Simploring 2018 (48) doLLoureux

08 Jun 2018 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

I visited “doLLoureux“, an exhibition by Nevereux at DaphneArts (or Daphne.Arts).

“doLLoureux” by Nevereux, an Exhibition at Daphne.Arts

At the entrance is a board with a text introducing to the exhibition with the thoughts of Nevereux about it:

I freeze and I burn and there is no in between.
And don’t touch me unless you plan on leaving a story behind.
I am rigid because softness seemed to numb me.
I am indestructible.
In some magnetic way I turn sorrow to hope when you hold me.
I mostly sit quietly, next to me, life.
I may look simple in form, but I create worlds in a profound and complicated way.
Drop your syrups, be rapt with life;
the most massive characters are seared with scars.
You living creatures, be immortals for a second (no batteries required).
One can make witnessing the default position or can attempt to change the world.
In between these 2 extremes I stand, on the lip of the abyss looking around, completely static, trying to figure out the humanity and inhumanity of dolls.
Oh, … here you are.

At the entrance you also get a HUD and an advice how to set your viewer environment to see the exhibtion. The HUD does add to the viewing experience and also stream music that fits with the exhibited art.

Impressions of “doLLoureux” by Nevereux, an Exhibition at Daphne.Arts (1)

The title “doLLoureux” is a play with words as doloureux is the French word for painful and the exhibition is about dolls. In addition the 2 capital LL also stand for Linden Lab, the company behind Second Life.

Diomita visiting “doLLoureux” by Nevereux, an Exhibition at Daphne.Arts

The exhibition presents pictures and 3D models of dolls, some are broken, some interact with others, some are set up surreal. All objects impress by the way they are presented. With the introductional thoughts of Nevereux you have a key to understand Nevereux’s intentions. I think you get an idea of this exhibtion by my pictures, but they only show some of the dolls and can’t transport all 3 dimensions. Hence you should see and experience the exhibition yourself.

Impressions of “doLLoureux” by Nevereux, an Exhibition at Daphne.Arts (2)

You should turn a special Attention onto the subtitle of Nevereux’s “doLLoureux” exhibition with which I’ll end this post:

Hold me. Frantically. Craft a narrative. In details.
Overemphasize my silence. With perverse anger.
Stare down my dead cold heart. As a compulsion
Love me without questions. Add time.

Impressions of “doLLoureux” by Nevereux, an Exhibition at Daphne.Arts (3)

DaphneArts, opened in March 2016, is an art complex that features monthly exhibitions, with a strong focus on the grotesque, surreal and existential themes. It is owned by Sheldon Bergman (sheldonbr) and Angelika Corral. Thank you for the gallery and thank you Nevereux for your impressing dolls at “doLLoureux“.

Landmark to “doLLoureux”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%20Seduction/44/227/2810
Website with information about “doLLoureux”
http://www.daphnearts.com/dolloureux/
Wbesite of Daphne.Arts
http://www.daphnearts.com/

Simploring 2018 (43) Kerupa Flow – If the Mind is Absent

18 May 2018 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , ,

Wednesday, May 9th, I visited “If the Mind is Absent“, an installation by Kerupa Flow within the LEA program.
Kerups writes in the landmark’s description “When something feels meaningful, I notice my own mind. Is it just a form? Or is it standing at the rare moment that my heart meets your heart?”
This description is a good start. At the landing point there’s a bit more information, in English and in Japanese, as Kerupa is from Japan.

Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” – at the landing Point

“Things differ depending on the viewers.
Physics? No, in my mind, in your mind.

Sometimes it’s a mistake
But illusion is a fun toy.
Sometimes it is a political confrontation.
It may be that we are opening our eyes at the risk of life.

I think that my sense of reality may have changed significantly in 2011.
It was a year of major disaster in Japan.
The things that are happening at that time reflect something in my work.
I myself often do not notice about it whan making.
I’m thinking about the meaning again while surrounding my past works.

Looking up at the sky at night, the stars away from the eyes’ focus are more clearly visible. I hope my work show things like that way.
I’m happy if you can enjoy my world a bit off the reality.

As much as possible, I will explain the meaning of what I made.
I know that it will not be the end of what you seeing.

enjoy”

Impressions of Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” (1)

Impressions of Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” (2)

“If the Mind is Absent” consits of a center piece that clearly is an interpretation of the Tsunami in Japan 2011. Around of this center piece are other works of Kerupa, maybe exibited before as single objects. They are either displayed stand alone or are in seperate rooms that you can walk into. The room “Invisible” deals with the catastrophy of 2011 again.
Kerupa works with optical illusions. No projectors are used but what you see depends on where you stay and look at. To experience Kerupa’s work you shouldn’t use your camera too much but walk around instead, walk into the art, feel it literally.
There are many heads, some are quite artifical and can be seen just from a certain viewing angel, otherwise they look like a chunk of prims. Other heads have a face on each side, that looks at you, but it is an optical illusion.
Another element of Kerupa’s art are silhouettes of humans and last but not least Kerupa uses optical illusions that draw you into the art. It is that you see always something different depending on where you are, that makes Kerupa’s work that particular.

Impressions of Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” (3)

Impressions of Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” (4)

I spent an hour at “If the Mind is Absent” and I still haven’t discovered everything. Kerupa’s art lets your mind roam, it is relaxing to just open your mind and let it happen. Memories, my own memories did pop up. My mind is never absent, I can’t switch it off. I interpret “If the Mind is Absent” as “If your mind roams, if your mind doesn’t deal with everyday life issues, if your mind does see soemthing that isn’t there (optical illusion).
I also got a new insight of what the catastropy of Fukushima meant to the people of Japan. It did not just destroy a whole region but it also destroyed the trust in technical progress, the trust in a better life and what is left are memories and chaos.
At most pieces you’ll find texts in English and in Japanese about the art and what Kerupa had in mind with it. There’s also recommendations of how to set your windlight setting (some art looks best set to “midnight”).

Impressions of Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” (5)

Impressions of Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent” (6)

I took a lot of pictures again, but the pictures can’t reflect the three dimensional experience which is much more intense. Best is to see it yourself.

I like Kerupa Flow’s art and I’m very impressed of “If the Mind is Absent“. The installation should be open at least until June 30th. Thank you Kerupa for your work!

Landmark to Kerupa Flow’s “If the Mind is Absent”
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA11/46/47/22

Simploring 2018 (41) Cicamobiles

10 May 2018 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , ,

I came across a little exhibtion of Cica Ghost’s litte cars following Inara Pey’s blog where she published “Cica at Paris Metro in Second Life” on May 1st. And since I discovered Cica Ghost’s art in Second Life I try not to miss any of her installations or exhibtions.
There are some elements in Cica’s art installations that are unique and you recognize her objects and creations immediately. There are these fantastic, mostly oversized, animals with a human expressions in their faces, often looking content and happy or expressing strong feelings. And there are her two-dimensional stick figures, which are often animated. In Cica’s latest installations she offered little cars to drive around which were adapted to the theme. At Paris METRO Art Gallery these cars are exhibited and I called them “Cicamobiles”.

“Cicamobiles” at Paris METRO Art Gallery: Catomoblie with animated picture “Night traveler” in the background (upper right) / MouseCar and BirdCar with animated pictures “She” and “He” in the background, on the left is the animated “cyclist on the wall” (upper right) / UmbrellaCar (lower left) / FlowerCar (lower right)

It’s not a big exhibition but it is nice to see all the cicamobiles together at one place and seeing them remembered me of my visits to Cica’s installations. In total there are 4 drivable cars (Catomobile, MouseCar, BirdCar, FlowerCar) and 3 non-drivable cars (UmbrellaCar, CrocoCar, Cica’s Bus) exhibited at Paris METRO Art Gallery.
At the entrance, just next to the Catomobile you see Cica’s animated picture “Night traveler” and on the other side appears “cyclist on the wall”, one of her famous stick figures. At the wall behind the MouseCar and the BirdCar are two more animated stick figures riding bicycles named “She” and “He”.

“Cicamobiles” at Paris METRO Art Gallery: Cica’s Bus (upper left) / CorcoCar (upper right) / Cicamoblies overview (lower left) / animated pictures “She” and “He” closeup (lower right)

A really small but nice exhibtion which made me look forward seeing Cica’s next work, hopefully soon.
Thank you, Cica!
Thank you rfb morpock, who founded the Paris METRO Art Gallery and thank you, Shiloh Emmons, Director of the Gallery.

Landmark to Paris METRO Art Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paris%20Couture/129/25/22
Inara Pey’s blog post “Cica at Paris Metro in Second Life”
https://modemworld.me/2018/05/01/cica-at-paris-metro-in-second-life/

Simploring 2018 (40) Light Thoughts 4

07 May 2018 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , ,

Saturday, April 28th, I visited “Light Thoughts 4” within the Linden Endowment for the Arts (LEA) program at LEA 26 and LEA 27. It is a joint installation by Mario2 Helstein and Jo Williams following their joint installation last year (Light Thoughts 3 – read here).

Landing at “Light Thoughts 4”

The landing of Light Thoughts 4 is on the boarder between LEA 26 and LEA 27, Mario2 Helstein has designed LEA 27 and Jo Williams LEA 26. Just like last year’s installtion the sides are different, both are colourful and full of light and effects. I started my visit at LEA 27. To me it looks like a mixture of an aquarium and a jungle, yet all animals live peacefully together. What catches your eye first is the dinosaur that walks up and down along the landing point. But there are more animals, hugs crabs, sharks, cuttlefish, crocodiles. All are artfully coloured.
In the middle of the installation is a big structure of green tubes that looks being alive, it might have tentacles. The floor is wet und provides light effects. There’s a lot to discover and a lot to take pictures of. Soon you get lost in this colourful fantasy world. There are also some humans, one looks like a robot, a few small humans are walking around in a secured area … and one is just a dead body. The installation is oustanding because of the colours and the light effects that produce different views every second.

Impressions of “Light Thoughts 4” at LEA 27 (1)

Impressions of “Light Thoughts 4” at LEA 27 (2)

The other part of Light Thoughts 4 is at LEA 26 and is by Jo Williams and it is quite as colourful as LEA 27. It looks like a park somewhere in the galaxy. A large open area is surrounded by seperate gardens, there are several pyramides and the planets are close. There are flowers, benches to sit and relax and little cosy areas. When you zoom out you can see that some plants form a heart. The two big violin clefs reminded me to turn music on. It’s the kind of music that Mario also uses for his light shows and it does fit well.

Impressions of “Light Thoughts 4” at LEA 26 (1)

Impressions of “Light Thoughts 4” at LEA 26 (2)

I tried using one of the balloons to fly around a bit but it didn’t work properly during my visit and I flew just a few meters. I remembered the ballons from my visit to Light Thoughts 3.

I enjoyed a colourful hour at Light Thoughts 4 and took a lot of pictures. I love all the colours and effects. Of course a picture can’t always transport all dimensions of an installation. Together with my invitation I got a link to a video that might give another insight of this installation.

Thank you Mario (Mario2 Helstein) and Jo (Jo Williams) for this installation. I enjoyed my visit and taking lots of pictures!

Landmark to Light Thoughts 4
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA27/111/15/23
Video teaser of Light Thoughts 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1brPvqf3lw&feature=share
Mario2 Helstein’s shop inworld
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Dark%20Heaven/33/133/21

Simploring 2018 (36) Untitled by Storm Septimus

30 Apr 2018 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

I picked my simploring destination from scoop.it SL Destinations again and visited “Untitled“, an installation by Storm Septimus at LEA28.

Untiteled by Storm Septimus

Untitled is a particular piece of art, dark and somehow depressing but it also has elements of hope. Upon landing I strongly recommend to grab a notecard in order to understand the background of “Untiteled“. Storm explains why there’s no name for this installation and how it was built as a process, adding piece by piece what came into Strom’s mind:
“I wanted to highlight the emotional effects of disability. I know I could have gone so many ways with that, however at the time I took up residency I was very very ill, so this absolutely contributed to my design going down a less optimistic path. The installation ended up a visual of that lonely , desolate , hopeless place of despair in my mind.“

Impressions of “Untiteled” by Storm Septimus (1)

Impressions of “Untiteled” by Storm Septimus (2)

At the landing you can also get information about “Virtual Ability”, a group that helps bring people with many kinds of RL disabilities mental, emotional, physical and sensory into Second Life, and provides them with a supportive community. The landing platform sits on the shoulders of 4 large statues, you can see how they suffer carrying the platform, but they are strong.
At their feet is a garden presenting the group “Virtual Ability”. And from there you cross a bridge to the second part of “Untitled“.
Again this island is supported by two statues, but not on their shoulders but on their backs and they almost break under the load they carry. The main high plateau is a huge sea of blood and the sound does intensify the dark and depressing mood. There’re dead bodies swimming in the sea of blood. There are also places to sit and to watch, to let your mind wander, to try to feel and follow the artists thoughts.

Impressions of “Untiteled” by Storm Septimus (3)

At some places you find diaries with thoughts of people with longterm disabilities. On the other hand, this installation was built by Storm Septimus in a state od disability and proves that something impressive can arise from this state. There’s the place with the many buring candles that expresses the hope to leave the depression behind (my interpretation) and there’s the unexplainable beauty of “Untiteled“, the many extraordinairy views and impressions you get.
“Untitled” is a very touching masterpiece enabling us to get a tiny insight into the mind of someone ill.

Impressions of “Untiteled” by Storm Septimus (4)

Thank you Storm Septimus!

Landmark to “Untitled”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA28/57/157/1990

Simploring 2018 (27) – Gem Preiz’ Demiurge

24 Mar 2018 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

When I visited Gem Preiz’ installation “Sapiens” in January (read here) I met Inara Pey there, who told me that Gem plans an extention of this installtion by End of February. And really, as it turns out I got an invitation for Thursday, March 15th, from Gem himself to attend the opening of this extention for Thursday, March 15th. Unfortunately I could not attend the opening but visited a few hours before the opening. The extension is called “Demiurge“.
The word “demiurge” is an English word from demiurgus, a Latinized form of the Greek dēmiourgos. It was originally a common noun meaning “craftsman” or “artisan”, but gradually it came to mean “producer”, and then eventually “creator” (from wikipedia)

Gem Preiz’ Demiurge – opened until End of June 2018

At the landing point you can grab a notecard in several language, which explains Gem’s thoughts about both installations: “Sapiens ended on the vision of the Man understanding his universe and learning to dominate it. In Demiurge, the Man becomes creative and shapes his environment, for the good or for the evil.” From the landing point you can teleport also to Sapiens.

Impressions of Gem Preiz’ Demiurge: The past

Demiurge consists of 3 parts: the past, the present and the future. Each part is built on a sim-wide space.
The past reminds of of an ancient city, maybe Rome. It has classical buildings, historic buildings you can find all over the world, buildings with history, buildings that were built to last “forever”, to witness the ideas of a times. Inside of some buildings you find fractals exhibited. From the largest exhibition hall you can teleport to the next part: the present.

Gem Preiz’ Demiurge: The exhibition hall at “The past” – TP Point to travel to “The present” (arriving in “The present” lower right picture)

The present is very disillusioning: uniform skyscrapers, dirt, elevated roads and thousand of tin-sheet huts. In the present of Demiurge is just one exhibition hall with fractals. It is easy to find as the buildings stands out from the rest. From there you can teleport to the next part: the future.
I talked with Gem later and her told me that the skyscrapers are inspired by the chinese town Chongqing, an ocean of 25 floors buildings to house 30 millions people, while the slum is inspired by Kibera, the slum around Nairobi, Kenya. I don’t know both places, but I kind of have an idea how it might look there.

Impressions of Gem Preiz’ Demiurge: The present

The future is bright, particular with the windlight setting I used: Bristol. This world has futuristic skyscarpers of all forms. It’s clean and neat and organized. It does not only look futuristic but also artificial as if there’s no individuality anymore – although the buildings are creative as such, but the single human being is lost in the world. Look a bit around, you might find a starship, which you can use to explore the future from another perspective. I found it and I used it. It also adds to the fun!

Flying a spaceship at Gem’ Preiz’ Demiurge: The future

At the end of the installation Sapiens I saw a huge golden statue (the homo sapiens sapiens?) holding the grid cube in it’s hand, looking at it lost in thoughts. At Demiurge you’ll find this huge golden statue in a spherical building and it holds a brain in it’s hand, looking at it lost in thoughts. At the base of the statue you find teleport pads to Sapiens and to the past and the present.

Impressions of Gem Preiz’ Demiurge: The future

Demiurge is an impressive installation about architecture, not about single periods of architecture but from a higher level. It shows the clear forms and outlines of classic historic buildings that follow either function (like theatres) or simple demostrate power. There builders had he intention to create something for the eternity. It shows the uniformity of modern housing towers, the dirt and the poverty of the slums that are reality for many people around the world. And it shows our dreams that have become reality at least partly at some metropol areas like Shanghai, New York, London ..
Of course Demiurge is also a place where Gem’s fractals are exhibited and they fit in very well as most of them look a bit like science fiction. Overall, the installation contains 32 high resolution fractals. Some of them have already been displayed on Secondlife, in various other exhibitions.

At the landing point of Demiurge as well as in the notecard you find recommendations about the settings of your viewer. I also recommend to turn your music on (I did). The music Gem selected fits really well.

Gem Preiz’ Demiurge – outside of the the landing Point – upper left Picture Shows Gem and myself

One last thing. If you have time enough, walk outside of the building where you enter Demiurge. The landing area is inside another “future” world that is dominated a one tall skycraper. Gem told me that it is inspired by a project of tower to be raised in Bassorah, Iraq, that shall raise 1.000 meter, in SL it’s “only” 340 m tall. Talking with Gem you can sense his passion for architecture, forms and skyscrapers.

Thank you Gem for this extension to Sapiens. Demiurge is – at least for me – an installation you have to visit. Great work, Gem, very impressive!
Sapiens and Demiurge shall be open for a visit until End of June.

Landmark to Demiurge
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA29/149/145/22
Landmark to Sapiens
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA29/96/128/27

Simploring 2018 (26) – Oscar 13 at DaphneArts

22 Mar 2018 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

I got an invitation for the opening of another exhibition at DaphneArts (or Daphne.Arts) – Oscar 13. I couldn’t make it to the opening but I visited a day later on Monday, March 12th.
Oscar? Is it about the Academy Awards? Yes, it is. In this case it is about the award for the Best Foreign Language Film. This special Award was given to Italian films 14 times, where of one was primarily spoken in French – hence Oscar 13, for 13 award winning Italian films.

Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty) won the 2014 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, which inspired the artist Stefano Mingione, who shares a passion for 7th art (making cinema), to create a tribute to the Italian cinematography with the painting “Oscar 13”. The oil on canvas painting has the dimensions 2 x 4 meter and shows all 13 Italian Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film (spoken in Italian).

Impressions of “Oscar 13” at DaphneArts (1)

The exhibition Oscar 13 at DaphneArts shows a compilation of sketches used as study reference, and the final painting. At the end you walk into a cinema and watch a short youtube video that shows details of the painting “Oscar 13”.

I’m not a passionate cineast, nor did I know the above facts, yet the sketches and drafts that led to the huge painting are impressive and show how much work in detail such a painting is. If you’re a cineast, and in particular an Italian cineast, you will see much more in this painting than I do. I just like the way this painting is exhibited with showing also the sketches and the films behind it. Again I found something that I’d never expected to see in Second Life. I strongly recommend to read the website with information about “Oscar 13” (http://www.daphnearts.com/oscar13/), best before you visit inworld.
Unfortunately I didn’t find more information about Stefano Mingione, yet I didn’t try Italian websites, as I don’t understand any Italian, sorry.

Impressions of “Oscar 13” at DaphneArts (2)

DaphneArts, opened in March 2016, is an art complex that features monthly exhibitions, with a strong focus on the grotesque, surreal and existential themes. It is owned by Sheldon BeRgman (sheldonbr) and Angelika Corral. Thank you for the gallery and for this exhibition!

Landmark to “Oscar 13” at DaphneArts
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%20Seduction/39/132/3511
youtube video about Oscar 13 (about 4 minutes)
http://www.youtube.com/embed/ONl6D2yYOGQ
Website with information about “Oscar 13”
http://www.daphnearts.com/oscar13/

Simploring 2018 (20) Je n’aime pas at DaphneArts

04 Mar 2018 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

For my simploring tour on February 24th I choose to visit “Je n’aime pas” at DaphneArts. I found DaphneArts and the current exhibition at scoop.it SL Destinations  following a blog post of Kate Bergdorf also titled “Je n’aime pas”.

Je n’aime pas is a joined exhibition by Nur Moo and Hern Worsley combining a strange structure and picture into one piece of art. The structure is built on a hoovering rock. It is a steel scaffolding rising up in the air from the rock and contains 3 levels. The landing is in a container.You first don’t see the structure unless you zoom out. In the container are some pictures, the first part of this exhibition.

“Je n’aime pas” at DaphneArts – the landing point in a container

Stepping out of the container you realize that there’s more. The pictures on the 1st level are non static, they appear and disappear alternating with flurry and never are clear. In the middle of the platform you can teleport to the 2nd level where the pictures are even harder to see as they are on rotating cubes and just shining through. Finally on the 3rd level there’s no pictures, just a big trampoline.

From here you can make out the top of the structure, which is quite a fantasy entity. There are rotors that seem to keep the structure in balance and a bird sits on the top of one frame, like a left over from fauna. Sometimes you notice little pacmans floating around, do they symbolize how future began? Zooming out you can also see that the walls of the structure are covered with solar panels and that the whole structure is floating with the rock, on which it is founded, in the middle of nothing.

“Je n’aime pas” at DaphneArts – the structure (left) / the 3 exhibition floors (middle) / the “now” clock (right)

There are a few places to sit where you can relax and collect the impressions. It’s futuristic, somehow cold and repellent, yet you get drawn in trying to see the pictures, sometimes to blind out the surrounding. Kate Bergdorf summarized “Je n’aime pas” as a “large installation, spanning over three levels, containing virtual imagery, video screenings, floating pac mans, interactive poses, as well as larger constructs like metal scaffolding and a small house“.

Impressions of “Je n’aime pas” at DaphneArts (1)

For sure “Je n’aime pas” is a different approach to make use of the virtual space for arts. The structure itself is worth a visit and it offers a different way to present the pictures. Thank you Nur Moo and Hern Worsley for your exhibtion “Je n’aime pas”.

Impressions of “Je n’aime pas” at DaphneArts (2)

DaphneArts, opened in March 2016, is an art complex that features monthly exhibitions, with a strong focus on the grotesque, surreal and existential themes. It is owned by Sheldon BeRgman (sheldonbr) and Angelika Corral. You can get more information about DaphneArt and upcoming events and exhibition at their website. Thank you both for providing the gallery.

Landmark to “Je n’aime pas”
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Isle%20of%20Seduction/21/194/3086
Kate Bergdorf’s blog post “Je n’aime pas”
https://katebergdorf.wordpress.com/2018/02/20/je-naime-pas/
DaphneArts website
http://www.daphnearts.com/

Simploring 2018 (15) from Under the Sea by Cica Ghost

17 Feb 2018 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

A couple of days ago, Cica Ghost contacted me and told me that she opened an exhibition in the lalalala Gallery Thistle. It is about her old fish and called “from Under the Sea”

“from Under the Sea” by Cica Ghost at lalalala Gallery Thistle

I went on a short simploring tour Friday, February 9th, to see it. When you arrive at the lalalala Gallery, you’ll find just one exhibtion room. There’s just a teaser, a poster for the exhibtion and a teleporter to the gallery itself, which is located in a skybox.

“from Under the Sea” by Cica Ghost at lalalala Gallery Thistle – some inhabitants from under the sea

As I didn’t know Cica’s “old” fish yet, this exhibition was new to me. The inhabitants from under the sea are alive but not under water. Each of them is unique and I enjoyed to see them. Some look really evil and – not surprising for me considering what I saw so far from Cica’s art – they seem to look at you. But overall it is a peaceful atmosphere.
You can buy the fish at the gallery for small money and take them home if you have a proper environment for them. I’m pretty sure that I will see some of them on my further simploring tours, now that I know how they look like.

Impressions of “from Under the Sea” by Cica Ghost at lalalala Gallery Thistle

The lalalala Gallery Thistle is owned and provided by lala Lightfoot. Thank you lala for providing your space for the art. And thank you Cica for another piece of art. I enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to lalalala Gallery Thistle
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Thistle/221/229/23 landmark to me.

Simploring 2018 (8) Gem Preiz’ Sapiens

25 Jan 2018 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

I discovered Gem Preiz’ artful work in Second Life last year and had some posts about the exhibitions and installations that I visited (No Frontiers, 5 years of Fractals, Chaos). Gem Preiz works with fractals, his pictures are based on math, but although the forms are duplicated what you see is a picture and you’re not able to to see the logic behind it. Often his work has a touch of science fiction. When I got the invitation to visit Gem’s newest installation at LEA 29, Sapiens, I went there a few hours before it opened offcially.

Gem Preiz’ Sapiens – Exhibition board (upper left) / at the landing Point (upper right) / inside the grid cube (lower)

You land in a hallway that could be part of a spaceship, some fog rises from below. There’re boards on both sides of the hallways and you can grab information about Gem and a notecard about the installation Sapiens. Gem describes his intentions and thoughts about Sapiens in the notecard (grab one). The boards also recommend the appropriate settings for your viewer for the best experience of Sapiens. I strongly recommend to switch the music on. At the end of the hallway is a cube, which is used as a TP to the installation itself.

Gem Preiz’ Sapiens – in the hallways / inside of the grid cube

Sapiens is a cube, a grid of 4 x 4 hallways and you land somewhere inside of an hallway. The cube hoovers in the endlessness of space. The hallways do look all the same, like at the landing they appear to be part of a huge spaceship. You get more or less lost in them, it’s a labyrinth, a maze. Gem describes the grid cube as a “limited universe, locked like a prison”. The “maze of interconnected passages is similar to a brain where the thoughts turn in a loop without any solution”.
You can travel between the 4 levels using elevator platforms that are on some crossings and which move up and down steadily. At the corners of the hallways you can peek out into the inner structure of the grid cube and again you’re lost, you find no mark, just endless repeating structures.

At the sides of the hallways of Sapiens Gem presents in total 40 fractals which he categorized into the themes: technology, maze, darkness, confinement.

Gem Preiz’ Sapiens -examples of the exhibted fractals

While I explored I met Inara Pey. I follow her blog “Living in a modemworld” for some years now and I often follow her exploring tours when I go simploring. It was the first time that I met her inworld and we had a very nice chat. And I had the opportunity to thank her in perosn for her great work for the community. Inara was just visiting like myself and just working on her blog post about Sapiens, which was published a few hours later (“A journey into Sapiens in Second Life“). As Inara has a passion for science fiction and space flight, Sapiens was for sure a highlight for her. Inara also told me, that Gem plans to expand the installation End of February, hence a reason for me to return.

Gem Preiz’ Sapiens – more impressions / Inara and Diomita (upper left)

Back to Sapiens. If you look out for details on the sides of the hallways besides the 40 pictures, you can find “Exits”, actually I saw 2 of them. They allow you to explore the inner structure of grid cube into which you peek from inside. You need to fly as there’re no hallways, otherwise you’ll fall down. The hovering objects, Gem calls them shuttles, are phamtom and thus colliding with them is harmless. I flew a bit around and although it looks huge at the first glance, you quickly discover your limitations. You can’t get out, I got a real prison feeling there and returned inside.

There’s another exit. In the hallways you find big black hands every once in a while. First I thought they might direct you way, but they don’t. Either by accident or by systematically walking every hallways on each level you will find a spot with many of these black hands. They seem to have caught a golden statue, a human, who cowers under them. Clicking the golden statue brings you to the end of the exhibtion, which is on a extra platform, from where you can also return to the start. You can also see all 40 exhibited pictures once again in a catalogue. Above the platform sits is a huge golden statue (the homo sapiens sapiens?) holding the grid cube in it’s hand, looking at it lost in thoughts.

Gem Preiz’ Sapiens – the golden homo sapiens sapiens

Sapiens is a great combination of a 3D installation with a gallery presenting Gem’s fractal art. Both fit together perfectly. It is a journey into the inexplainable space inside of our brains, that can be like space flight into the endless room. And I like and admire the fractals. Thank you for another great experience in Second Life, Gem!

Landmark to Gem Preiz’ Sapiens
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA29/96/128/27
Inara Pey’s blog post A journey into Sapiens in Second Life
https://modemworld.me/2018/01/10/a-journey-into-sapiens-in-second-life/

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