Juri's Virtual Art Blog: Kuveni Kalakaruwa

Mittwoch, 7. Juli 2021

Kuveni Kalakaruwa - Garden Of Sadness

1. What was your first association, when you heard about the topic "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness"?
The first association has been the covid-crisis with all its victims. I thought it would be nice to have a place to sit and meditate.

2. Reconnaissance is exploration conducted to gain information with observation, surveillance and knowledge. How did you 'explore' the darkness.
Reconnaissance in that sense had stopped and nobody was sure, when it would start again. So a good topic for reflection, whether it would be the same in a digitalised setting.

3 How long did the process of creation last for this exhibition?
One month

4. Which were the biggest obstacles?
Compared with Second Life the obstacles are less, because there is no upload fee for textures and you can experiment with texture more. My biggest obstacle was the scripts for the candle-flames in my installation.

5. What are the most important techniques, that you use for virtual art? How did you use these to interpret the theme?
I learned how to create fractal textures from Asmita, who uses the software Incendia. To apply the textures I use sculpties and meshes, directly produced in Incendia and processed with the MS 3DBuilder+Meshlab.

6. What does it mean for you to create art in virtual worlds? Is it different from creating art in RL?
In RL I use the usual techniques, like watercolor, acrylic painting and textile art. But with virtual art you don't depend on colors or tools and that is a liberation in a certain way. I need in general art for my self-awareness.

7. What are your former experiences with art in virtual worlds? Have you taken part in themed group collaborative projects? Or is your art usually more singular?
I have participated in Asmita's collaborative exhibition EcoScape and that was a great experience.

8. Which role does virtual art play in your country of origin according to your experiences?
Few people only see the capacities of virtual world for the arts.

9. In which way was the creating of art helpful for you in the covid-crisis?
It was very helpful; at least a constant medium for not becoming depressive and offer the chance to express yourself.

10. Which topic would be interesting to you as an artistic challenge in the future?
I will wait with what Asmita is coming up.

Mittwoch, 3. Februar 2021

Sneak Preview: "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness" in OSGrid

Wailing women surround a polluted water puddle. They are dressed like figures from an ancient Greek tragedy or like wailing women, who were hired to mourn during funerals in many cultures. Why do they mourn?
In the puddle we see the garbadge of civilization, bottles, plastic bags and paper, chemicals etc. and, when we look closer human bones. A pandemia? A crime? Suicide? Carelessness? An accident? A symbol for the status of mankind and humanity in a threatened world, on a tortured planet. Our values and convictions are emerging in times of darkness and reveal our true achievements.
Dark times can insofar be seen as an advantage: they help to achieve reconnaissance.
Art in its divers options of expression is an optimal medium to express the emotional part of darkness. The additional features of virtual worlds are the immersion and interactivity, which help to dive deeply into the context and process the traumata and threats of the dark sides of life. Art can help to become aware of all variants of negative impacts.
As its best it can wake up the power to resist and lay the seed for a better future.

10 artists have taken the opportunity to create huge installations related to the given topic. Here is a sneak preview of the ones, who are already or nearly finished and could be visited already. Landing spot is: x-grid-info://osgrid/region/interstellART_exhibitions/387/338/24, from where the gates to each artist are available.

Victoria Logan's (Argentine) focus is on "Mental Health In Pandemic Times" (Spanish and English):

The pandemia is also the focus of Tina Bey's (Argentine) installation "Pandemic Darkness":

The British artist Caro Fayray tries to shed "Light On The Darkness" on our planet:

French artist Claude Belgar shows in his minimalistic style the topic "Science In Dark Times" and goes back in history to Galileo Galilei:

Shenn Tao has created a mysterious orb with a dark power inside, an imagination of anti-matter and a "Dark Artistic Exploration":

Photo-artist Fuyuko Amano shows photos, taken in Cyber-Punk environments in Second Life and which show the function of "Darkness In Cyber-Punk":

"Threats To Freedom" is the topic of host and artist Asmita Duranjaya. Examples are the umbrella-movement in Hongkong and the general threat to cut down the freedom of media all over the world:

French artist lalie Sorbet focuses on the topic "Dark Shadows On Diversity" and shows brilliant macro-photos of endangered species:

Kuveni Kalakaruwa's "Garden Of Sadness" invites persons, who have lost a family member or a friend during the pandemia, for meditation by sitting down and lightening a candle for their beloved ones.