Art in Second Life 2023 (9) Reflections by Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau) & Onceagain Art Gallery

06 Feb 2023 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I got an invitation to visit Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau)’s latest exhibition named “Reflections” at Onceagain Art Gallery. A good reason to visit Onceagain Art Gallery (once) again, as it is more than one year since I my last visit there (read Art in Second Life 2022 (2) Onceagain Art Gallery).

The landmark leads you to a small gazebo within a park. From there you walk through the park, cross the gate, turn left twice and walk a path upwards to reach the exhibition “Reflections” which is shown in kind of a cloistered court.

Impressions of “Reflections” by reflections by Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau) (1) – from the landing point to the exhibition

Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili) wrote about “Reflections”:
“I’m really pleased to host in my gallery a delicate artist, who I discovered last year by chance when I won one of her works at an auction.
In life you don’t always need to look for deep meanings, sometimes beauty is enough to reconcile you with the world and Maddy with her works is what she manages to do.”

The exhibition consists of 11 pictures all showing woman, mainly portraits, in their beauty. Most of the pictures are monochrom (not all) and the women are all dressed beautiful and they wear flowers, ornaments, jewelery and other accessories underlining their beauty and attracting the spectator to look for details and to get pulled into the picture.

Impressions of “Reflections” by reflections by Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau) (2)

Maddy wrote: ““Reflections” is a journey of portraits that experiments with new ideas using A.I. technologies. The exhibit showcases photos created with Midjourney and Second Life Avatars, combined with the use of A.I. to create a melancholic and dark atmosphere that captures the essence of the subjects portrayed. The soft colors and blurs emphasize the intense emotions and intimacy of the portraits, inviting the viewer to immerse themselves in the images.”

Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau) is in Second Life since 2009. She’s passionate about photography in RL and SL. She writes: “I’m not an artist but a researcher of images to be developed… a dreamer with open eyes of this world “out of time”. In SL always open to new possibilities of experimentation trying to convey the magic that I see.”
I’ve seen Maddy’s art the first time back in 2017 at Enchanted Art where her exhibition “Maddy 2017” was showcased (read here). Further on I saw Maddy’s work at La Maison d’Aneli in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 and at GenovArt Glass Gallery in May 2021 (read here). You can see more of her art at her flickr page.

Once at the gallery I took the teleporter, where I landed for my visit to “Reflections” and visited the Onceagain Art Gallery.

Impressions of Onceagain Art Gallery (1) – Two buildings / Two sculptures (Cherry Manga and Bryn Oh)

The place has changed quite a lot, the concept is still the same. In a large park are several buildings. The park and the buildings are full of Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili)’s art collection. In the park you find 3D art as well as inside of the buildings at windows or larger spaces. The buildings are galleries and feature the art of many artists.

Impressions of Onceagain Art Gallery (2)

I know and wrote about most of them, though I admit that there’re some, who I didn’t come across yet. The following list of artists is certainly not exhaustive, but it testifies to the size of the art collection and the many styles:
Moki Yuitza, Mihailsk Syros (mihailsk), June Langer, Kika Yongho, Eviana (eviana.robbiani), Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau), Milena Carbone (mylena1992), Filthy Fluno, Marina Münter (vivresavie), Melusina Parkin, CioTToLiNa Xue, Zia Branner, Maloe Vansant, ZYNTHEA, Mareea Farrasco, Celestial Demon (celestialdemon), Gully Rivers (gullyrivers), Karma Daxeline (Karma Weymann), Cad (cadwallader), Lika Cameo (LikaCameo), Scylla Rhiadra, Mara Telling, Frank Atisso, Cherry Manga, Harbor Galaxy, miu miu miu (miumiumiusecond), Therese Carfagno, Bryn Oh ….

Impressions of Onceagain Art Gallery (3)

onceagain (Manoji Yachvili) ist in Second Life since 2007. Manoji is Italian and lives and works in Tuscany, Italy. She “likes photography, art, landscapes, animals, visiting strange places, most of these things she also does in RL“. You find more of her also on her flickr account.

Thank you for showcasting so many artists in a great environment and for enabling Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau)’s exhibition “Reflections”.
And thank you Maddy for your art.
I enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to Onceagain Art Gallery and to Reflections by Maddy
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Peaceful%20Mountains/51/173/3502
Maddy (Magda Schmidtzau)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/magdyne/
Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/69389809@N03/

Art in Second Life 2022 (59) “Freaking Beauties” by Maloe Vansant at Artsville Gallery #1

01 Jul 2022 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

Friday, June 24th, a new place for the arts has been opened – Artsville. Artsville consists of 3 galleries. The first exhibition at Artville is “Freaking Beauties” by Maloe Vansant.

The layout of the gallery space reminded me a bit of DixMix Gallery – 3 galleries, with space for around 10 pictures each and an event area in the center. The builder is Megan Prumier, who also built the DixMix Gallery.

“Freaking Beauties” shows pictures of – surprise – freaking beauties. The pictures are very colourful, most consisting of several layers. They focus on the kinkiness, yet the pictures are intriguing, not off putting. They invite the spectator to look for details. And the freaking beauties themselves look satisfied and proud. Each picture is an eye catcher!

Maloe Vansant joined Second Life in 2007, a new world for her who had never played games or joined any social network site: “After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world. I think I succeeded in doing this by using some post processing in Photoshop. I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.”
Maloe has also a flickr account where you can see more of her artwork.

The virtuality blog published an interview with Maloe Vansant by Violet Boa back in August 2021. Violet Boa wrote in the introducing text about Maloe:
“Maloe belongs to the group of people who are strongly guided by feelings and she is blessed with ability to touch our souls with her photography.
With skillful game between light, shadow, color and composition she creates works that appeal to us not only on the quality level, but also write stories of life and with it catch our thoughts and hearts.”
Read the full interview on virtuality blog here.

Artsville is owned by Vally Lavender-Prodigy (Valium Lavender). Artsville was created in collaboration the Art Korner blog, owned and founded by Frank Atisso.

Thank you Vally and Frank for creating Artsville and providing the space for the arts. Thank you Megan for building the gallery. And thank you Maloe for your art, I enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to Artsville and to Freaking Beauties by Maloe Vansant
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ValiumSL/60/180/22
Artsville flickr
https://www.flickr.com/groups/14823986@N21/
Art Korner blog
https://www.artkornersl.com/
Interview with Maloe Vansant by Violet Boa in virtuality blog
https://www.virtuality.blog/interview-with-maloe-vansant/
Maloe Vansant’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31954671@N08//

Art in Scond Life 2022 (20) Carpe Noctem by Maloe Vansant

22 Feb 2022 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

I got an invitation to visit the lastest exhibition at DixMix Gallery, that opened February 19th: “Carpe Noctem” by Maloe Vansant.
Sometimes I come across an artist quite often in a short time, just to see nothing of the artist again for a longer time. Just recently I saw “Inside Maloe’s Mind” by Maloe Vansant, an exhibition that opened Sunday, February 6th (read about it here). I have written about Maloe’s art already before. The last time I came across her was in September 2021 when I visited her exhibition “Eternally” at DixMix Gallery (read here) that celebrated the tenth anniversary of Maloe Vansant and DixMix Source’s friendship.

“Carpe Noctem” by Maloe Vansant is showcased in room Amalfia at DixMix Gallery. It consists of 10 pictures mainly showing female faces or parts of it. There is no obvious story that connect these pictures. Each seems to have an own story. I was particularly attracted by the picture that is also used for the exhibition poster. It is called “Faux Andy” and is shown with four different colour filters at the exhibtion. For me it is amazing how different the the face and the expression becomes with a different colour.

Maloe also plays with other effects, like blurring or with several layers of different pictures. She plays with softenting, light and also with strong colour contrasts. Another favourite of me at “Carpe Noctem” by Maloe Vansant is “The crack in the mirror”. Maloe’s art is passionate and full of details, the pictures provoke the visitor to spin stories around them.

Examples of “Carpe Noctem” by Maloe Vansant – Faux Andy / The truth is mine / just a shadow left / The crack in the mirror

Maloe Vansant joined Second Life in 2007, a new world for her who had never played games or joined any social network site: “After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world. I think I succeeded in doing this by using some post processing in Photoshop. I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.”
Maloe has also a flickr account where you can see more of her artwork.

The virtuality blog published an interview with Maloe Vansant by Violet Boa back in August 2021. Violet Boa wrote in the introducing text about Maloe:
“Maloe belongs to the group of people who are strongly guided by feelings and she is blessed with ability to touch our souls with her photography.
With skillful game between light, shadow, color and composition she creates works that appeal to us not only on the quality level, but also write stories of life and with it catch our thoughts and hearts.”
Read the full interview on virtuality blog here.

Thank you Dixmix for providing and curating the DixMix Gallery, thank you Megan for building it and thank you Violet Boa for the PR. The exhibition “Carpe Noctem” by Maloe Vansant shall stay open until March, 6th.

Landmark to Dixmix Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Madori%20Bay/46/213/22
Interview with Maloe Vansant by Violet Boa in virtuality blog
https://www.virtuality.blog/interview-with-maloe-vansant/
Maloe Vansant’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31954671@N08//

Art in Scond Life 2022 (15) Inside Maloe’s Mind by Maloe Vansant

08 Feb 2022 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

I got a hint from Violet Boa to visit “Inside Maloe’s Mind” by Maloe Vansant, an exhibition that opened Sunday, February 6th. I have written about Maloe’s art already before. The last time I came across her was in September 2021 when I visited her exhibition “Eternally” at DixMix Gallery (read here) that celebrated the tenth anniversary of Maloe Vansant and DixMix Source’s friendship. And DixMix is mentioned on exhibition poster for “Inside Maloes Mind” as he provided the music for the opening event.

“Inside Maloe’s mind” is showcased at “In my Mind project Gallery”, the gallery space of A. (Ava Darkheart). With the invitation I got a quote from Maloe: “The journey in my Second Life, brought by pictures of my past, pictures that are close to my heart…“

The exhibition space is in a sphere in the skies. The pictures are arranged on the inside of the sphere so you also have to look up to see them. All of them are a combination of texts and poems and the pictures itself. The text is faded in and out – hence you get something to begin with when you make up your own story to each picture. I just wonder, which was first, the picture or the text/poem?

Impressions of “Inside Maloe’s Mind” (1)

Maloe Vansant joined Second Life in 2007, a new world for her who had never played games or joined any social network site: “After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world. I think I succeeded in doing this by using some post processing in Photoshop. I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.”
Maloe has also a flickr account where you can see more of her artwork.

The virtuality blog published an interview with Maloe Vansant by Violet Boa back in August 2021. Violet Boa wrote in the introducing text about Maloe:
“Maloe belongs to the group of people who are strongly guided by feelings and she is blessed with ability to touch our souls with her photography.
With skillful game between light, shadow, color and composition she creates works that appeal to us not only on the quality level, but also write stories of life and with it catch our thoughts and hearts.” This text also fits very well to the exhibited pictures at “Inside of Maloe’s Mind”
Read the full interview on virtuality blog here.

Impressions of “Inside Maloe’s Mind” (2)

The “In my Mind project Gallery” is owned and curated by A. (Ava Darkheart). I met A. during my visit and she told me that her own art is exhibited on another level of her space. Hence I have something to add to my list.

Thank you A. for providing the space for the art, thank you Violet for the hint and thank you Maloe for another great exhibition, I enjoyed my visit. “Inside Maloe’s Mind” should stay open for visitors throughout February.

Landmark to “Inside Maloes Mind”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Cabana/29/20/1325
Interview with Maloe Vansant by Violet Boa in virtuality blog
https://www.virtuality.blog/interview-with-maloe-vansant/
Maloe Vansant’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31954671@N08//

Art in Second Life 2021 (82) “Eternally” by Maloe Vansant

05 Sep 2021 3 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , ,

I got an invitation for the exhibition “Eternally” by Maloe Vansant at DixMix Gallery. With the exhibtion DixMix Source and Maloe celebrate the 10th anniversary of the first exhibition of Maloe at a gallery of DixMix. I just know the current gallery, that was opened in 2020. Together with the invitation I got a notecard with some background information about this anniversary exhibiton, writien by Maloe Vansant and by DixMiX Source:

“Dix ans avec Dix at Dixmix Gallery. A decade flew by, a decade with unbelievable art I saw at ‘THE PLACE TO BE’. And I feel honored to be first who was given the opportunity to exhibit at Dixmix several times. Merci mon ‘vieux Ami’, I raise my glass to another Dix ans.” (Maloe August 2021)
Maloe plays a bit with the word “Dix” that is short for DixMix as well it means “ten” in French, hence “dix ans” means ten years.

““Mon vieux” that’s how she called me the first time we talk, she already knew from a mutual friend some information about me, like that we both are living in Belgium – land of beers, chocolate, rain and surrealism. A couple weeks after we met, I asked Maloe to be one of my models for an exhibition “Grey”, and later to show some pictures in the gallery … Since that show Maloe has been a pole of my galleries, being there dancing at parties, buying art made by others and at least with a new exhibition every year. Here we go, 10 years later for a celebration. Cheers my friend, thank you and dikke kus” (DixMix August 2021)

The exhibition “Eternally” by Maloe Vansant is shown in all three exhibition rooms on the ground floor of the DixMix gallery, in room “Amalfia”, “Abby” and “Amona”, I didn’t count the pictures but it might be around 70.

Impressions of “Eternally” by Maloe Vansant (1) – Room “Amalfia”

Maloe Vansant’s theme are portraits of females and the female body. Most of her pictures are portraits, not classic portraits though. Maloe always adds a touch of mysticism or erotic or fantasy or surrealism to her portraits. A few have a touch of BDSM, some are more martial, some inspire very intensively to think about the female in the picture and about her history.

Impressions of “Eternally” by Maloe Vansant (2) – Room “Abby”

While most of her pictures are in one style, in her style, Maloe Vansant also plays or has played with different techniques like blurring or filtering. These pictures are mainly in room “Amona”. But in general I couldn’t find out any categorisation between the three rooms.

I came acroess Maloe Vansant the first time in 2020 when I visited “Phenomenal Women” by Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant (read here).
Maloe Vansant joined Second Life in 2007, a new world for her who had never played games or joined any social network site: “After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world. I think I succeeded in doing this by using some post processing in Photoshop. I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.”
Maloe has also a flickr account where you can see more of her artwork.

Impressions of “Eternally” by Maloe Vansant (3) – Room “Amona”

Congratulations DixMix and Maloe for your 10th exhibition anniversary celebrated with this exhibtion at the DixMix Gallery. Thank you Megan for building the gallery (at least the latest gallery) and for contributing at it. I enjoyed my visit and seeing Maloe’s art again. The exhibition “Eternally” will stay open until September 17th.

Landmark to Dixmix Gallery 2020
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Madori%20Bay/46/213/22
DixMix Gallery website
https://www.dixmixgallery.xyz/
Maloe Vansant’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31954671@N08//

Art in Second Life 2021 (1) Hidden Beauty – Group exhibition at DixMix Gallery

03 Jan 2021 2 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

On Saturday, December 19th, 2020 a group exhibtion was opened at DixMix Gallery.

Hidden Beauty – Group exhibition at DixMix Gallery

The exhibition compromises ten pictures of ten artists, namely: Randonee Noel, Syn Huntress, Del May, Paola Mills, Wicca Merlin, Talloulah Warra, Megan Prumier, Amber Wild, Maloe Vansant and DixMix Source.
Some of these artists have benn covered already in this blog and I can recognize their style. Although ten artists have contributed there’s a common theme – Hidden Beauty.

Hidden Beauty – Group exhibition at DixMix Gallery: Randonee Noel – Darker Facets / Maloe Vansant – Habibi / DixMix Source – Syra No

Beauty might be hidden behind a veil, a mask (quite common in this day and age) or by hands. In either case the full beauty can still be recognized.

Hidden Beauty – Group exhibition at DixMix Gallery: Megan Prumier – Expectation / Del May – Tunnel

But beauty may also be the body of a pregnant woman and the really hidden baby, it might be the toddler, it might even be hidden behind a fantasy being made of steel and biological material. The exhibition radiates the power of beauty from ten different perspectives.

Thank you Dixmix for providing and curating the DixMix Gallery, thank you Megan for building it and for contributing at it. I enjoyed my visit. The Group exhibition “Hidden Beauty” will stay open until

Landmark to Dixmix Gallery 2020
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Madori%20Bay/46/213/22
DixMix Gallery website
https://www.dixmixgallery.xyz/

Art in Second Life 2020 (57) DixMix Gallery September/October 2020

20 Sep 2020 5 Comments

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

I got an invite from Violet Boa to attend the opening of the new DixMix Gallery, which was yesterday, September 19th. As I have other activities in Second Life at night, I couldn’t attend and visited today.

The “new” DixMix Gallery? I didn’t know the old one nor did I have come across DixMix Source, who onws the gallery, before.

“Six month ago Dixmix convinced his friend and builder Megan Prumier to build a brand-new Gallery. Everything started with a drawing, became a 3D model and step by step, prim after prim, all has been thought and built to show pictures in the best way and make visitors catch that important feeling. The new gallery has the same surface as the old one, but it looks bigger because space is used differently. On the lower floor are three Photography Gallery Rooms dedicated to three very important friends of Dixmix Source: Amona, Abby and Amalfia (R.I.P.)” (taken from a notecard I got from Violet Boa)

The new DixMix Gallery from outside and first impressions from inside

Megan Prumier is a multimedia artist and very active builder. She’s in Second Life for more than 10 yers. Her skills are extended on the field of photography, mostly portraits on modern, minimal and even surreal Scenes. I did see quite a lot of Megan Prumier’s work already, mostly sims she built or was involved in. Just lately I saw Kiyori (read here) and Voodoo Land (read here). I saw Megan’s art last time at La Maison d’Aneli in Septmber 2019 (read here).

DixMix Source is from Brussels Belgium and is in Second Life for almost 14 years. He always had a gallery. He dscribes himself as “artist, photographer, director, musician and more“

The DixMix Gallery has several areas. In the middle of the room is a large party space. There shall be a party every Saturday night. Adjacent to the party zone are the above mentioned 3 exhibtion rooms. The party zone itself is decorated with Megan Prumier’s art and has an open view into the 3 exhibition rooms. On the 2nd foor is a “chill out” area with a café and places to sit and meet surrounded by art of Mistero Hifeng. On the 2nd floor are 2 more exhibtion rooms. One showcases the art of Megan Prumier and of various other artists, one is didicated to DixMix Source’s own work.

Impressions of DixMix Gallery chill-out area (left pictures) / Megan Prumier’s art around the party area

I started my visit in the room Amona, which feature currently the art of Maloe Vansant. Maloe Vansant joined Second Life in 2007, a new world for her who had never played games or joined any social network site:
“After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world. I think I succeeded in doing this by using some post processing in Photoshop. I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.“

Maloe Vansant at DixMix Gallery September/October 2020

Maloe says about her exhibition at DixMix Gallery “I let the visitor make his own story about them, for me, they thrive on my emotions and feelings of that moment.” Enough said, I think.

The room Amalfia features the art of Edie Horngold. It is the first time I came across Edie Horngold and I couldn’t find much about her. She’s in Second Life for over 11 years and began showing her art three years ago supported and encouraged by DixMix Source. Her pictures are quite artful, mostly showing beautiful female avatars or their faces. Edie adds something artful to them, something that changes the picture and gives it a new meaning, a new story.

Edie Horngold at DixMix Gallery September/October 2020

Cecilia Nansen’s work is shown in the room “Abby”. Cecilia Nansen joined Second Life over ten years ago, but took a long break from it. She returned four years ago and found her passion for pictures and learned how to process them. Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant are close friends. I saw the exhibtion “Phenomenal Women” that both created together, just a months ago at at Itakos Project and Art Gallery (read here).

Cecilia Nansen at DixMix Gallery September/October 2020

Cecilia’s pictures are strictly held in black and white. They show erotic scenes mainly related to BDSM yet very stylish and not at all explicit. In her pictures Cecilia plays with light and shadow to highlight just parts. You can spin your own story around the scenes – highly erotic.

Megan Prumier’s room on the 2nd floor features her own art and some other artists like Bamboo Barnes, ariel Brearly and Del May.

Megan Prumier and other artists at DixMix Gallery September/October 2020

In the center of Megan Prumier’s room on the 2nd floor you find a virtine with an animated dancing figure. I did recognize it immediately as one of Theda Tammas dancers. I saw them at La Maison d’Aneli this summer (read here). Another scene of Theda Tammas is displayed in the center of DixMix Source own room on the 2nd floor. DixMix makes his exhibits on mesh linen clothes. This provides a 3D effect that I never saw before so far, very intriguing.

DixMix Source at DixMix Gallery September/October 2020

Theda Tammas will have an exhibition at DixMix Gallery, opening September 26th, in a seperate skybox called “Womb”. The teleporter is right where you land at the gallery but it is not yet opened.

That’s all about the new DixMix Gallery. It has become a longer entry and I shortened it already quite a lot. There is more information available on the website of the DixMix Gallery.

Thank you Dixmix for providing and curating the gallery, thank you Megan for building it and for contributing at it and thank you Violet for the hint and the information folder. I enjoyed my first visit to the new DixMix Gallery.

Landmark to Dixmix Gallery 2020
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Madori%20Bay/46/213/22
DixMix Gallery website
https://www.dixmixgallery.xyz/

Art in Second Life 2020 (25) The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.

12 May 2020 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

I had a bit of spare time Monday, May 11th, and decided to visit the Itakos Project and Art Gallery and to see “The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.“.

“The Magical Rooms” is an installation of 4 different rooms, two of them are at the Itakos Project and Art Gallery and two others are located in the skies of Obscure Desires, an adult homestead sim owned by Maloe Vansant. You start your visit at the Itakos Project and Art Gallery. It is recommended to set your windlight to “midnight”, to switch on “sun/moon and projectors”, to switch sound on and music off before your go to the first room.

Room one contains a marine setting. The room has no windows, the walls are of grey stone, nothing distracts from the single scene that is installed at the end of the room and lightend by a spotlight. Three chairs invite to sit down and watch. But what is it? A barbwire fence and colourful jelly fishes, red blue yellw and purple. The spotlight and the shadows liven up the scene the jelly fishs contract and expand. You see the water, the beach but no sun, no wind, no clouds and you hear the rushing sea. The colours and light with the simple grey background has something magic.

“The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.” – Room 1

To continue your visit you have to use the green bicycle in front of the room. Room 2 is again a simple room with no windows, instead of a door there’s a curtain of chains. The room is brightly lightened by several moving spotlights. Lying dolls suspended by chains hoover in the room. It took a while for me that all dolls are the same, some are of dark colour though. All wear blindfolds. There’s a chair to sit down and watch how the spotlights change the focus and the shadows, you hear the noise of chains, of opening doors. It is a bizzare scene, scaring to some extent and at the same time peaceful.

“The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.” – Room 2

Room 3 is also bizarre and it is again installed in a room without any window. It’s full inside, full of bats. In one corner is a tree that almost fills the rest of the room, Its white leaves cover the ceiling and at the first moment I thought there were white bats hanging from the ceiling. A few suspended hanging chairs to sit hang in the tree. The spots light the room throwing even more bats as shadows on the walls. For me a bizarre scene that impressed me but I didn’t feel well in it.
Funny Remark: After this post was published, I had a nice conversation with mrs S (lauralar) and she told me that I totally misinterpreted room 3. What I identified as bats are roses!! I must have missed the smell of roses and I might have felt much better with the knowledge that it were roses and not bats *winks*

“The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.” – Room 3

Room 4 was my favourite. Actually it is more than just one room, it is a house with windows and inside you find several surrealistic scenes, artfully showcased with spotlights and shadows. A feast for the eyes. A few almost holographic persons stand, work and sit there, some art is showcased in display cases. The sound reminded me of chill music yet you also here voices and when you go outside on the terrace you hear ainmals and feel like being in the jungle. There’s a lot to discover!
Another remark from my conversation with mrs S: What you see in room 4 is inspired by mrs. & Mr. S.’s real life and their passion.

“The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.” – Room 4 (1)

Who is mrs. S. and Mr.S?
You can grab at notecard at the Itakos Project and Art Gallery with a bit of information:
mrs S (lauralar) was “driven by her fascination for colours, light, objects in rooms and initially merely taking pictures of their combination, mrs. S. discovered her love to design those rooms by herself in the first place. Thus she evolved from a picture maker to a storyteller in her very own way: The idea of a room or space and what it is filled with, as a well designed silent witness of human relations, needs and yearning.”
Mr S. (saka infinity) is “an intense partner in discussing the impact of those rooms and became a congenial contributor to the overall experience by using his capability as a musician and light magician. As at various occasions before he brings his magical and sensitive soundtracks and lights to these rooms and by that adding another dimension to it: RL sound recordings, collages and beautifully spheric electronic harmonies make these rooms literally “3D” simply by letting our ears participate.“

“The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.” – Room 4 (2)

There were more people involved in realizing “The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.“:
Maloe Vansant who provided space at her sim Obscure Desires,
Akim Alonzo, the owner of the Itakos Project and Art Gallery,
Violet Boa, who works at the gallery and helped realising this installation,
Moon Edenbaum, who did the writing (I assumme of the notecard), and
Konrad Van Arbenlow (Kaiju Kohime), who provided some of his unique objects to work with.

Thank you mrs S (lauralar) and Mr S. (saka infinity) for your “Magical Rooms“, that impressed me. I enjoyed my visit a lot.
“The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.” should be opened for a visit until end of June.

Landmark to “The Magical Rooms by mrs. & Mr. S.”
at Itakos Project and Art Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ATL/225/196/1009
The Itakos Project and Art Gallery website
http://itakos.it/

Art in Second Life 2020 (23) “Phenomenal Women” by Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant

08 May 2020 1 Comment

by diomitamaurer in Art in Second Life Tags: , , , , ,

I got an invitation to visit “Phenomenal Women” in the white pavillon at Itakos Project and Art Gallery. “Phenomenal Women” is an exhibtion of two second life photographers, Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant. Together they selected pictures to illustrate a poem about women, that was written by the African American poet Maya Angelou.

“Maya Angelou (April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American poet, singer, memoirist, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and is credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning over 50 years, she was a cast member of the opera Porgy and Bess, the English-language work by the American composer George Gershwin. Actress, writer, director, and producer of plays, movies, and public television programs, was active in the Civil Rights Movement and worked with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.” (taken from the notecard available at the exhibition)

“Phenomenal Women” by Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant at Itakos Project and Art Gallery (1)

Maloe Vansant joined Second Life in 2007, a new world for her who had never played games or joined any social network site: “After creating little Maloe, my barbie doll, my pixel soul, I discovered the possibility of making snapshots and I started to make a graphic diary of Maloe’s journey in Second Life, showing the emotions she experienced in this pixel world. I think I succeeded in doing this by using some post processing in Photoshop. I am not a woman of many words, I try to express myself, my feelings, my passion and probably my dark side through my pictures.“

“Phenomenal Women” by Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant at Itakos Project and Art Gallery (2)

Cecilia Nansen joined Second Life over ten years ago, but took a long break from it. She returned four years ago and found her passion for pictures and learned how to process them. Cecilia and Maloe are close friends. Their style is different. And you can clearly identify which picture was taken by whom. There’s one exception though. On the second floor on the exhibition are a few pictures showing Maloe and Cecilia together and you can’t tell which was done by who. Actually they both made some of them.

“Phenomenal Women” by Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant at Itakos Project and Art Gallery (3)

The poem accompanies the exhibition and vice versa. It is written on the floor of the gallery and you get the full text in a notecard as well. I really like the poem and it’s rhytym and the pictures selected to accompany the poem express the phenomenon very well. They’re never explicit and always leave room for a little mystery, yet transport the beauty and the gracie of women.

Thank you Akim (Akim Alonzo) and Violet (Violet Boa) for enabling “Phenomenal Women” and thank you Maloe and Cecilia for realizing it. I enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to “Phenomenal Women” by Cecilia Nansen and Maloe Vansant
White pavillon at Itakos Project and Art Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ATL/181/216/1009
The Itakos Project and Art Gallery website
http://itakos.it/