Imogen and the pigeons

Opening on Sunday, January 13, is a masterpiece by Bryn Oh entitled Imogen and the pigeons. Like much of the artist's work, the installation is narrative: the observer follows a given path (more or less, although there are a few options here and there on the ground level) to learn the story of Imogen, apparently an inmate at a mental institution. Also a hallmark of the artist's style is the mix of narrative, disturbing imagery and situations, poignant hope, and fun, too: there are puzzles and things to figure out.

After a brief exploration of the ground level (which is literally on the ground) you're going to have to climb your way to the true start of the installation. If you're the type who loves fun and puzzles, find the large red block and gradually (and carefully) climb your way up as prims rez in front of you. (You will get the hang of it!) If you want the easy way, take the stairs that wrap around one of the towers. There's also a little flying chair down there somewhere, although I'm not sure it can manage to get to the top.

Once inside, you're going to enter a disturbing world: something's clearly not right here, and it might not be the patients. You'll meet a number of characters, including a nurse, a therapist (perhaps—his door's sign has a mistake and says "the rapist") and patients Chalk Fingers, Juniper (hidden under a blanket—we see only a foot), Ginger Float (photo just above), Elliot Amber, and finally Imogen, who sits in her bed and stares out the barred window at the free pigeons beyond (see the top photo in this post). But...Imogen finds a way out, and you need to as well. That's where the second half of her story begins, and I'm not going to give away the ending. (And there are deeper levels of narrative and interpretation as well.)

A travel tip of sorts: there are a few places where you need to keep an eye out for feathers—the first ones are very obvious—and you'll need them to traverse some of the build. Don't take them off too soon or you might get stuck or fall—wait for a sign indicating the coast is clear. There's also a secret room above the entire build, and you'll need to find a little tp spot on the ground to get up to it. And by all means bring a friend with you, as some of the puzzles and challenges will benefit from teamwork.

The Immersiva sim where Imogen and the pigeons is installed is supported by patrons Peter Greenaway, Selby Evans, Soup/Lovers Lane Studios, ENTERMETA and the lovely people of Second Life. You're welcome to leave tips at the entrance, and you can also teleport up to Bryn Oh's shop, where you'll find many items from past builds for sale. The sim opened to the SL press yesterday, and Bryn opened the sim to the Immersiva group today, so you can get an early peek if you're in a hurry. Bryn will restrict the sim to 10-15 avatars at a time to minimize lag.