Scrolling through scoop.it SL Destination on Sunday, February 14th, I came across “CELLS by Moki Yuitza“. The entry led to an article on “The sim quarterly”-blog: “Welcome to CELLS by Moki Yuitza“, in which Electric Monday gives some insight into the current installation at simquarterly – CELLS by Moki Yuitza.
I will first quote a lot from this blogpost and from a notecard I got in the welcome area at simquarterly as it is written well and contains a lot of useful and important information to fully enjoy this excellent artwork:
Suppose we can look inside the brain of an Artificial Intelligence, and above all see how it works, how its parts work. What would we see? In a digital world where everything is possible, who knows. Maybe this is what we would be able to see: Cells.
Upon arriving at The Sim Quarterly welcome area, the bot welcomes visitors via an IM with information about the installation, the artist, and settings to help with graphics for viewing CELLS. Next to her is a cone that dispenses information about a game Moki has put together for you while you explore CELLS.
To exit the landing area and enter the installation, just click the glowing center of the portal and arrive at the main part of CELLS!
Impressions of CELLS by Moki Yuitza (1) – The welcome ares / entering the installation
After the short trip to the ground, you will see before you an illuminated path leading you to the center of CELLS – along the way, don’t forget to locate the cones. Moki has created and hidden some lights that will change you, others around you, and most importantly the exhibit as you wander with this attached light. Each level has one hidden light for you to find. Look for a white cone like the one next to The Sim Quarterly avatar in the welcome area. There are 5 cones on each level, but only one of the cones has the prize in it!
Each light is different. Wear one alone or add with the other lights that you found on other levels, and the result will be different. On the last level, you’ll find the final light.
Impressions of CELLS by Moki Yuitza (2) – inside of the installation
I entered the portal and was brought to the ground. The structure is huge, really huge. It looks like a large highrise building, an illuminated path led me into it and to the central stairwell. Dont forget to explore the ground level as you find the first cone with a light on this level. climbing up the stairs you get great views. The whole building is packed with large spheres, some are solid, some are just grids, some are white, some are coloured. The floors are transparent, hence looking up and down offers even more views.
The ever changing lights, the moving spheres, the lights your wear, everything changes your experience. The pictures I made can’t be ever reproduced. They are stills taken from temporary virtual art. I was laways fascinated from the possibilities of light installations and Moki plays virtuously with light. The installation changes no only by the light you attach to yourself, but also by its own movement. You can fly, walk, and run. I enjoyed every second of my visit.
Impressions of CELLS by Moki Yuitza (3) – inside of the installation
The lights change how you look yourself. It is intriguing to see how a different colour seemingly changes who you are. The pictures I took of myself in different colours reminded me of Andy Warhol. I had fun.
Moki Yuitza is in Second Life for over 12 years. I came across her three times so far. One time in 2019 when she was participating in an exhibition at La Maison d’Aneli (read here), one time when I visited an installation of her at LEA 19 “Hypercube – labyrinth of the mind” in 2018 (read here) and just recently I saw her installation “Geomorphism” at DixMix Gallery (read here). Moki has had a lot more exhibtions and installation, that I missed. Her profile is full of installations of her that are gone in the meanwhile. The virtual world is even more short-lived than the physical world.
I found this about Moki from a notecard for La Maison d’Aneli: “In RL I am an architect and in this metaverse I found the possibility to realize my idea of space and my architectural fantasy, as well as to share it with other people.”
Impressions of CELLS by Moki Yuitza (4) – coloured Diomita, pictures NOT taken by Andy Warhol *winks*
Simquarterly is a sim and initiative of Electric Monday:
“Art and the virtual world, Second Life© are very similar — you are able to both find yourself and immerse yourself (and maybe even lose yourself) in something totally unlike what you already know. The experiences you gain help you grow and form new opinions about the world. That is what I hope this sim can provide over time. I am very excited to bring to you a quarterly art project by way of The Sim Quarterly.
The project features one creator every 3 months (every quarter) as an artist in residence. The purpose of the sim is so that residents can experience something new and even create a community.”
Simquarterly has an own website.
Landmark to Cells by Moki Yuitza
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Sim%20Quarterly/7/10/1403
Simquarterly website
http://thesimquarterly.com/
Blogpost about CELLS by Moki Yuitza on Simquarterly
https://thesimquarterly.com/2021/02/13/welcome-to-cells-by-moki-yuitza/
Diomita Maurer’s Blog 