Art in Second Life 2023 (35) “Fourth Wall” by Kitten @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

03 Jul 2023 2 Comments

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

Dido Haas invited me to see the July exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Fourth Wall” by Kitten (joaannna). The exhibition will be opened tonight, Monday, July 3rd 6th, at 12 PM SLT (9 PM Central Europe Time) with music by hEIN! (heinrichmader) and particles by Kurk Mumfuzz.

“Fourth Wall” by Kitten consists of 11 large pictures presented at the main hall of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery with it’s magic mirror floor. The poster above was made by David Silence based on one of the exhibited pictures, Adwehe provided the (light) art specially created for this exhibition.

Impressions of “Fourth Wall” by Kitten at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Kitten (joaannna) wrote about her exhibition “Fourth Wall”:
“These images were all made in my own studio and loosely themed around an imaginary photo shoot. They are in a way and attempt to breach the fourth wall by trying to break down the conceptual wall between the picture and the artifice used to obtain it.
Breaking the fourth wall means doing or saying something that either explicitly or implicitly acknowledges the artificiality of the environment and the fact that both the presenters and audience are aware of that artificiality. This is a wider comment I think on art in Second Life as a whole, which is by its very nature an artificial environment. In my images I am trying to show the artificiality of the environment by revealing the lights used to illuminate the subject on show, showing models caught off camera, as well as models dressing for the shoot. However, how much is deliberate and how much is accidental, that is for the viewer to judge.
These images are more personal than my previous works. Some asking questions about the way I live my Second Life. However, they are a continuation of the style in my previous exhibition at Nitroglobus; i.e. all monochrome, utilizing strong directional lighting and blurred backgrounds. The pictures tend to be high in contrast and grainy, and with a vintage/noir feel to them.
I like to thank the three models who took part in addition to myself: Magic and Rain Lacroix and Dido Haas who is fittingly portrayed in a typically flamboyant dress.
If there is a visual summing up then it would be the picture ‘Alice’. I am reading the book ‘Alice In Wonderland’ whilst picture taking goes on around me. For me living in Second Life has always felt like a trip down that rabbit hole into Wonderland.“

Impressions of “Fourth Wall” by Kitten at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

Because Kitten’s pictures shown at “Fourth Wall” are in black and white they have a touch of vintage. Yes, you can’t really differentiate between a snapshot taken during a session and a the “real” picture. All pictures are very erotic and most of them include D/s. That’s no surprise considering that Kitten is active in the D/s scene. I really like all of the pictures! If I had to choose a favourite, one would be the picture showing two obviously dominant women taking a break of the photo session and the sub involved is kneeling there obediently. Right next to the picture “Alice” you see another picture showing a D/s scene. The whole exhibition radiates pure erotic in my eyes.

Impressions of “Fourth Wall” by Kitten at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (3)

I saw Kitten’s work at Michiel Bechir Gallery in March 2022 (read here) and I saw her exhibition “Noir” that was shown the annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (read here) Kitten is in Second Life since December 2019. She wrote about herself and her art: “Kitten was first drawn to second life photography in 2020 initially by seeing the results produced by entrants in a photography competition at the sim where she works. All her pictures are taken inworld and are only a little edited afterwards.
Her big love is landscape photography and she travels the grid in search of the perfect shot her pictures revealing her love of nature, the sea, exotic ruins as well as parasols and umbrella’s. Her pictures look to showcase the myriad ways in which light makes a picture, the gaudy autumn colours, reflections, the play of light on the water and towering cloudscapes.
Recently though she has been drawn to black and white photography and to pictures that try to convey emotions rather than showing just a pretty landscape. Her exhibition Noir at Nitroglobus last year (read here) showed the first fruits of this love. And in her latest exhibition she is seeking to push this style to a new level.”
You can see more of Kitten (joaannna)’s art at her flickr page, at Deviant Art and at her own Ammonite Photography & Gallery.

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 “Fourth Wall” by Kitten (joaannna). Thank you Kitten for your art, a great exhibition!
As it is the July exhibition at the gallery “Fourth Wall” shall be available until the end of this month.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and to “Fourth Wall” by Kitten
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Kitten (joaannna)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/people/substratum_kitten/
Kitten (joaannna)’s Deviant Art
https://www.deviantart.com/kittenjoanna
Kitten (joaannna)’s Ammonite Photography & Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Manor%20Suites/64/141/602
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2023 (32) Summer Folly by Dido Haas @ The Annex of Nitroglobus

17 Jun 2023 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas invited me to see her newest own exhibition which is presented at The Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, which is traditionally the space Dido exhibits her own artwork. The exhibition is titeled “Summer Folly”.

Dido hasn’t used her personal space for exhibiting her own art for quite a while. She was busy with curating the gallery and provided The Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery for other artists. She simply had only little time left to make images herself. She wrote: “However, sometimes when I am in the right mood I do make images, most of them black/white and of me, myself and I. Hope you like this exhibition “Summer Folly”“

“Summer Folly” consists of 7 large pictures and one picture with 3 parts. They all are held in black and white. As always the presentation of the pictures is close to perfect also due to the mirror effect of the floor (I cannot say that often enough!).

Impressions of “Summer Folly” by Dido Haas @ The Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Of course the picture are all about Summer, about the heat which you can almost sense even if the pictures are in black and white. And as with most exhibitions and pictures that I saw from Dido, they are erotic but not explicit. They simply show the beauty of the female body in several aspects. There is one 3 part picture in the back, showing Dido in 3 different Summer scenes: dressed to tempt (for a fetsih event?), naked and in a summerly business dress. Three different appearances, but the women is always the same!
Correction: Dido sent a comment to this post. The 3 part picture (I learned it is called “triptic”), does not only show Dido herself, but also Maghda. That might also change the interpretation – or MY interpretation.

Impressions of “Summer Folly” by Dido Haas @ The Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

When you look at the pictures you see that these are not simply snapshots taken in Second Life. Each motif is selected with great care, the pictures are processed thoughtfully to make the spectator focus and immerse into the scene, removing details that would distract, and distinguishing the parts Dido wants the spectator to look at. Very well done, Dido. I love the Summer …. and I like “Summer Folly”.

Impressions of “Summer Folly” by Dido Haas @ The Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (3)

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is owned and curated by Dido Haas. Thank you, Dido for providing the space for the art.
Thank you for “Summer Folly”, a very personal exhibition, shown at The Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. If you want to see more of Dido Haas’ art look at her flickr page. “Summer Folly” shall be available until end of July.

Landmark to The Annex of Nitroglobus and to Summer Folly by Dido Haas
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/166/41/1001
Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (main Hall)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
Dido Haas’ flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/dido_haas/
Dido Haas on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/dido.haas
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery flickr
https://www.flickr.com/groups/nitroglobus_gallery/
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/nitroglobusroofgallery/

JadeYu Fhang on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/JYuF-148115341865196/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Yann GYRO (sempiternel)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/people/154701358@N02/

Art in Second Life 2023 (29) “Through their Eyes” by Caly Applewhyte @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

05 Jun 2023 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas invited me to see the June exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Through their Eyes” by Caly (Calypso) Applewhyte. The exhibition will be opened tonight, Monday, June 6th, at 12 PM SLT (9 PM Central Europe Time)

“Through their Eyes” by Caly (Calypso) Applewhyte consists of 14 large pictures presented at the main hall of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery with it’s magic mirror floor. The poster above was made by David Silence based on one of the exhibited pictures, Adwehe provided an art piece fitting this exhibition.
Caly (Calypso Applewhyte) wrote about “Through their eyes”:
“Women have long been an integral part of society, but their experiences and perspectives are often ignored or undervalued. When we look at the world through women’s eyes, we see a complex and multifaceted reality.
In many societies, women are expected to conform to certain standards of behavior and appearance, which can be restrictive and limiting. These societal expectations can have an impact on women’s self-esteem, confidence and sense of worth. 
Women often face a double standard, where they are judged more harshly than men for the same behaviors or actions. Despite these challenges, women have shown incredible resilience and strength, and have made significant contributions to society in a variety of fields.
Through women’s eyes we can better understand the challenges they face, the unique perspectives they bring and the importance of promoting gender equality. By recognizing and addressing these challenges, and promoting women’s unique perspectives and contributions, we can work towards a more just and equitable society for all.“

Impressions of “Through their Eyes” by Caly Applewhyte @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Starting with the exhibition poster, Caly focuses on faces, on the eyes and the facial expressions of women, not matter how they are dressed or styled, be it covered due to religious standards, be it cute, determined, black or white. Every face shown, every expression is a bit different and if you allow yourself to get in the shoes of these women you can try to see the world through their eyes. As always at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery the mirroring effect of the floor and the way the art is presented add a lot to overall experience. Just try to focus on one of the picture and immerse yourself into the face.

Impressions of “Through their Eyes” by Caly Applewhyte @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

Caly (Calypso Applewhyte) is a SL Photographer from France, who joined SL in 2010. Her focus is the avatar itself as a means of expression to transport emotions. She processes her pictures with Photoshop. I have seen her work already a few times and you can recognise her style, she has found her personal characteristic artistic style. Her pictures do tell stories, like good art does. And in her exhibitions she chooses a common base or theme for her pictures.
According to her profile Caly also blogs and has written articles for several magazines. You can see her work also on her flickr account.

The longer I look at the pictures I made of “Through their Eyes” by Caly (Calypso) Applewhyte while writing this post, the more I am impressed, nothing distracts from the faces you look at.

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 “Through their Eyes” by Caly (Calypso) Applewhyte. Thank you Caly for your art, another great exhibition.
As it is the June exhibition at the gallery “Through their Eyes” shall be available until the end of this month.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and to “Through their Eyes” by Caly Applewhyte
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
Caly (Calypso Applewhyte) ‘s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/calypsoapplewhyte
Caly (Calypso Applewhyte) ‘s blog
https://calyswardrobe.blogspot.com/

Art in Second Life 2023 (25) “Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

10 May 2023 2 Comments

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

Dido Haas invited me to see the May exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy. The exhibition was opened Monday, May8th.

“Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy consists of 12 large pictures presented at the main hall of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery with it’s magic mirror floor. The poster above was made by David Silence based on one of the exhibited pictures, the creative light art was provided by Adwehe.
Dido Haas wrote in her notecard about “Intimistic Journey”:
“I have been following Nowhere Boy on flickr for some time now and saw his work at the collective exhibition Vision of Imago land. He definitely has a style of his own, which attracts me and made me decide to invite him to create an exhibition especially made for Nitroglobus.
The works shown are made at various places in SL, but they all bare the unmistaken signature of Nowhere Boy. Walk around and enjoy the meditative mood of the works, let them distract you from every day (SL) life.”

Impressions of “Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

The artist Nowhere Boy (Friiiday Nightfire) wrote about his exhibition:
“The “Intimistic Journey” exhibition is composed of images which I made during my many travels on Second Life. For a few months I have been exploring the mystical and spiritual side of Second Life, which inspired me to choose this title. An inner and spiritual journey, almost meditative. It is with this state of mind that I made my recent work. The pictures were never shown before.“

I myself am not a big fan of fantasy worlds, but of course Second Life is a perfect platform to create such worlds. Nowhere Boy picked great backgrounds for his pictures. Some of them made me smile like the one where he placed his head into a bear costume, the one where he rides a cow or when he stands on a flying duck. Others were taken originally at Grauland – I think – showing big concrete blocks almost randomly placed into the nature. All of them shows him (or someone else) exploring what others have created. Nowhere understands how to process the pictures perfectly to get the spectator focused. My personal favourite picture is taken in a cow barn. It is right next to the sign “Intimistic Journey” at the corner between the two wings of the exhibition hall. The light in this picture is selected that artfully that I had to look twice, first I really saw bats, but that are the faces of the cows *winks*. Well done, Nowhere Boy.

Impressions of “Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

Nowhere Boy (Friiiday Nightfire) is in Second Life since 2007. He’s French and describes himself as romantic and old fashioned. In 2021 he first started to make images (he calls them captures) in SL, which he posted on his flickr account. He took part in several photo contests and got his first invitation to join a collective exhibition (Vision of Imago Land in July 2021), which is where Dido Haas saw his art the first time. “Intimistic Journey” at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is his first personal exhibition.

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 “Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy (Friiiday Nightfire). And thank you Nowhere Boy for your art.
As it is the May exhibition at the gallery “Intimistic Journey” shall be available until the end of this month.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and to “Intimistic Journey” by Nowhere Boy
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
Nowhere Boy (Friiiday Nightfire) ‘s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/nowhereboy

Art in Second Life 2023 (23) Zornian Women by Kian @ Nitroglobus The Annex

04 May 2023 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas messaged me to tell me that there’s a new exhibition in May/June in the annex of her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Zornian Women”. The exhibition was opened May 2nd.

Together with the invitation I got a notecard with Dido’s description of “Zornian Women”:
“Immediately after I spotted Kian’s work @ Starborn gallery curated by Lizbeth Morningstar, I contacted him and asked if he was interested to exhibit at Nitroglobus.
I love his personal touch, his use of colors and his humor.
Inspired by the painter Anders Zorn, Kian captured the female body in light and shadows, with contrasting areas of very basic colors. Like in the paintings of the famous Swedish impressionist, the spectator’s eye is drawn to the subject when the surroundings disappear into the magical Northern lights.
I’m proud to be presenting Kian’s new work ‘Zornian Women’“

The exhibition consists of 13 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 once again when I visit the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery.

Impressions of “Zornian Women” by Kian @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery / The annex (1)

Except of one picture, that is right at the entrance on the short wall and shows a floating doll in a see, all pictures show a red haired woman painted in soft colours. And most of these pictures are at a beach with a soft blue sky. Dido wrote that Kian was inspired by Anderas Zorn, hence the name of the exhibition “Zornian Women”.
Andreas Zorn (1860-1020) was a Swedish painter. He attained international success as a portrait painter and painted many celebreties, politicians and royals of his era.
Zorn was known to use a basic color palette consisting of Lead White (Flake White), Yellow Ochre, Vermilion and Ivory Black. This limited color palette shows tremendous range in terms of color mixing. A large variety of tonal ranges is possible using this palette. (source Wkipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anders_Zorn)
I suspect that Kian also uses a limited variety of colours and that this is one reason naming the exhibition “Zornian women”, but I might be wrong. The pictures are heavily processed into impressionistic oil paintings, the contures of the female models are blurred and as the background is even more blurred, the spectator intuitively is attracted by the model only and makes up a story behind the picture.

Impressions of Zornian Women by Kian @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery / The annex (2)

Kian (random26356) is in Second Life since May 2019. His first attempt at Second life photography took place half a decade ago. He needed some time to find his own unique touch: the faded, grainy images, usually with the artist himself as the willing subject, creating a distance between the spectator and himself. The pictures often have a quirk to them with Kian as a king slaying his queen on a chess board, on summer holiday with a sex doll or dressed as the Easter bunny on a canola field.
A few years later he started exploring landscape photography, but added heavy post processing to turn the images into impressionistic oil paintings. Falling in love with the technique he wanted to take it one step further. For the Zornian Women exhibition Kian used for the first time female models as the main subject.
You can see more of Kian’s artwork at his flickr page.

Impressions of Zornian Women by Kian @ 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 “Zornian Women” by Kian. The exhibition poster was created by Maghda based on an image of Kian. Adwehe contributed the daisies and plastic spheres and prrovided the light art.
Thank you Kian (random26356) for your art – very intriguing. I can understand why Dido invited you to exhibit at her place.

“Zornian Women” by Kian is the May/June exhibition at the Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery.

Landmark to The Annex of Nitroglobus and to “Zornian Women” by Kian
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/166/41/1001 
Kian (random26356) flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/153345759@N03/
Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (main gallery)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2023 (17) “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang / “Back to Back” by Dido Haas @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

10 Apr 2023 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas invited me to see the March exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang. The offical opening will take place tonight, April 10th, at 12 PM SLT (9 PM CET).

“Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang consists of 12 pictures and 5 3D art installations/objects. “Sans titre” is French and means “Without title”. So we can’t make out a common theme – at least from the title of the exhibition.

The arrangement of the objects and pictures is as convincing as always at the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. The mirroring floor effect is impressesing and adds to the exhibited art.

Impressions of “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

JadeYu wrote an introduction to her exhibition to provide some food of thought to the visitor about how to find a title:
“The intention of this exhibition is not to impose any invasive and/or blocking ideas but give the visitor a look, a feeling.
This work is like a vibration, a desire to touch sensitivities, to initiate thoughts and feelings in each visitor and, perhaps, to get some response.
However, I was asked to explain in words an internal magma, which is so difficult to partition into verbal language.
Let’s call it a matter of violence inside bodies, facial expressions (3D) leading to the intention of erasing the other person, as suggested in the images (2D).

The papers around the women?
These papers indicate words, insults and other ignominy which are thrown in women’s faces throughout their lifes. Words loaded with hatred and violence “the killing words”. Nothing is written on the papers… it’s up to you to imagine what could be there.
Why women?
They are like the symbol, the mirror of those who through a brutality, a destructive will seek to destroy. To destroy everything that in no way corresponds to fluidity and natural roundness. Flexibility and openness is not the order of the day, the preference is for the square shape and it must be respected, locking up any will to exist outside the frame.

This work is an observation from the marks of my own journey. I have no lesson to give to anyone.
JadeYu Fhang 

Impressions of “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

The papers, JadeYu is referring to, are around the sculptured woman in the center of the exhibition. The women squirm as if they want to defend themselves against the papers (see picture above). The pictures also show women, most faces, but also their full body in other pictures. Yet there’s no clear picture, the spectator has to immerse deeply into JadYu’s pictures to get more insight, to recognise the facial expressions, or to even find it. I liked in particular the woman at the window in the upper left of the snapshot above. on a first glance you might think that you look at 6 copies of one of the same picture, but every picture is different and reveals another detail of the woman’s face. Next to this picture is a picture that changes between two stati permanently and also reveals a face.

JadeYu Fhang’s portrait / Impressions of “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (3)

JadeYu Fhang writes about herself:
“Living in Paris, France, i followed the evening classes in academic drawing at Fine Arts School of Paris and was trained at the Applied Arts School of this city.

After these studies I completely stopped all artistic work. My journey is an atypical one, made of multiple experiences. I returned to artistic work when I was able to get rid of all the academic rigidity which I had been taught.
My experience on Second Life since 12 years allows me to continue and improve my work and extend it to 3D”

If you click on the exhibition poster at the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery you can get a notecard with her biography, her general approach to art and many links to JadeYu Fhang’s art, in particular to videos.

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 “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang. Thank you JadeYu for your art. Whatever I saw from you so far impressed me.
As it is the April exhibition at the gallery “Sans titre”” shall be available at least until the end of this month.

When I visited I noticed that Dido Haas has used her personal annex of the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery again for an own exhibiton named “Back to Back”. This exhibition should be available also until end of April.


To no surprise the exhibition is about “Backs”. Dido wrote:
“It was fun making these images with Mr. H. At different places, situations and times I suddenly asked him to ‘STAY’ and ‘Take off your shirt, mmm nah also your pants please’. He was patient and never complained. Therefore, my sincere thanks to Fleming for making this exhibition possible. The ‘theme’ of the exhibition which consists of 8 monochrome images is obvious: our backs nothing more, nothing less.
The large sculpture exhibited in the middle of the room is by the late Nitro Fireguard and called ipads. Other sculptures exhibited in the room are by Haveit Neox, Harry Cover (Impossibleisnotfrench), and Cherry Manga, Light art (the plastic spheres and the animated daisies) by Adwehe.“

Impressions of “Back to Back” by Dido Haas @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex

Although all pictures are not explicit, they are very erotic. They leave the room to picture the feelings of the man and the woman, the anticipation of what happens next, the excitement of love and togetherness. And the back of both genders can be very erotic, not only the bum, which is a fetish for many of us.
Thank you for your art, Dido. I love it.

Have fun visiting the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and seeing these two great exhibitions!

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and to “Sans titre” by JadeYu Fhang
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
JadeYu Fhang on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/JYuF-148115341865196/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Yann GYRO (sempiternel)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/people/154701358@N02/

Art in Second Life 2023 (14) “Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

06 Mar 2023 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas invited me to see the March exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO. The offical opening will take place tonight, March 6th, at 12 PM SLT (9 PM CET).

“Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO (sempiternel) consists of 7 partly very large pictures and several animated 3D objects. Dido Hass wrote in her notecard about “Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO: “Yann’s topic isn’t easy; it deals with illness and death, but also gives sparks of hope for the future. “

Although I’m used to the mirroring floor at the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, it still impresses me how much it adds to the exhibited art. Yann’s pictures deal with the fight against cancer, they worship the beauty of his mother, they express his love and strong bonds to her – and they express the fight torn between hope and desperation.

Right at the landing point you find a poem by Yann GYRO. The poem is also kind of a description of the installation:

You faced the fear, when you heard the news
But I was here, and I saw you rise and choose
To find your power, and stand tall with grace
And embrace the challenge, with courage in your face

The journey is tough, but I’ll always be near
To guide you with hope, and wipe away your tear
With love and strength, we’ll conquer and transcend
And do what’s needed, to heal and reach the end

The shadow holds a gift, I know it’s true
I see it in you, as you become more bold and bright too
I’m here to support, as you face what’s ahead
And grateful for the bond, that will never be shed

Resilience blooms, in the face of the fight
You won’t be defeated, I’ll stand by your side
I am your ally, with a heart to conquer
Resilience thrives, as we stand as one victor.

Impressions of “Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Close to where you land you see a white 3D statue of a woman levitating in the center of the space – and it bursts into pieces. The statue is placed in front of a huge picture, held in red, a scaring picture dealing with cancer. In the back of this wing is another 3 – part picture of cells and in front of it literally rains pills, red, blue, green and white pills. Overall a very touching scenery!

In the other wing you can see the same statue, now not bursting into peices but surrounded by the same pills. Another 3D object, that permanantly rotates, shows parts of the exhibited pictures, also on a bed of pills.

Impressions of “Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

Accompanying a loved person in their struggle against a deadly illness is an experience that you can’t forget, that you don’t want to forget. As opposed to, it creates a strong bond to the person – beyond death. I personally can sense this bond looking at Yann’s pictures and exhibits. And they are very artful too!

Yann Gyro (sempiternel) is in Second Life since 2018. I first saw his art – very different from what you see in “Transcend Struggle” at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery – at La Maison d’Aneli in May 2021 (read here) and in December 2022 (read here). Yann is a photgrapher and designer. Yann has his own store on the marketplace. He also has a flickr account.

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 “Transcend Struggle” by Yann Gyro (sempiternel). And thank you Yann for your art.
As it is the March exhibition at the gallery “Transcend Struggle” shall be available until the end of this month.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and to “Transcend Struggle” by Yann GYRO
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
Yann GYRO (sempiternel)’s store on the marketplace
https://marketplace.secondlife.com/fr-FR/stores/211360
Yann GYRO (sempiternel)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/people/154701358@N02/

Art in Second Life 2023 (11) Sole Fragments by Maghda @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

10 Feb 2023 1 Comment

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

Dido Haas drew my attention to a new exhibition in her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: Sole Fragments by Maghda.

“Sole Fragments” consists of 12 monochrome pictures. All pictures show women in different situations and moods, sometimes soldier, sometimes as prisoners, sometimes sad, sometimes vulnerable, sometimes erotic, then again searching, sometimes hurt. The women are very strong in some pictures, in others they seem rather weak. The pictures are very expressive and draw the viewer into the situation. They encourage us to want to understand what is depicted.

As always the pictures can develop their strengths with the mirroring floor at the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. The objects chosen for decoration complement the exhibition. They, too, are not in shrill colors, creating a strange, thoughtful mood, a mood that matches the pictures.

Impressions of “Sole Fragments” by Maghda @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Maghda wrote about her exhibition “Sole Fragments” that it is “a personal and introspective display of her journey through Second Life captured through the lens of photography. The exhibition features a collection of photographs that depict the various stages of the journey of the soul, from its highs and lows, to its triumphs and struggles. The photographs capture candid moments of self-reflection, raw emotions, and intimate moments of growth. Through the medium of photography as a means of self-exploration, and self-expression. The exhibition is my window into my soul, allowing the viewer to connect with the emotions and experiences depicted in the photographs on a deeper level.“

Impressions of “Sole Fragments” by Maghda @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

Maghda is from Denmark. She’s in Second Life since 2011. She discovered it “as a platform for artistic freedom and a new way to explore and express herself. In SL, she has the opportunity to connect with talented individuals from all around the globe, learning from them and finding inspiration in their work.“

Maghda left Second Life for 6 years and upon her return the technology had evolved. There were mesh bodies and the photographic tools had improved. Obviously Maghda made the most of it. Her pictures are intriguing. You can see more of her work on flickr.

Impressions of “Sole Fragments” by Maghda @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (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 “Sole Fragments” by Maghda. And thank you Magda for your art. I enjoyed my visit.
As it is the February exhibition at the gallery “Sole Fragments” shall be available until the end of this month.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and to “sole Fragments” by Maghda
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Maghda’s flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/maghdaresident/
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2023 (5) The Farigoule collection @ Nitroglobus The Annex

21 Jan 2023 1 Comment

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

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

Art in Second Life 2022 (102) The 5th Season by Milena Carbone

15 Dec 2022 1 Comment

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

I got an invitation from Milena Carbone (mylena1992) for the opening of her newest exhibition “The 5th Season” at Artsville. The opening was yesterday. I visited early on Tuesday, December 13th.

Milena herself wrote about “The 5th Season”:
“The fifth season is a three-part installation that questions our tendency to follow a path of self-destruction. It is related to the imminent threat of dramatic consequences for all living species as a result of climate change. It tries to dig deeper into the roots of our denial.
The “fifth season”, is an imaginary season, which will replace the four seasons we have known. One season in a year, chaotic, devastating. A foul beast that humanity will have created. I sincerely hope that this work will allow us to go beyond good conscience, purely intellectual awareness or judgment to lead everyone towards a fertile, new reflection on ourselves, on our relationship to the world; and to our planet, the only paradise that is a closed garden whose walls we have hit.

The 5th Season is the final exhibition of a triology, consisting of “Blind”, “Africa” and “Heroes”. All three parts are shown at Artsville. Milena recommends to see “The 5th Season” in exactly this order.

Impressions of “The 5th Season” by Milena Carbone @ Artsville (1)

It is recommended that you use “Shared Environment” and “Advanced Lighting”. If your macine allows it, use shadows from projectors and sun/moon and allow media streaming.

I saw the first part “Blind” in June 2022 as a part of an exhibition at La Maison d’Aneli (read Art in Second Life 2022 (57) La Maison d’Aneli June/July 2022)

Blind explores our denial of the studied, validated, stated, detailed crisis of climate change for which we are collectively responsible : natural, economic, social and demographic disasters. And yet we do nothing, but continue our frenzy of senseless consumption and expend our energy in war.
Blindness is a recurring theme in myths, particularly Greek myths. Tiresias and Oedipus are well known examples. Blindness is both a punishment and a way to change one’ s view of the world and oneself.
The exhibition consists of five themes displayed in an original installation, thirteen images and seven short stories.

Impressions of “The 5th Season” by Milena Carbone @ Artsville (2) – part I: “Blind”

The exhibition is not set up as the one I saw at La Maison d’Aneli in June. There are 4 rooms titeled “Don’t Look Up”, “Don’t Look Beyand”, “Look Down On” and “Look Away”.
Milena’s art consists of texts, pictures and visual experience. Each room is dedicated to a story that you can download to read and that Milena illustrated with pictures and objects. In total you find seven stories … that feature Tiresias, Daphne, Oedipus and his daughter Antigone, Clarissa Dalloway, and George and Martha. Milena published the stories on her website,

“Africa” is the second part of “The 5th Season” and I saw it end of October 2022 at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, (read Art in Second Life 2022 (88) Africa by Milena Carbone @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery).

Milena wrote about “Africa”:
“Africa” takes a look at the African continent, both amazed and crude.
Amazed, because Africa is a fertile paradise of biodiversity and beauty and the cradle of humanity, born in the rift, the vagina of the earth.
Crude, because Africa is a continent raped, slaughtered, poisoned, looted with impunity by empires, in cynical disdain of its inhabitants. Africa is what started it all by the grace of evolution, and will end by the rapacity of man.

“Africa” consists of 13 pictures:
The story of Grace, in seven paintings, an Ethiopian orphan who, at age 33, inherits the home of her father whom she never knew. As she explores this strange house, she more or less follows the biblical journey from creation to paradise and God’s doubt one Sunday night (“Oh my God, I think I’ve screwed up so damn bad”). In this part, Milena Carbone clears God of predestination and gives keys to understand that, if he is at the origin of the Creation, he has created the conditions of free will.
The Twilight of Humans is the story of Abel, an African man whom Grace meets in her house. In six tableaux, he travels through the destruction of the African continent, ends up being the last man in the world and makes his own burial ground in the rainforest.

Again “Africa” is displayed different than at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. I personally was more impressed of this part of “The 5th Season” the way it was presented at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. The pictures at Artsville are presented at the walls. In the center are some 3D statues of African animals. Once you get closer, the statues vanish and texts appear instead. As always in Milena’s exhibitions, texts and pictures build one unit. While in “Grace’s wing” the texts deal with God, the texts in “Abel’s wing” deal with the plagues that mankind has caused on earth: climate change, extinction of species and forced migration.

Impressions of “The 5th Season” by Milena Carbone @ Artsville (2) – part II: “Africa”

Milena mentioned in the accompanying notecard that her writing style for the texts featured at the exhibition “Africa” is “more syncopated than usual, cutting the story with several levels of interpretation with inserts of scientific facts, memories or questionings of herself. I readily admit to having been amazed and inspired by the American author Jenny Offill.“

For the pictures Milena continued further expanding and broadening her style. She used the AI Midjourney again to create the backgrounds of her pictures. Milena had an exhibition of pictures created with Artifical Intelligence just recently: “Metamorphoses” (read here). The characters were added from Second Life.

The third part of “The 5th Season” is called “Heroes” and it was new to me.
Heroes tells 12 extraordinary stories of ordinary or mysterious people, all imaginary. The stories take place in the future, in all parts of the world. Milena’s intention is to set the stage for new myths. Myths structure our vision of the world. The myths of today are the same as those of ten thousand years ago: men dominant and superior, carnivorous and subduing the living, violent and cunning, explorers and conquerors in a world without limits.
We are facing the limits of our planet, our myths are no longer operative. We must create new myths, new imaginaries that allow us to find our place in an entirely new, exhausted and limited world. Each story features values compatible with this world, diverse heroes from all walks of life. They are written in a style reminiscent of the news stories found in the back pages of newspapers.

Impressions of “The 5th Season” by Milena Carbone @ Artsville (2) – part III: “Heroes”

When you approach one of the the 12 pictures it folds up into 3 parts – the picture in the center and the story on the left and right. Just one picture folds up into tow pictures and one text in the center. As it takes time to read the stories, there’s a chair in fron ot each of the 12 heroes where you can sit down and read – and get into Milena’s world of pictures and texts.

Heroes is the concluding chapter of the trilogy “The 5th season”. It is the hopeful part of the work.

Milena Carbone (mylena1992) is a French artist and is in Second Life since mid 2019. She discovered its artistic potential and since then has devoted all her free time to creation, associating, as in real life, images and texts: “Milena Carbone is a fiction in which, as in any artistic work, biographical and imaginary elements are mixed.” Her creative process is iterative: some of her images inspire her stories and these stories modify the development of the image, which itself transforms the story.
Milena has an own gallery, the Carbone Studio and she has a bookstore @ Noir’Wen City.
Milena has an own website, you can also find her on flickr here and you can read her texts here.

Artsville was created in collaboration the Art Korner blog, owned and founded by Frank Atisso. Frank is also the curator of exhibitions at Artsville.
Thank you for another great exhibition, Milena. I enjoyed my visit. Thank you Frank Atisso and the whole team at Artsville for enabling “The 5th Season” by Milean Carbone.

Landmark to Artsville and The 5th Season by Milena Carbone
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caribbean%20Ocean/62/97/3201
Landmark to The Carbone Studio
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Woiler/176/163/3287
Landmark to The Carbone Bookstore @ Noir’Wen City
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Noir%20Wen/243/203/32
Milena’s website
https://sites.google.com/view/thecarbonegallery/news
Milena Carbone’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/milenacarbone/
Milena Carbone’s writing
https://medium.com/@539568

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