unfortunately we still have a lot of stigma and face discrimination." And he knows about the topic: " I have ptsd ( post traumatic stress disorder) in RL and have suffered from depression, anxiety, flashbacks, hallucinations, and other symptoms of mental illnesses. I didn't have resources and information and it was hell for me. Eventually I had two friends who helped me but it made me wonder how many others didn't have resources and information and were suffering alone. I reached out to other groups in sl and in rl and no one responded to me. I wanted that to change so here we are!"

The home Inspirational mental Health, whre regularly meetings and events are held

The event theme today, Thursday, will be " Eating disorders and Panic Attacks".

Program today:

2 pm slt - What is panic attack? What are the symptoms? And what are some coping skills to help with panic attacks?


5 pm slt - How is being a child avi healing the inner child? How can you protect your child in sl? and what you may want to do in order to prevent triggers.



7 pm slt - Eating disorders information 

This is the last day of the fair. After the event the group will start to RL projects and will continue holding meetings inworld.

Get more information here:
Inspirational Mental Health at Facebook: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Migaia%20Isle/22/201/1002
Website: http://www.inspirationalmentalhealth.com/

Taxi to fair: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Alpha%20Centauri/223/102/1401

Taxi to Inspirational Mental Health: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Migaia%20Isle/21/202/1002

You may subscribe here for information or join the inworld group: secondlife:///app/group/e047b46b-e202-e0cf-cec4-0e537e184bf6/about

Fear

Some artists who studied art in real life and did a lot to learn do not like to hear it, but especially in Second Life are some autodidacts which created remarkable works. That could be due to the fact that the virtual world is a new media where everyone has to learn how to work with.

When it comes to painting it is a bit different. I cannot count how often I stood shuddering in front of awful paintings of laymen with lack of talent and even more of practise. When I see weird proportions, twisted perspectives and limbs I know why painting has to be learned.  But the the self perception of some autodidacts is far from reality and they rather blame the world of ignoring their genius instead of having a more critical view on the own works.

Emma Watts is layman but far away from all that. Everything in her images is right - right to let us take part of her painful internal life where art maybe is the only way to let it out and give her agony a face. She seems to know all sides of it and is able to let us relate. And maybe the anonymity in Second Life helps her to open up more as she would be able in real life.

You might know the saying "Genius is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration." Sweat can come from hard work or from fears, suffering and panic. Emma Watts payed -and I think as all really good artists- a high price for the quality of her works.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Koala%20dAlliez/145/154/22

Stairway to Heaven

The meaning about Angels is for sure very controversial. For some they are helpful guides and protectors, for others they are just a fairytale and do not exist.

Abel Paulino, Adreano Constantine, And Silverblade, Cullum Writer, deborakaz, Nino Vichan, Pol Jarvinen and Sunset Quinnell as artist and organizer contributed to this installation. Walking through my feelings where mixed not just because I liked some works more and others less.

I suddenly understood that images of beings who are energies in our life easily can reflect the pictures we had in our imagination as children about god and angels and so fast look less serious to us. From that perspective it is smart to disallow images of "god" as happens in Islam or Zen Buddhism.

Nino Vichan pulls us back to earth and combines beautiful classical drawings with shocking facts.

The music at the installation has been composed for this event by And Silverblade. It creates a relaxing and contemplating atmosphere as the whole exhibition.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA4/128/127/801

Photography in Second Life

Photogtaphy is an important and huge part of art in Second Life. Recently opened some interesting exhibitions which should not be missed. At the end of this post I present 2 photo compilations which give a broad overview of SL photography.

Sabbian Paine

"World in my Eyes" is a great show with different themes in Sabbian's unique style. And he proves he is one of the best in Second Life.

Fae Varriale

On the same sim one of my favourite photographers has a small gallery with old and new works.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Transylvania/239/238/31


Freyja Merryman

Freyja's work is always a bit fairytale. Love it!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Angel%20Manor/103/109/29


WuWai Chun

WuWai's exhibition opened last weekend at the Rose Gallery. She loves the same as me in SL. Exploring "Somewhere in Second Life". But while I need words to describe she is able to take incredible photos of the places.

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Angel%20Manor/75/109/29


Ermandalee

This photographer was new to me. This exhibitions is at the Rose Gallery too. Excellent!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Angel%20Manor/133/85/29


And here two compilations of SL photography which has been just released:

Angle works Volume 1 #3

Joseph Nussbaum just released part 3 of his collection.



Photography August 2014

A huge compilation by Joa Oh with almost 400 pages.

Faith

As usually Cherry Manga leaves meaning to the visitors in her latest installation "Faith" but on closer look it is obvious that her personal point of view regarding religions is more than critical.

The veil with crown is to be found as dollarbie at ART IN HATS

The Madonna scares with her face tattoos.

The installation is a wild mixture of religious motifs in a spectacular surrounding which leaves the items as they are for many: Just some glorious decoration...

Scatter is wearing: Outfit Professor Plum by Lybra for TMOF, hat JfL/Bravura Boater, glasses GOS
Me: Dress Miss Peacock  for TMOG, The Roses Crown by 22769 for ART IN HATS, Ginger Heels by Miss Canning

Scatters and my outfits by Lybra for "The month of Games" where the perefect match!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Dark%20Swamp/36/26/28

Two Magazine Articles

Desireme Fallen made an interview with me for the ModelS Magazine No. 15 about ART IN HATS and more. Enjoy on page 88 to 95:

Thank you, Desireme!

For the latest issue of the German UpToDate Magazine I wrote an article about ART I HATS myself. My second article is an interview with Natascha Randt. The whole magazine is worth to have a look!

Taxi to ART IN HATS: sadly gone

SL Machinima Won Prizes

Rysan Fall: "I'm very excited and honored to win two separate prizes in the "Project Homeless" film contest in Australia. My film "The Invisible City" won first place in the machinima competition and 3rd place in the mainstream competition. I am proud to be part of this very worthwhile and meaningful film contest."



The machinima is touching and though provoking. Congrats, Rysan!

See here the entries of the other price winners: http://uwainsl.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/rysan-breaks-through-for-machinima.html

Let me add some more news in machinima. Hypathia Pickens created a dark fairytale: "The Tale of  Machaire and Canace"  Written by John Gower, the tale is based upon Canace's farewell letter to her brother Macareus in Ovid's "Heroides", where Canace recounts her plight: she fell in love with her brother and had a child by him. Her brother fled, and her father Æolus, full of wrath when he learned about her pregnancy, ordered her to kill herself and the child to be taken to the woods.




Wizardoz Chrome made a machinima based in 10 stories written in Italian by 10 artists in Second Life about cases found in an asylum. The title means translated "....Like A Travel"



The cases has been owned by people who where hospitalized in the Willard Asylum in New York during the first half of the last century. Many of them never left the asylum until they passed away and the cases has been stored. More in this video:


Asylum suitcase Kickstarter project from Peter Carroll on Vimeo.

Here photos of all cases: http://willardsuitcases.photoshelter.com/gallery-list

To bad that the stories written for SL aren't translated. It is a great project.

The Asylum where Wizardoz filmed er machinima is Linden property and can be visited here:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/South%20Channel/169/233/27

Farewell to Luciella Lutrova and Nepherses Amat

It is part of our second life that we have to say goodbye to avatars who gave joy to others by their creativity. Today I got the message that the painter from Argentina, known in Second Life as Luciella Lutrova passed away. She was not only known as painter, she created interior and jewelry and used to run a gallery. She will be missed.

In Luciella's gallery

Her works are to be seen in these galleries:
L'Atelier de Luciella: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hua%20Hin/233/11/1709
Studio33: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Rockcliffe%20Conservatory/214/36/508
EAST Gallery: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Georgiana/204/206/48


I use this chance to remind too of Nepherses Amat, who created beautiful and inspiring places at her sim Dark Moon and passed away about a month. For the second last build "Dark Moon India" she created the Indian palace which has been loved by many at Shekhawati before the sim has been sold and changed completely. Thank you Neph for your generosity!

Nepherses' palace at Shekhawati - sadly gone

Her12th and last build "Dark Moon Avalon" has a wonderful landscape. I blogged it here. I have no clue how long it will stay, so you better should visit the place soon.

Taxi to Dark Moon Avalon: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Hua%20Hin/233/11/1709

Goodbye to two wonderful ladies!

The Miniature Goal at Art India and other Machinima

Erythro Asimov brought back great memories of Art India Gallery. The last large exhibition has been "The Miniature Goal" by Haveit Neox and Erythro spent many hours to film it.



After the sudden and unexpected removal of the build by the new sim owner I had no hope that Erythro could finish the machinima, but he did. The machinima maker play an important role in the preservation of artworks. But Erythro of course goes further. He added real life captures from the oil place at Old Baku.  Haveit Neox commented on his piece: "Our disproportionate appetite for resources makes it clear that our progress, and therefore our goal, will succumb to a miniature plan. We will eventually come to realize that the planet's current ecosystems are being damaged to a point where we may not be able to save them. Where does that leave us when we become so small?" Erythro adds: " History gives us the answer : War"

A masterpiece on a masterpiece!
Thank you, Erythro Asimov!

Let me take the chance to present some machinima, that caught my eyes:



This science fiction story is the last part of a series and you might not be able to follow the storyline completely. But it is so well done, that you should not miss it!

Here are the links to the previous parts:
Time Travelers Episode 1 - The Time Machine
Time Travelers Episode 2 - The Future Will See You Now
Time Travelers Episode 3 - Frontlines of Tomorrow
Time Travelers Episode 4 - The Pattern
Time Travelers Episode 5 - Quantum Entangled

Maylee Oh does not only create cute fashion for her shop "The Secret Store", she proved recently that entertaining commercials can be filmed in Second Life:

And finally a beautiful short machinima filmed in the beautiful region Wetland:

Taxi to Wetlands: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Spirit%20Key/13/99/22

UpToDate 2nd Issue is Out

The German speaking magazine came out yesterday and I contributed an interview with SL artist Sina Souza and an article about the work of Zauselina Rieko and Kueperpunk Korhonen for author's readings in Second Life. If you happen to understand German you should read the many interesting articles.

Here is the link: http://uptodate.sl-web.de/?page_id=390

Exhibtion in Real Life and Second Life - THE REAL AVANT GARDE IS HERE!

One of the visitors gifts: Announcer Avatar

Most of the readers will already know: Today opens in Second Life an important Multimedia exhibition-installation about the Russian Avant Garde, created in Real Life by Peter Greenaway and Saskia Boddeke (Rose Borchovski in Second Life), curated by Olga Shishko and Elena Rumyantseva. The center part of the exhibition with more than 400 pieces is  a multiple screen show around the most influential artists like Kazimir Malevich, Vladimir Tatlin, Wassily Kandinsky, Alexander Rodtschenko, Wladimir Majakowski, Ljubow Popowa, Wsewolod Meyerhold, Pavel Filonov, El Lissitzky and Vera Yermolayeva. The artists are represented with quotes performed by 18 actors. The installation opened in the Manege in Moscow on April 14th. See here a teaser:



The event is running until May 26th and is accompanied by several events around the history of Russian Avant garde. More here: http://ukrussia2014.ru/en/event/golden-age-russian-avant-garde/ 

As far as got from the Russian media coverage (badly translated by Google) the multimedia show is an intriguing introduction to the artists of the short art period between 1910 and 1930. But it is an artistic interpretation, not a scientific documentation. The educational part is covered by the related events to the exhibition. I think that is really needed. I still ask myself why some of the most important artistic movements at the beginning of the last century, Futurism, Bauhaus and Avant Garde ended in totalitarianism and if and how it played a role in the progress. But maybe we will have the chance to see the exhibition in other parts of the world too as I could read some guesses that the show has good chances to go on tour, for example to London. Sadly I could not find a single word about the installation part in Second Life, which is to me most interesting and the real life visitors can walk in Second Life with given avatars:

Second Life installation on real life screens in Moscow as part of the installation

The Second Life artists Bryn Oh, Alpha Auer, Nessuno Myoo, Jo Ellsmere , Caer Balogh , Soror Nishi and Eupalinos Ugajin built the virtual part. You should not miss the fascinating works. I will not cover the details. You find them in the post I did yesterday for the LEA blog here:

 http://lindenarts.blogspot.de/2014/04/opening-tomorrow-golden-age-of-russian.html

The excellent text has been written by Bryn Oh and Alpha Auer and also the photos for that post has been taken by the artists. You should read it to know more about the works.

Let me just add some comments. First of all Bryn Oh deserves appreciation. Since January she worked countless hours at LEA8 to create the structure for the works and if you do not know that it is made by her, you would not see on first glance. Bryn, as all other artists, did an excellent job to make Avant Garde possible in 3D and to match the style as much as possible.

And secondly Alpha Auer should be emphasised who created a huge choice of avatars for the visitors. And if you wear one of Alpha's avatars that she gives as free gifts you ARE, you FEEL Avant Garde. This kind of immersion a real life exhibition never can give. Bryn for example built a tower that never has been realised in real life. That is the magic of a virtual world where everything is possible! In real life the visitors pay 350 Rubel entrance fee and in Second Life it is not only free, they are getting artworks as gifts too.

Peter Greenaway said at the press conference that this exhibition is an appreciation of the Avant Garde in a contemporary style. I am sure that most understood him talking about the Multimedia Installation and forgot that this style of art presentation is at least 50 years old.

The Avant Garde is here - here in Second Life!

For those who are not familiar with French: avant garde means vanguard. Virtual art and presentation is vanguard. And as always the audience does not take note of it. In hundred years there will come up an exhibition about the pioneers of virtual art. And the audience will shake the heads about the people at that time who could have enjoyed Virtual Art conveniently from home but missed it.

Here a machinima of the installation, taken by Sophia Yates:

Opening today, Sunday April 27th at 1 PM SLT!

Taxi: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA8/31/92/56