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

05 Dec 2022 1 Comment

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

 

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

31 Oct 2022 2 Comments

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

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

10 Oct 2022 2 Comments

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

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

15 Aug 2022 Leave a comment

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

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 2021 (91) “Red Sky” by Mihailsk

22 Sep 2021 1 Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Impressions of “Red Sky” by Mihailsk (1)

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

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

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

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

Art in Second Life 2021 (27) “I want to show you something” by Venus Adored

21 Mar 2021 1 Comment

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

On Wednesday, March 3rd, Dido Haas contacted me and told me about the new exhibtion at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery called “I want to show your something” by Venus Adored.

“I want to show you something” was created by Venus Adored, who made projections of the daring, thought provoking RL images by Daantje Bons, a famous Dutch photographer. This way the images, although projected on 2D walls become a 3D effect – light boxes based on RL photography. The boxes are made of light reflections, creating an illusion of depth. It is Mandel Solano also a second life resident, who taught Venus to work with reflections. The effect is even stronger through the mirroring floor of the gallery. Be sure to use either the shared environment of midnight when visiting the exhibtion and enable advanced lighting and projections.

The photographs of Daantje Bons are really quite provocative and in my personal opinion funny. They deal with the female body, with the breasts and the vagina: Flowers held between lips, a chili sliced open, a raspberry on a nipple, an orchid blossom with a tampon. Each photograph and each light box is unique and the add to each other to build a really great exhibtion!
Two quotes of Daantje Bons are highlighted in the exhibition:
“I search what it means to be a woman and how fiminity and masculinity play a role in this”
“It often starts with a feeld or observation. Usually, something that makes me want to challenge it”

“I want to show you something” by Venus Adored @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (1)

Venus Adored is in Second Life for almost 12 years. She was a high school teacher of the Dutch language and biology in real life. She recently retired and is now fully enjoying being creative in Second Life. Her greatest passion is making particles with which she occasionally gives shows. Venus regularly works with other creative people to learn from each other and to advance together in the possibilities of making things. I saw her installation “Light Reflections” back in 2017 (read here https://wp.me/psPPu-2jT).

Venus thought that it would be fun to make refections of the RL images of her best friend and art photographer in RL, Daantje Bons. Daantje was enthusiastic about this idea and Dido, curator of Nitroglobis gallery in second life, was enthusiastic as well.
Daantje Bons’ work has been featured in the Netherland’s largest newspapers and magazines such as De Volkskrant, NRC Handelsblad, LINDA Magazine, and &C magazine. Internationally, her work has been published in outlets such as “The Huffington Post”, “IGNANT”, “I-D Magazine”, VOGUE ITALIA, Kurier, FRAME Magazine, and “Refinery29”. You can learn and see more about Daantje Bons at her website.

“I want to show you something” by Venus Adored @ Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (2)

There’s a video from the opening, that provides more impressions of this great exhibtion here

Nitroglobus Roof Gallery is owned and curated by Dido Haas. Thank you for providing the space for the art and for this outstanding exhibition.

Landmark to Nitroglobus Roof Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunshine%20Homestead/38/25/1001
Dido Haas’ blog “Exploring SL with Dido”
http://exploringslwithdido.blogspot.com/
Daantje Bons’ website
https://www.daantjebons.com/home/
Video from the opening event
https://vimeo.com/519407079

Simploring 2017 (8) Light Reflections

06 Feb 2017 Leave a comment

by diomitamaurer in Exploring sims in Second Life Tags: , , , , , ,

20170131-reflections_004Tuesday late afternoon, January 31st, I went on a short simploring tour and visited “Light Reflections“. Light Reflections is an art installation by Venus Adored and as the name implies it is all about light and reflections. You explore Light Reflections from top to bottom starting at the top and going down. The first two levels are instructions (most important: activate advanced lighting). Then you dive into colours and light. you start sitting in a soap bubble and enjoy great light effects. the next levels are all different. It’s virtual art, always changing, temporary. It’s just what you see and none else will see it the way you do. The effects are great. In some installations there are turning statues and floating candels. In other installations are clouds and leaves that flow through the air. One level is black and white. But all levels are just amazing, each in it’s own way. I enjoyed this short late afternoon tour. Thank you Venus Adored for this installation. According to Inara Pey’s blog the installation will stay online until June 2017.

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (1)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (1)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (2)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (2)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (3)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (3)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (4)

Jan 31st: Light Reflections (4)

Landmark to Light Reflections
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA27/193/122/1642
Inara Pey’s blog “Light Reflections in Second Life”
https://modemworld.me/2017/01/30/light-reflections-in-second-life/