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

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 2023 (5) The Farigoule collection @ Nitroglobus The Annex

Dido Haas drew my attention to a new exhibition in the annex of her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “The Farigoule collection”. The exhibition was opened on January 16th.

Together with the invitation I got a notecard with Dido’s description of “The Farigoule collection”:
A while ago when meeting with Jules Farigoule in his loft, which is really a superb tastefully made place, I asked him if he was willing to exhibit his awesome art collection at Nitroglobus. At first he hesitated and told me he was neither an artist nor was this a ‘collection’, just images which he likes to have around him; a very subjective and personal selection. However, in the end he said YES. I am so happy he did.
The Farigoule collection a set of images, gathered from meetings, friendships and by chance, from the serendipity of Jules’s long second life (Jules Farigoule joined SL end of 2008). Jules explains in the notes which are hung on the walls of the gallery along side the art works shown, why or how these works touch him,, what he sees in them, the personality of their creator, or the situation that led him to acquire them.
Moreover, Jules constructed parts of his loft here in the gallery to give the visitors of the exhibition a more intense look and feel of his home and collection.

The exhibition consists of 9 large pictures hung along the walls of the annex of the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery.  It is Dido Haas’ concept that the floor seems to mirror the pictures at the walls, an effect that intrigues me every time I visit the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery.
In the back of the exhibition are 2 rooms, which represent parts of Jules Farigoule’s loft in Second Life, as described by Dido in her notecard.

Impressions of “The Farigoule collection” @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery / The annex (1)

You find texts about the artists and Jules’ thoughts about them, their art or his connection to them right next to the pictures. Some of the artists were not new to me, of others I never heard. And at least one artist has never had any exhibition in Second Life. The featured artists are: Baizzy Savira, Dido Haas, Caly Applewhyte, Tutsy Navarathna, Alix Figaro, Wicked Eiren, Blip Mumfuzz, Joss Floss (jossinta) and miu miu miu (miumiumiusecond).

Impressions of “The Farigoule collection” @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery / The annex (2)

The two rooms are decorated with 3D angels created by Phenix Rexen. If you look at the exhibition poster, you may recognize that it shows part of Jules’ loft with a view trough the window. One wall in this loft is dedicated to the featured artists. It shows pictures used in their Second Life profiles (at least as far as I could find out)-

What made me smile was, that I personally have kind of my own collection of art. I got presents from some artists after publishing about their work and I also bought a few pieces. Like Jules I didn’t want to have the art just in my inventory, I wanted to see them, every day. Hence I created my own little “art park” at my homeplace. And that I like to take pictures in SL shouldn’t be any secret anymore. Anyway, I am for sure not the only one who has an art collection in Second Life. But also for sure “The Farigoule collection” is very well and professionally presented at the annex of the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery!

Impressions of “The Farigoule collection” @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery / The annex (3)

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 “The Farigoule collection”. Thank you Jules Farigoule for the allowing a glimpse into your Second Life and into your personal collection of art pieces and memories. The memories we make in Second Life are not virtual, we take them with us into our real lifes.

“The Farigoule collection” ist the January exhibition at the Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. It shall be available for a visit at least throughout January 2023.

Landmark to The Annex of Nitroglobus and to “The Farigoule collection”
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/166/41/1001 
Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (main gallery)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com