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 (51) “Alone” by Mihailsk

08 Jun 2022 2 Comments

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

I got an invitation from Dido Haas to visit “Alone” by Mihailsk, the June exhibition at Dido’s Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. The exhibition was opened on June 6th, I visited on June 4th. Therefore it might be that I didn’t see last changes as Adwehe, who contributed the light installation, might have had not completely finished yet with her work.

Alone is the third solo exhibition of Mihailsk at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. I saw “Baptism of Fire” (read here) and “Red Sky” (read here) by Milhailsk in 2021.

“Alone” consists of 14 monochrome pictures, all of them show the artist himself – naked. There’s an erotic touch, yet that is not at all the intention and the message of the pictures, it’s more a side effect. They express pain, not physical pain, but psychic pain – although the boarders between the both can blur. The pictures can develop their strength at the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery very well with the mirroring floor and the light effects as well as with the few 3D art objects.

Impressions of “Alone” by Mihailsk at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Mihailsk wrote about his exhibtion:
There are moments in life when you feel like you are losing everything; the laughter, the joy, in short the color disappears from your life. You are ALONE, nude, mourning about what you lost. You have to find the strength to stand on your own feet again and find the light in the darkness that surrounds you.
A week alone: me and myself. stripped of thoughts, feelings, clothes.
Absence, falling into the void, tears, sinking into myself. Dangerous balance, escape, mute crying, introversion, denial.
The images I made in the period described above are moments from a sad, lonely week.
Me in black and white.

Impressions of “Alone” by Mihailsk at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

There is even a weak hologram of Mihailsk as if he and his pain were present in the exhibition. Looking at the pictures you can feel the pain, and most probably you have been yourself in such a situation already – I have been and I know the feeling, the helplessness, the finality, the absence of hope, the knowledge that life won’t be the same anymore. It takes time to get on your feet again, to continue. But it won’t be the same life anymore. Really great and expressive photographs, Mihailsk!

Mihailsk is from Greece and in Second Life since 2014. Mihailsk started photography in Second Life and according to his own words, that was when he really started his journey in Second Life:
“It was January 2020 when I started this beautiful journey in light, colors and emotions. A journey to fantastic places and loved persons, trying to capture special moments in eternity. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes with pain. Each of my images is a part of me, an expression of my mood at that particular moment.
I wish to share with people what I see and what I feel, rejoicing when I manage to make someone see through my eyes and feel with my soul.“

There are also two quotes on the walls at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. Both are in Greek and in English and they fit very well to Mihailsk pictures. My favourite picture shows Mihailsk sitting alone on a chair looking at an empty chair. I could literally feel his pain.

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is owned and curated by Dido Haas. Thank you, Dido for providing the space for the art and for enabling the exhibition “Alone” by Mihailsk. Thank you Mihailsk for your art, even when you yourself consider not being an artist – you are! And many thanks also to Adwehe for the light effects and to David Silence for creating the exhibition post for “Alone” by Mihailsk.
As “Alone” is the June exhibition at  Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and hence shall be open until end of June 2022.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Mihailsk’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/156100744@N03/
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2021 (106) “Minimal” by Dido Haas

06 Nov 2021 Leave a comment

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

I got an invitation fom Dido Haas to see her exhibtion “Minimal“. It is shown at Dido Haas’ part of Nitroglobus gallery, which is owned and curated by Dido Haas herself.

“Minimal” consists of 8 large pictures all arranged along the walls of the exhibtion room. The pictures mirror on the floor which highlights the art in a particular way. In the center you see a levitating object named “Mother’s Lab” created by  Jadeyu Fhang.

Impressions of “Minimal” by Dido Haas (1)

Dido’s passion are portraits and avatar studies, most of them are black/white. For “Minimal” she tried out something different. When I read “Minimal” spontaneously Melusina Parkin comes into my mind, an artist that I covered in this blog quite often already. The eight pictures of Dido Haas have a similar minimalistic style, focusing on just a few details. But Dido did not refer to minimalism when she named her exhibition “Minimal”, she referred to a shop named MINIMAL. All of her pictures use objects from MINIMAL, objects that were given as free group gifts. Dido added herself to the objects, added a background – and kept it simple. The result is amazing! As the person in her pictures (herself) is just a small add on, the spectator instinctively focuses on it even if it is not the central and largest part ot the picture.

Impressions of “Minimal” by Dido Haas (2)

While I visited “Minimal” I met Mihailsk, an artist who has exhibited at Nitroglobus Gallery and who is a friend of Dido. Mihailsk has supported Dido in setting up “Minimal“. After my visit I went to the shop MINIMAL.
MINIMAL is owned by Jorge Fernández (Ors Quan) and offers skyboxes, buildings, home&garden equipment and gear, backdrops, single objects, jewelery, scenes and men’s clothes. I found the section with the free group gifts – and recognized those, that Dido used for her exhibition “Minimal“.

A visit to MINIMAL store and gallery

Dido Haas is Dutch and has been in SL for way over 14 years – and according to herself, she is still enjoying this virtual world. Besides her own art, Dido owns and curates the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, which consists of two exhibition rooms, the main room and a part that Dido uses to showcase her own art.
You can find more about and from Dido on her blog and on her flickr page. The Nitroglobus Roof Gallery has an own flickr group.

Thank you Dido for all the work you invest into the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and for your own art. I enjoyed my visit. The exhibtion “Minimal” will be open until end of November.

Landmark to Dido Haas’ part of Nitroglobus Roof gallery and to of “Minimal” by Dido Haas
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/166/41/1001
Dido Haas’ flickr group
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dido_haas/
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery flickr group
https://www.flickr.com/groups/nitroglobus_gallery/
Dido Hass’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
MINIMAL store and gallery inworld
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/FresH/121/197/3494
MINIMAL store on marketplace
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/es-ES/stores/156471

Art in Second Life 2021 (91) “Red Sky” by Mihailsk

22 Sep 2021 1 Comment

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

Together with the invitation for her own exhibtion “One Day” at Nitroglobus Roof gallery (read about “One Day” here), Dido Haas also invited me to see the exhibtion “Red Sky” by Mihailsk. It is shown in the annex to the Nitroglobus Roof gallery, the space that Dido has dedicated originally to display her own art but that is also used to feature the art of other artists every once in a while.

I came across Mihailsk not long ago in July 2021 and also at Nitroglobus Roof gallery visiting the exhibtion “Baptism of Fire” by Mihailsk (read here)

“Red Sky” consists of 8 pictures. These 8 pictures have in common that they are situated under a red sky. Dido prepared the exhibtion space to enhance the red sky with red light poles and a sculpture from Nitro named “High Emotions” and with a few red/purple trees, that were made by Venus Adored just for Dido.

Mihailsk writes in the accompanying notecard about “Red Sky“:
“The color red symbolizes intense situations and emotions but at the same time it indicates warning and danger. My red sky is a sky which reflects strong human emotions, covering them like a blanket and thus giving a sense of safety and hope.
Danger, longing, visualization, power, love, pain, balance, joy.: eight human moments under the red sky.“

Impressions of “Red Sky” by Mihailsk (1)

Mihailsk is from Greece and in Second Life since 2014. Mihailsk started photography in Second Life and according to his own words, that was when he really started his journey in Second Life:
“It was January 2020 when I started this beautiful journey in light, colors and emotions. A journey to fantastic places and loved persons, trying to capture special moments in eternity. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes with pain. Each of my images is a part of me, an expression of my mood at that particular moment.
I wish to share with people what I see and what I feel, rejoicing when I manage to make someone see through my eyes and feel with my soul.“

Impressions of “Red Sky” by Mihailsk – “Love” (2)

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is owned and curated by Dido Haas. Thank you, Dido for providing the space for the art and for enabling the exhibition “Red Sky” by Mihailsk. Thank you Mihailsk for your art, even when you yourself consider not being an artist – you are! I enjoyed my visit.
“Red Sky” by Mihailsk shall be open until mid of October 2021.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery – “Dido’s part” / direct landmark to “Red Sky” by Mikailsk
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/160/33/1001
Mihailsk’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/156100744@N03/
Mihailsk’s art space (shared with Dido Haas) at Artists Village – Campbell Coast
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Erazor/153/212/2002
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2021 (63) Baptism of Fire by Mihailsk

15 Jul 2021 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas invited me to visit the July exhibtion, at Nitroglobus Roof gallery: “Baptism of Fire” by Mihailsk.

Once again Dido features a new face in the art scene and the exhibtion is quite outstanding.
The artist is Mihailsk. He’s Greek and in Second Life since 2014. Mihailsk started photography in Second Life and according to his own words, that was when he really started his journey in Second Life:
“It was January 2020 when I started this beautiful journey in light, colors and emotions. A journey to fantastic places and loved persons, trying to capture special moments in eternity. Sometimes with a smile, sometimes with pain. Each of my images is a part of me, an expression of my mood at that particular moment.“

The exhibtion “Baptism of Fire” is the result of a challenge that Dido set for Mihailsk: “travel inside yourself”. Mihailsk accepted the challenge and tried to express his thoughts and emotions, using only his body and the presence or absence of light. He dared to make himself the main subject, something he usually doesn’t do. And males are a rare subject in art, specially in Second Life. So that’s something that adds to the peculiarity of the exhibtion.

Impressions of “Baptism of Fire” by Mihailsk @ Nitroglobus Roof gallery (1)

Mihailsk writes about “Baptism of Fire“: “Without colors, mostly without unnecessary objects, the more I traveled the more discoveries I made. I came closer to me than usual. I never imagined how exciting, painful and liberating this journey could be. Sometimes it felt like a dip in the deep waters. It was a journey in light and darkness, like Apollo and Hades were my companions. And there I found my ‘new me’. Moments from this trip is the content of my first exhibition, with which I introduce myself and my ‘new me’ to you.“

Impressions of “Baptism of Fire” by Mihailsk @ Nitroglobus Roof gallery (2)

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is owned and curated by Dido Haas. It is a great exhibtion space, the mirroring effect of the floor adds a lot to the experience of a visit and higlights the art in a particular way.
Thank you, Dido for providing the space for the art and for enabling the exhibition “Baptism of Fire” by Mihailsk. Thank you Mihailsk for your art, even when you yourself consider not being an artist – you are! I enjoyed my visit.

“Baptism of Fire” by Mihailsk shall stay open until end of July

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/36/21/1001
Mihailsk’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/156100744@N03/
Mihailsk’s art space (shared with Dido Haas) at Artists Village – Campbell Coast
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Erazor/153/212/2002
Dido Haas’ blogpost about “Baptism of Fire”
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com/2021/07/baptism-of-fire-by-mihailsk-july.html