Caro Fayray - Light in The Darkness

 

1. What was your first association, when you heard about the topic "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness"?

Answer 1: We are in the middle of Darkness right now, in so many ways. The planet. Humanity. Global warming. Greed. Inequalities. Suffering. So to me the topic was immediate and very broad.

2. Reconnaissance is exploration conducted to gain information with observation, surveillance and knowledge. How did you 'explore' the darkness.

Answer 2: I made lists and I researched articles and looked at images of different ways the problems could be addressed and outcomes reversed or improved.

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

Answer 3: I was invited to join the team in January and the exhibition opened at the end of March, so 2 to 3 months. But I used and adapted stuff I had made before as well as creating new ones.

4. Which were the biggest obstacles?

Answer 4:  Mainly frustration at myself when I failed to make stuff work.

5. What are the most important techniques, that you use for virtual art? How did you use these to interpret the theme?

Answer 5: Textures, movement, immersion and interactivity along with prim torture are what i use.  For this display I used moving textures and particles to lead you through it. I like to use sounds as they are very underestimated, I think, in creating the immersion of the experience. I like art that is interactive as it makes you feel it. To me it seems kind of a waste of virtual to just stand and look.

6. What does it mean for you to create art in virtual worlds? Is it different from creating art in RL?

Answer 6: Creating in virtual worlds is my 'meditation', as my daughter calls  it. I am absorbed completely. I will have something in my head that I then try to make happen in virtual.  Not being bound by RL restrictions you can 'fly'. The only restrictions being your imagination and your ability to make it happen.

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?

Answer 7: My 'art' started out as explorations with torturing prims, textures and particles I had a few displays in small galleries around SL.  I discovered events and did displays for SLBs and Burn2 . Then moved on to opensim. I made OSgrid my home and did events in various  grids.  I enjoy the process of building to a theme and being part of a whole. I have a sim dedicated to art in OSgrid (mine and others).  Recently I took part in a Virtual/RL event for Dutch Design Week in SL and this one in OSgrid.

8. Which role does virtual art play in your country of origin according to your experiences?

Answer 8: During the last year 'virtual art' has become more mainstream. Galleries and  museums have, out of necessity, gained online virtual presence.

9. In which way was the creating of art helpful for you in the covid-crisis?

Answer 9: Once again I could enter 'my world' (as my 4 year old granddaughter calls it) and escape reality:)  Virtual also gave the interaction with others which was missing at this time.

10. Which topic would be interesting to you as an artistic challenge in the  future?

Answer 10: mmmm....this question is hard. Usually I get given a theme and then work to it. I really don't know. There are so many i would be happy to explore:)

Claude Belgar - Science In Dark Times

1. What was your first association, when you heard about the topic "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness"?

It was how religion always suppressed Science.

2. Reconnaissance is exploration conducted to gain information with observation, surveillance and knowledge. How did you 'explore' the darkness.

By trying to keep a scientific mind.

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

Time is relative.

4. Which were the biggest obstacles?

Actually finding the time lo log in the OS grid

5. What are the most important techniques, that you use for virtual art? How  did you use these to interpret the theme?

I try to keep it simple.

6. What does it mean for you to create art in virtual worlds? Is it different from creating art in RL?

It's easier in VW, you have far less pressure, so you can actually take your chance.

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 showcased real life pictures in SL and made modern sculptures, and while I have participated in a a couple of collaborative project, I mostly work alone.

8. Which role does virtual art play in your country of origin (France) according to your experiences?

I never thought about it, so I cannot answer this question.

9. In which way was the creating of art helpful for you in the covid-crisis?

It allowed to think about something else.

10. Which topic would be interesting to you as an artistic challenge in the  future?

The challenge is to find an idea whatever the challenge is.

Fuyuko Amano - Darkness And Cyber-Punk

1. What was your first association, when you heard about the topic "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness"?

The very first... how certain authoritarian rulers disbelieve in science. But then i put more than just a fleeting thought in it.
And I came to understand it as another way of describing Age of Enlightenment.
:-)  We are still in an Age of Enlightenment, Science is making strides into new realms of knowledge every day.
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2. Reconnaissance is exploration conducted to gain information with observation, surveillance and knowledge. How did you 'explore' the darkness.

My theme for the Expo was "Darkness And Cyber Punk" so I could not explore the darkness per se since it is a stylistic tool integral to cyberpunk, as mentioned in its definition
"...Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech" featuring advanced technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cybernetics, juxtaposed with a degree of breakdown or radical change in the social order..."
So.... I saw my way of "exploring" more as a way of showing.
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3 How long did the process of creation last for this exhibition?

How long?  haha I didnt count. I worked on it several hours for several days.
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4. Which were the biggest obstacles?

The biggest obstacle....   The idea. I normally work intuitive, but a project were someone gives me a theme i have to work on contradicts this approach.
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5. What are the most important techniques, that you use for virtual art? How  did you use these to interpret the theme?

Most important...  :-)   I actually work like any other photographer just that my camera is the computer. I see the graphic display on my screen and make a screenshot (photo) of it. But... yes, not simply a screenshot.
You have to mind the picture composition, the lighting... simply everything you have to mind with photography anywhere. And after the photo comes the post-processing. Mostly little corrections of contrast and saturation.
There is even one big advantage. In many virtual surroundings you are free to move the point of view around in far greater ways as in real world.

6. What does it mean for you to create art in virtual worlds? Is it different from creating art in RL?

As I just said, you have more freedom in moving the camera-position, mostly. I also do photography in videogames and there the camera-freedom is often limited.
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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 already described that "themed" work is contradictory to my normal way of doing things. I seldom do this. And my former experiences... :-)  long before i started to make pictures in virtual worlds like Second Life i already made photos in videogames, and before that i made photos. So you can say I only changed the tool.
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8. Which role does virtual art play in your country of origin according to your experiences?

Virtual Art in my country....  haha. Most doesnt even know it exists.
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9. In which way was the creating of art helpful for you in the covid-crisis?

Oh.. sorry in no way. I work in heathcare, so i had much to do.
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10. Which topic would be interesting to you as an artistic challenge in the  future?

oh my, those questions... None and All.

Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness - Sub-Topics Of Each Artist

A pandemia is ruling the world in the moment and all of us suffer from that situation.
It evokes dark emotions of fear, hopelessness, isolation, sadness, grief, desperation, depression.
Is it possible in such a global crisis to learn and teach, to explore, to be creative?
What are the strategies to fight against all those negative physical and psychological impacts, which pull us down?

12 artists in Second Life and OSGrid try to give their answers in an artistic and creative way and to show their approach to the topic with their individual way of expression. They proof, that art and all cultural forms of expression can shed light on the darkness and enable mankind to use them as a strategy of orientation and processing of unexpected. It is helpful for themselves and for the visiting guests too, who can participate in the world of feelings and thoughts of the creators.

This blog provides from now every week informations about the topics of the artists, their actual bio as artists in virtual worlds and the landmark to their entrance-gate in the central landing-area. The gates can be accessed by just walking in and if they are off, then it can be done by clicking. Each art-installation has also a tp-pad, which leads back to the central landing area. All installations are immersive and some even interactive, so that you have to experience them at the place for a better understanding and appreciating.
The central landing spot is here: hg.osgrid.org:80:interstellART_exhibitions .

We are starting with Argentinian artist Victoria Logan. Her sub-topic is Mental Health In Pandemic Times and she explains her artwork as follows: The visual resources and expressive supports used in this montage represent the subjective resources that each person has to face situations. They will leave marks, they will be learnings, they will be traumas, they will be able to reinvent themselves and others will not. It is time for reconnaissance in times of pandemic, in times of darkness.
Used material: Digital programs: photoshop- fractalius- blender. meshmixer. Xaos.
Biography: Visual artist at Open Sim. Self-taught in different expressions of visual art. Related academic career in Humanities in RL.
x-grid-info://osgrid/region/interstellART_exhibitions/310/359/24 .

Wankagiriya - Feelings Of Isolation And Distance

Another art-exhibition has been completed for the collaborative project "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness", which will be opened in OSGrid on 21st of March at 2pm SLT. Sujeewa Kumari, a well reputed Sri Lankan artist, shows drawings and paintings created during the Corona-crisis with the title "wankagiriya", feelings of distance and isolation. The paintings can be bought in real and the artist will give a special discount for visitors of the VWBPE-event, who decide there to buy one. Ask Asmita Duranjaya for details.

Sujeewa's work has been arranged by Asmita in cubes according to the wish of the artist and each cube is hollow and a visitor can sit inside and let him/her inspire by the artwork. It contains a chair with the specific texture, which can be taken as a freebie for 0L. 

The pictures are of a soft and sensitive beauty and are sold for a very reasonable price. Sri Lanka as an island was completely isolated during the last year of covid 19 and it was extremely difficult for artists to survive, because they live also from buyers and collectors, who come from outside the island. So each sold artwork is a help for the artists and their families. Two pictures are already sold.

"Wankagiriya" means something like maze. The maze is a symbol for the feelings in corona-times - we are in a trap and have to find the way out in a difficult terrain.

 

 

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.

More topics related to "Reconnaissance In Times Of Darkness" will follow; the following artists are working on their installations:

iSkye Silverweb - Being Deaf In Times Of Darkness

Sujeewa Kumari - Feelings Of Isolation And Distance

We invite all interested hyper-travellers to visit the var-sim interstellART_exhibitions:
hg.osgrid.org:80:interstellART_exhibitions

https://opensimworld.com/hop/85547 .

Visiotrs, who have no open sim-avatar yet can register here, choose an avatar and login.

Look for the profile of Asmita Duranjaya and for VWBPE in the picks. There will be the tp to the welcome area. 

You need a 3rd party viewer for OS:

- http://www.singularityviewer.org/downloads

- https://wiki.firestormviewer.org/doku.php?id=downloads#current_release_for_opensim .

Petition against anti-democratic tendencies in the SL art scene

Petition to LL

To the company of Linden Lab / the coordinator for the arts in Second Life

We are a group of professional artists, art aficionados, photographers or educators who are active in SL.  We are writing because we deeply concerned about the future of SLEA.  LEA has been a valuable Linden Lab program in SL because it has promoted art in SL and made SL a better place. Currently decision making in SLEA is focused on one person rather than on a board as previously, and the arbitrary decisions are discouraging many artists from participating in the program.  Four examples of the negative impact on the current leadership structure of SLEA are provided below.

1. Quotation from the web-page of SLEA:
"Upon the initial review it was realized that a grading system was not necessary as each essay was clear, concise and very detailed and equally befitting of a grant."
(https://slendowmentforthearts.wordpress.com/2020/11/20/launch-1-slea-grant-award-recipients/)

Beside general doubts, that ALL essays have been of equal quality, which would be very unusual, how can this be decided by ONE person only? A grant decision has always to pass the view of a commission, which is consensus in a free democratic world and we should all work, that these rules are not undermined by self-appointed, autocratic persons.

2. The next quotation shows the autocratic tendency of the concerned person:
"It was at this point as Coordinator of SLEA, I made what I believe to be a very balanced, mindful decision."

Separate from the inappropriate self-praise, one group of 15 artists as an example got a „region“ (5000 prims) and not the full sim, they applied for, though they had explained, why they needed more prims; but others, who are a couple or even single persons got a full sim for a much longer time.
You can also see, that here one person alone has taken over the decision for a project, which concerns so many different interests. This is completely unacceptable and if the art community in Second Life will accept that and follow blindly, then it says much about the collective mental status and a tendency to fascism, that we really don't want to be a part of it anymore.

3. The recent SLEA-responsible Tansee Trillium tries insistently to degrade the former LEA-project and the artists, who got a grant there. According to our experience the committee members used a point system, inspected also external exhibitions or machinimas of the applicants and the summarized points were the basis for the decision and this is, how it has to be. We are against the degradation of the LEA committee members and the artists, who have contributed to the idea over years.

4. 19 SLEA applications are not many in a world with a huge amount of artistically interested persons from all over the world. LEA had on average around 38  and 25 regions to distribute. It means, that SLEA would have been enough space to fulfill everyone’s wish, what has not happened. Our question is, why did so few artists apply?

The current leadership structure with all the power in one person runs the risk of nepotism and abuse.  The signers to this petition are requesting that Linden Labs restore the prior board-based management structure providing a broader and more democratic leadership to SLEA so that more artists do not migrate out of SL to other virtual world platforms.  

Germany, 12.12.2020 Asmita Duranjaya / interstellART

signed by:
Kyoko (Samara Barzane)
Silas Merlin
Dodge Threebeards
Bluesrocker
Lena Kiopak
Fluer Heartsdale
Claude Belgar
Fuyuko Amano
Shenn Coleman
Ian Patton
Nima Benoir
Gee
Hannington Xeltentat
Asperix Asp
Brightly Shyne
DolphinDifference
Chuck Clip
Timo Dumpling
BrooklynHayworth
Kees Veranes
Lusus  Saule
Asperix Asp



and many more, who did not want to sign for a variety of reasons, but agreed to the content.