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

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

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

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

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

Art in Second Life 2022 (97) Junction Points by Selen

 

Today, Monday, December 5th, the exhibition “Junction Points” by Selen (Selen Minotaur) will be opened. It is the December exhibition at the Nitroglobus Roof gallery, owned and curated by Dido Haas.
The opening party will start at 1 PM SLT (9 PM CET) with music by “A Limb & Yadleen”, particles will be contributed by Venus Adored.

The exhibition “Junction Points” by Selen consists of 3 forms of art – pictures, 3D objects and a video, that is shown at one front end.

Impressions of “Junction Points” by Selen @ Nitroglpbus Roof Gallery (1)

Selen wrote about “Junction Points”:
“The law of polarity states: “There is an equal and exact opposite to everything. Nothing exists alone. Forces exist as pairs of opposites.”
This quote from Hiram Pagan helps to better understand the universal law of polarity: “Everything can be separated into two completely opposite parts, and each of them contains the power of the other.”

As with the yin/yang symbol: one cannot exist without the other. Each is contained within the other.
We live, in fact, in duality: high-low, left-right, chiaroscuro, good-bad, day-night, healthy-sick, cold-hot, north-south, positron-electron, etc.
Duality teaches us what we prefer to experience and helps us recognize how to change our way of thinking to create that preferred experience in our lives. We know we prefer happiness because we have known sorrow. We love health because we have known sickness.

The challenge, for everyone, is therefore to find the points of junction, those which make it possible to feel “ONE”, in symbiosis and in balance with oneself, with the others and with the universe.
This exhibition is an allegorical and metaphorical visual exploration of the question of junction points.

Selen’s pictures as well as the 3D-objects reflect that duality, ying and yang, be it the swing or the two figures with the jumping spark. Together with a picture, that consists of several layers and is changing permanently, the video on the front provides a different experience every moment. And the mirroring floor at the Nitroglobus Roof gallery adds to that perfectly.

Impressions of “Junction Points” by Selen @ Nitroglpbus Roof Gallery (2)

Close to the landing you find the description by Selen also a board along with a quote by Olga Tokarczuk about the feet being the most important part of the human body:
“I have always thought that the most intimate and personal part of our body was the feet, not the genitals, the heart or even the brain, organs, after all, of little importance and which are overestimated. Wrongly. It is in the feet that all the knowledge of man is concentrated; it is towards the feet that the essence of who we are converges and that our relationship to the earth is established. The contact with the earth, its point of junction with our body, contains all the mystery: although we are made up of particles of matter, we are not part of it, we are separate from it. Feet are our connecting plug.”

It takes a moment to understand the logic. I admit I have never thought of it this way, have you?

Selen’s pictures are colourful, full of fantasy art mixed with abstract elements as well as forming “one” out of two different parts. Very intriguing. All elements combine to a particular experience and a new way of looking at our world and at ourselves.

Selen (Selen Minotaur) is in Second Life since 2008. It is the first time that I came across her. In her biography she writes about her connection to art:
“In the physical world I grew up in France with an architect, painter and sculptor father, maybe that’s why I’ve always loved art in all its forms. I myself tried drawing, painting (watercolor) and sculpture (clay) when I was younger. Later I discovered different platforms of the Metaverse (Second Life being the very first and main one) with endless possibilities to create digitally….. I always like to experiment new things, and creativity and art are definitely my main fuels in SL.”
Nowadays, Selen has an own gallery, an own website, a facebook and an instagram account, a flickr page and an own youtube channel

Impressions of “Junction Points” by Selen @ Nitroglpbus 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 “Junction Points” by Selen (Selen Minotaur). The exhibition poster of “Junction Points” was created by David Silence based on an picture by Selen.

Thank you Selen (Selen Minotaur) for this great exhibition. I enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and “Junction Points” by Selen
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
Selen’s gallery in-world
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Royale/211/208/1602
Selen’s website
https://seleninworld.com
Selen on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000855067835699
Selen on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/selen.inworld/
Selen’s youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUSdEgggYEheFsxHI7drfpw
Selen on flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/185987389@N08/

Art in Second Life 2022 (88) Africa by Milena Carbone @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery

Today, Monday, October 31st, the exhibition “Africa” by Milena Carbone (mylena1992) will be opened. It is the November exhibition at the Nitroglobus Roof gallery, owned and curated by Dido Haas.
The opening party will start at 1 PM SLT (9 PM CET) with a dance performance created by Milena, where visitors can join in. DJ Fleming with provide the tunes and the particles will be contributed by Venus Adored.

“Africa” is the second part of the 5th season, a triology by Milena Carbone that deals with the causes and consequences of climate change. The first part, named “Blind” was exhibited at La Maison d’Aneli in June (read here).

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.

Impressions of “Africa” by Milena Carbone @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

As always the pictures can develop their strengths with the mirroring floor at the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. The story of Abel is in one wing and the story of Grace in the other wing of the exhibition space. Between the pictures of Grace is a video wall playing the short film “Living Picture 4 Africa” which is also available on youtube here.

There are some 3D statues of African animals in the center of the gallery space. 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 “Africa” by Milena Carbone @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

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.

Impressions of “Africa” by Milena Carbone @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (3)

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.

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 “Africa” by Milena Carbone. The exhibition poster of “Africa” was created by David Silence based on an image of Milena.

And thank you Milena for another great exhibition. I enjoyed my visit.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and “Africa” by Milena Carbone
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com
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

Art in Second Life 2022 (84) Noir by Joanna Kitten @ Nitroglobus The Annex

Dido Haas invited me to the opening of new exhibition at in the annex of her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery: “Noir” by Joanna Kitten (joaannna). The exhibition will be opened officially today, Monday, October 10th, at 12 PM SLT (9 PM Central Europe Time). The music will be provided by Jewell, the particles will be added again by Venus Adored.

I saw Joanna Kitten’s work at Michiel Bechir Gallery in March 2022 (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.

And that fits to what Dido Haas, the owner and curator of the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery wrote about Joanna Kitten. Dido met her taking pictures of landscapes and saw more of her work at Joanna Kitten’s flickr page. She liked what she saw and invited her to exhibit at her gallery. But she had a challenge for Joanna and asked her to make something different, not landscapes or nature. The result is “Noir”.

Impressions of “Noir” by Joanna Kittan @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex (1)

The exhibition consists of 8 black and white pictures, all inspired by Joanna’s love of the 1950’s Film Noir: “The images shown in this exhibition were made at various locations and Kitten would like to thank those who have assisted her in bringing these pictures to life. In particular Frau Jo Yardley whose 1920’s Berlin Project sim is the location for a number of these images. Other sims featured are Isle de Noir, Blue Orange, Temple Hof and Omerta City.

Once again the mirroring effect of the floor, the showcased 3D objects along with the light art provided by Adwehe add to the overall impressive pictures. The exhibition room is seperated in the center by a transparent wall. You can only see a little bit of the picture that is hidden in this almost fully transparent wall. What you can see is the text on the lower right side of the wall: “Of all the Gin Joints in all the Towns in all the world, She walks into mine”

Impressions of “Noir” by Joanna Kittan @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex (2)

Joanna’s pictures impress by some minimalism which makes the spectator focus on the details. The woman in the pictures is Joanna Kitten herself in a dress fitting to the theme. When I visited the exhibition before the opening, I had the luck to meet Joanna there and she changed into the dress she was wearing for some of the presented pictures.

Impressions of “Noir” by Joanna Kittan @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery Annex (3) – Joanna Kitten at her 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 “Noir” by Joanna Kitten (joaannna). Thank you Kitten for your art, and thanks also to Adwehe for the light effects.

“Noir” shall is the October/November exhibition at the Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery.

Landmark to the Annex of Nitroglobus (and to “Noir”)
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
Joanna Kitten (joaannna)’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/people/substratum_kitten/
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life (73) “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tater

Dido Haas invited me to the opening of another new exhibition at her Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. The new exhibtion “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tater is showcased in the annex to the gallery, that is usually used to display Dido Haas’ own artwork. The opening shall take place today, August 15th at 12 PM (9 PM Central Europe Time). At the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery the exhibition “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz (read here) is still ongoing until end of August.
I will be busy with my SL family and hence can’t attend the opening of “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tate. The opening event starts with a contemporary dance “Silent Love” performed by and specially created for this exhibition by Milena Carbone (mylena1992). Noir Tater will be the DJ and spin the tunes, Venus Adored will add enchanting particles.

I visited the exhibition on Friday, August,12h. As in the main gallery space, the floor in Dido’s annex has also the mirroring effet. “Noir Vibrations” consists of 14 pictures. The exibition space is augmented with 3D sculptures and with balls and light effects by Adwehe. All pictures have a neutral brown/grey background and show a person, who might be in most cases a male.

Noir Tater wrote about “Noir Vibrations”:
‘Choosing to be this or that is to affirm at the same time the value of what we choose, because we can never choose evil, what we choose is always good, and nothing can be good for us if it is not good for everyone. ‘
Jean Paul Sartre

My need to be free in all aspects dominates, anguishes and suffocates me.
Vibration Noir is my daily struggle to be what I am and who I am.

And Dido Haas wrote:
Noir is an interesting figure, who struggles with gender identity. Well this is not unique and for sure not unique in SL. In Noir’s photography them presents themselve most of the time as male and also in this exhibition it’s the unique awesome looking male Noir we can admire.

Impressions of “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tater at Dido’s annex of the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

The pictures are intriguing. As opposed to Dido, I did not recognize a male in all pictures, some show just hands and feet and parts of a body. In many pictures the body looks like vibrating. The effect is emphasized by choosing different colours for the vibrating part of the body. Another style element, that Noir is using, are cut-outs that are placed almost like non-fitting puzzle pieces into the body. You can see the struggle and the emotions as if it isn’t clear how the pieces will fit together and what the body might look like when finished. These two artistic elements used in different strengths and combinations and make Noir’s art unique.

You can grab a notecard with Noir’s biography at the exhibition:
My name is Francesca, formerly known in Second Life as Noah and now my name is Noir Tater …. It was through my friendship with Debora Kaz that I … started to explore photography. By using photography I found a way to express myself, so others are able to understand me better …… I am a woman going through duality about my gender. Here in SL I can show both my sides: female and male through my images with all my anguish about these feelings.

Noir is in Second Life since 2016. You can see more of Noir’s art on Noir’s flickr acount.

Impressions of “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tater at Dido’s annex of the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (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 “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tater. Thank you Noir for your art, and thanks also to Adwehe for the light effects.

“Noir Vibrations” shall stay open for about one month at the Annex of Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. For a limited time until end of August you can see the exhibitions “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz and “Noir Vibrations” by Noir Tater” within one visit.

Landmark to the Annex of Nitroglobus (and to “Noir Vinrations”)
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
Noir Tater’s flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/essenciall-harad/
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2022 (72) “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz

Dido Haas invited me to the opening of the August exhibition at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery. today, August 1st at 12 PM (9 PM Central Europe Time). I will be busy with my SL family and hence can’t attend. The exhibition is titeled “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women”, the artist is Debora Kaz (deborakaz), who is new for me. The opening event starts with a contemporary ballet “Demotions” performed by and specially created for this exhibition by Milena Carbone (mylena1992).

I visited the exhibition on Friday, July 29th. The exhibition space with it’s mirroring floor is quite full this time. The exhibition consists of 14 pictures, 6 3D sculpture installations and 1 video screen. The whole exhibition is held in dark purple and violet tones. All the objects and semitranparent frames together with the light effects set by Adwehe provide an outstanding art experience.

Debora Kaz (deborakaz) wrote about her exhibition:
The fight against violence against women practiced by women is the theme of this exhibition. The predominance of the hot pink color in the installation represents this struggle, as well as hot pink is also the color indicating female empowerment i.e. the potency of women.
This installation also brings a mix of colors in a chaotic and disorganized way, to represent female emotions and unconscious conflicts.
Invisible cities are present in the composition of the works, giving them an imaginary physical space.
The structures and lines suggest a non-Cartesian timeline inserted in a space

‘Invisible Cities – Fighting Women’ wants to show the pain and difficulty of being a woman in a world where women historically were portrayed as objects of desire, exposed to consumption, which induced rivalry resulting in us women not having a real union to fight the violence that is directed at us..

That sounds complex and it is complex.

Impressions of “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

For me the colour purple/violet still stands for the women rights and equality movement in the outgoing 1970ies and in the 1980ies. I remember wearing a purple overall, real fashion at that time.
As I wrote above the exhibition is complex. The pictures are all made up of several layers, so that the spectator has to decide where to focus first. But looking at them for a while you recognize more and more details. Debora works with lines und geometric forms as well, thus generating urban spaces in some of her pictures. You can see the fight and struggle in many pictures. The 6 3D sculptures show one or two (fighting) women in a more red colour. The scuptures are surrounded by semi-transparent frames and pictures, thus providing unique views together with the pictures at the walls. I am a fan of this kind of art, as every picture you take is unique as well depending on light, view angle and distance.

Impressions of “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

On the video screen a youtube video is showcased. It is named “fighting women”, yet for me it shows 2 dancing women with a stylised city in the background. Also have a look at the text that is shown at one of the walls next to the pictures. Debora wrote a text addressed to all women that fits to the exhibition and gives you some background information for the exhibition.

Impressions of “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (3)

Debora Kaz (deborakaz) is a digital artist from Brazil (if I figured it our corectly). She’s in Second Life since February 2012 and discovered its opportunities for creativity. She writes in the accompanying notecard: “Exactly 9 years ago I became interested in the language of wireframe, the lines, the structures and the voids they provide. When making wireframe images it is as if you can make the invisible visible. It’s as if I could reveal something that hides inside our structures, our feelings, emotions and maybe reflects on some subjects.” Just a few months ago she began to exhibit her artwork.
Debora has a flickr page, a facebook account and a youtube channel.

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 “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” by Debora Kaz. Thank you Debora for your art, and thanks also to Adwehe for the light effects and to David Silence for creating the exhibition poster for “Invisible Cities – Fighting Women”.
“Invisible Cities – Fighting Women” is the August exhibition at  Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and hence shall be open until end of August 2022.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Debora Kaz (deborakaz) flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/deborakaz
Debora Kaz (deborakaz) on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/debora.kaz
Debora Kaz (deborakaz) on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/c/deboraKaz
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

Art in Second Life 2022 (60) Colores Primarios by Bamboo Barnes

Bamboo Barnes is one of the artists I covered quite often in the blog so far. When I got the invitation from Dido Haas to see Bamboo’s newest exhibition “Colores Primarios” at Dido’s Nitroglobus Roof gallery, I went there right away and before the official opening, that took place on July 4th, 2022.

When I think of Bamboo Barnes, I immediately think of colours, of colourful pictures, of a feast of colours. And the title of her newest exhibition reflects her passion – “Colores Primarios” or “Primary Colours”. And the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery with the mirror effect transparent floor is really predestined for her artwork. Bamboo wrote a text about her exhibition “Colores Primarios”. You find the text also at ome wall of the gallery and in the accompanying notecard:

In a hot and humid room, blue at the hem of the curtains.
In a windless room, red on the floor.
In closing your eyes and seeing it disappear, yellow.

What color is the ground you cower on?
What color is the sigh your breath makes?
What color is that place where you fall asleep?

What are your basic colors?

Impressions of “Colored Primarios” by Bamboo Barnes (1)

Some of the pictures are static, others consist of several layers that are moved permanently so that the impression changes constantly. All pictures show females, mostly the faces or the upper body along with decorations, abstract geometric forms, colour layers …. something to look at and to immerse into – and to enjoy the colours.

I was in particular facinated by “Assemble 3!”. This picture is exhibited 3 times and all hand side by side. But as it is a picture (actually each picture consists already of two pictures) with a moving layer, each look different, all the time and Bamboo created a particular effect by hanging them in a row.
Once again on wing of the exhibition room is separeted with a transparent picture through which you can look through and walk through. It adds an additional 3D effect.
Very fitting to all the colours, Adwehe made the light effects again, colourful balls. And thinking of Bamboo’s description, I could ask myself: Which ball is mine?

Impressions of “Colored Primarios” by Bamboo Barnes (1)

Bamboo is in Second Life for over 15 years already, painting software & photoshop are her best friends. Bamboo had many exhibtions and appearances in the Second Life art scene and in 2018 she had her first exhibition in real life: “I create what I see but maybe you won’t, they are about people’s reality and  mind.” Bamboo’s art is a mixture of abstract forms, of people and photographs. Most pictures are colourful and it is in the eye of the beholder what we see in her pictures. I myself saw her work the first time at La Maison d’Aneli during the Holiday season 2019/2020 (read here). I also saw her exhibition “Marginal Mannerism” at DixMixGallery in April 2021 (read here), the exhibition “Meant to be” at Itakos Art Gallery last year (read here), I saw “Conjure” at FOCUS Magazine F.A.I.R Gallery in August 2021 (read here), “Mindstorm” at IMAGO Land (read here) and “Drawer” at Hannington Arts Foundation (read here). Last December I saw her exhibition “The path” at Art care gallery (read here) and this year “Metaphysics” at the Kondar Art Center, (read here). “Drawer” is still open for visitors.
And I also had a look at her flickr page.

I enjoyed my visit. “Colores Primarios” is another perfect fit for the Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, a feast of colours, a feast for the eye and great art.

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 “Colores Primarios” by Bamboo Barnes. Thank you Bamboo Barnes 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 poster for “Colores Primarios” by Bamboo Barnes.
“Colores Primarios” is the July exhibition at  Nitroglobus Roof Gallery and hence shall be open until end of July 2022.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/22/1001
Bamboo Barnes’ flickr page
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bamboobarnes/
Dido Haas’ blog
https://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com

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