University of Western Australia 3D Art and Machinima Competitions

Today, the University of Western Australia (UWA) announced the winners of its two current competitions, MachinimUWA VI: Reflections and the UWA Centenary 3D Art Challenge (about which I wrote here), both of which by coincidence enjoyed 64 entries. These competitions award a total of L$1.7 million to the winners, and are truly international in scope, with entries from artists around the world. The leader of the UWA Virtual World Projects is Jayjay Zifanwe (or Jay Jay Jegathesan in real life), Manager of the UWA School of Physics; the competitions were curated by FreeWee Ling.

The results for the Centenary 3D Art Challenge, with links to each of the artworks:
1st Prize (L$100,000): I Thought I Hated Him by Glyph Graves of Sydney, Australia (58 points) (pictured above)
2nd Prize Joint (L$59,000): Mirror With 4 Virgins on the Shores of their Depravity by Jipe Loon of Haute Savoie, France (47 points)
2nd Prize Joint (L$59,000): Looking Back by Carmsie Melody (Australia) & Struthious (USA) (47 points)
2nd Prize Joint (L$59,000): Silent Reflections by Krystali Rabeni of Blackpool, Lancashire, England (47 points)
5th Prize Joint (L$30,000): Quantum by Barry Richez of Toulouse, France (38 Points)
5th Prize Joint (L$30,000): Neuron Sphere by Shenn Coleman of Avignon, France (38 Points)
5th Prize Joint (L$30,000): Echo's Reflecting Pool by Misprint Thursday of New Hampshire, USA (38 Points)
8th Prize Joint (L$25,000): Fruit of Time by Rebeca Bashly of Belgrade, Serbia (36 Points)
8th Prize Joint (L$25,000): Riflessioni delle Onde (Reflections of Waves) by Nino Vichan of New York, USA (36 points)
10th Prize Joint (L$8,500): Hidden by Rose Borchovski of Amsterdam, The Netherlands (32 points)
10th Prize Joint (L$8,500): Who Are You? by Blue Tsuki of Seattle, USA (32 points)
10th Prize Joint (L$8,500): Reflexions of Reflections Carousel by Yepar Saez of the Martinique Islands in the French Carribean (32 points)
UWA Centenary Special Prize (L$50,000): Strange Oaks from Simple Acorns Grow by Soror Nishi, of Kent, England
UWA Centenary Honourable Mention Prize (Joint - L$15,000): Echo's Reflecting Pool by Misprint Thursday of New Hampshire, USA
UWA Centenary Honourable Mention Prize (Joint - L$15,000): The Thinker by Ama Avro of Strasbourg, France
3D Art Curators Prize (Joint - L$15,000): Windows Into Other Rooms by Takni Miklos of Figueres, Spain
3D Art Curators Prize (Joint - L$15,000): Reflection AndroHumanoid by Thierry Lowtide of Popes, Avignon Vaucluse, France

Glyph Graves's winning entry, I Thought I Hated Him, may not look like much at first glace, but the concept is brilliant: "All movement and all music is generated by the intersection between the New York Stock Exchange (Mr New York) and the Shanghai Stock Exchange (Miss Shanghai) in real time when the exchanges are open," says the artist. You'll find more information at the installation.

Curator FreeWee Ling has assembled a remarkable exhibition catalogue available here.

As for the MachinimUWA VI: Reflections competition, the winners are:
1st Prize (L$200,000): Past | Beyond by Vilvi Rae of Jyvaskyla, Finland. (79 points)
2nd Prize (L$150,000): Narcissus by Tutsy Navartha, Frenchman in Pondicherry India (75 points)
3rd Prize (L$125,000): Pallina...The Little Rascal by pallina60 Loon of Rome, Italy. (65 points)
4th Prize (L$100,000): The Mirror Lies by Joe Zazulak of New Orleans, USA (61 points)
5th Prize (L$80,000): Hasta Tu Estrella by Erythro Asimov of Tours, France (58 points)
6th Prize (L$40,000): Juniper by Bryn Oh of Toronto, Canada (48 points)
7th Prize (L$40,000): Window on a Train by Natascha Randt (Germany) & Karima Hoisan (Costa Rica) (44 points)
8th Prize (L$40,000): Shadows Reflecting Darkness by Joe Zazulak of New Orleans, USA (42 points)
9th Prize Joint (L$40,000): Taya Tan by Erythro Asimov of Tours France (35 points)
9th Prize Joint (L$40,000): Stolen Reflections by Braclo Eber of South Africa (35 points)
10th Prize (L$40,000): Cloud by Hypatia Pickens of Rochester, USA (29 points)
MachinimUWA VI: Art of the Artists Special Prize (L$50,000): Reflections of a Life by Devi Sky of Northridge, USA
MachinimUWA VI: Centenary Prize (L$50,000): Drawing Outside the Lines by Chic Aeon of Corvallis, Oregon, USA
MachinimUWA VI: Centenary Honourable Mention (L$25,000): Reflections: 100 Years of Passion by Wynshel Heir of San Francisco, USA

Links to all the machinima entered in the competition are available here in 720p at AviewTV.

Congratulations to all the winners. It was a privilege for me to serve on the juries of both these competitions. And thanks especially to the University of Western Australia for its pioneering work to encourage the development of art in virtual worlds.

Black Basalt Beach

After I blogged about Jac Mornington's sims Sol Existence and Baja Norte, he mentioned to me that he had an additional space under construction, Black Basalt Beach. I stopped back from time to time, checking on its progress—it's a collaborative effort with sim owner Rosy Highwater, who's very welcoming—and finally it's ready for prime time.

The beach itself is really only a quarter of the sim, rolling along it western edge, with a lighthouse, walkways, bike rides, pelicans, cormorants, and of course plenty of sand and sun. The remainder of the sim is a rocky outcrop thrust from the sea, quite beautifully landscaped, with a striking glass house by Van Auster perched in its center. (I hesitated to enter the house—although it is a glass house!—but noticed a tip jar inside, so I think it's fair game. And the views of the beach from inside are stunning.)

On the other side of the sim, a waterfall cascades into a deep ravine that cuts the island into two, the smaller part accessible only by a rickety handmade bridge. Heron wade in a nearby pool, while deer forage in a meadow. Throughout you'll find places to pause and enjoy the view.

Photography at The Chamber (possibly NSFW)

The Chamber, a "secret sex society themed club set in a vintage hotel room," (about which I've written here) recently held a photography competition, the results of which, not surprisingly, are tastefully erotic. The winning entries are now on display at the main landing area, which is accessible to the general public, and among them are not only works by several well-known photographers, but also by names that are new to me. First prize went to Coral Lacey, second to Finn Zane (the violet-hued image, top left) and third to Herzkoenig Actor. Among the honorable mentions are works by ZieklingBunnyhug, Vampirelicker201, Rix Spyker, Heaven Demina, Rachel Swallows, Copernico Ferraris, Keely Mistwood, JJ Domzarjs, Telemaco Treves, PollyAnna4, Lemon Artemesia and Stormesque. I don't see a posted closing date for the exhibition, so go enjoy it soon just in case it closes in the near future.

17th Bienal de Cerveira

Now open and continuing through September 14 is a major exhibition of work by ten artists (or teams of artists) at the Second Life portion of the 17th Bienal de Cerveira, organized by the Cerveira Biennial Foundation in Portugal. Covering the entire sim, as well as in the air, are works by Alpha Auer (a.k.a. Elif Ayiter) (of alpha.tribe), Bryn Oh, CEELeste Serra, Eupalinos Ugajin, Holala Alter, Kikas Babenko & Marmaduke Arado, Patrick Moya, Maya Paris, meilo Minotaur & CapCat Ragu, and Osederatus Haven.

In real life, a display room at the Bineal in Portugal will broadcast images from several sims in Second Life (including the exhibition sim, Immersiva and others), and visitors will be able to use any of three avatars to explore on their own. It's an impressive attempt to introduce the arts in Second Life to serious artists who may not be familiar with virtual worlds. More information on the Bienal is available on its website.

Among the more interesting of the works are Maya Paris's installation (a name for which I don't see), filled with clever interactive elements and free objects (top image); Bryn Oh's partial restaging of Virginia Alone, which will keep you busy for a while reading correspondence littered on the floor (lowest image); the lovely Hommage a Pessoa by Alpha Auer (second image); Eupalinos Ugajin's enormous structure; and the playful and funny work of Kikas Babenko & Marmaduke Arado (third image), all presented on a delightful structure created by designer Medy Spore.

Study for Mechanical Circus Revisited

Several months ago, I blogged about Yooma Mayo's extraordinary installation at Lost Town (La Città Perduta) entitled Study for Mechanical Circus, which preceded the construction of the new (and soon to close) Mechanical Circus at LEA24. Fortunately, the curators of Lost Town have invited Yooma to restage the first work, and it will be on display through August 31.

In revisiting the Study, one can see where Yooma was headed, with his parade of enormous elephants (what better animal to use for such a gesture?) on high legs overstepping the city. Although the earlier piece doesn't contain nearly the complexity of the final Mechanical Circus, its integration with the town is remarkable: we view the artwork not as something superimposed but rather an integral part of the overall city—something also achieved recently by Haveit Neox with his Lost Alphabet.

Openings at Gallery Assis (possibly NSFW)

Opening today, Saturday, July 27, at 12:00 noon slt, is a new exhibition at Gallery Assis by resident artists Benjamin Glendale, Lincoln Garnet, Maloe Vansant and Darius Kragin. Assis presents "tasteful erotic art from diverse sexualities and genders," and this mix of male and female forms and embrace of varied sexual orientations is expressed in the excellent work of these four artists (and throughout the entire gallery, curated by Eli Wallace). The opening reception has a theme—international flair—so you're invited to come in an outfit reflecting your country's colors, national dress or heritage. (Or, for that matter, I'm sure you could arrive wearing nothing at all, which would fit in quite nicely as well.)

There are additional exhibitions throughout Gallery Assis that merit a visit. One that opened recently includes work of resident artists Jessica Belmer, Emaline9, and Isa Messioptra (image below, showing some work of the first two artists). Other works on display include those by Tomais Ashdene, Jeanne Sahara, Domatalia Jinx, Sydney Bonde, Darius Kragin, Jipe Loon, Joseph Nussbaum, Erik Bayn, Burk Bode, Ray D, Flora Clayflower, Petra Messioptra, Corinne Helendale, Driscol Byron, Gregor Tenk and Whiskey Monday.

Float=Nought

I've been meaning to write something about Blue Tsuki's Float=Nought for quite a long time—it opened several months ago, commissioned by Eli Wallace and installed adjacent to Gallery Assis. In a few weeks, Gallery Assis will move to a new location, and Float=Nought will have to come down, so this large-scale artwork is reaching the end of its lifespan (at least for now). Visitors familiar with Blue's earlier works might notice a stylistic similarity to The Hall of Lanterns or The Theatre of Memory, but this is a strong and impressive work that more than holds its own.

The artist writes, "Float=Nought is a piece made after a hiatus from SL art making. It revisits some familiar memes and tosses some on the fire to make way for the new. It is a transition piece to the next direction of images and dreams. As always, little explanation here, I prefer people bring their own interpretations as those are always more powerful. That said, as a starting point the piece is a slow meditation on transience and almost remembering something forgotten."

The installation consists of three major spaces, shown here in order: the opening (and smallest) area, on the water, a large, slowly spinning form that might remind one of a carousel; the second space, a fantastic assemblage of light and line (walking or camming around to change perspectives is a must); and finally the mysterious third space: arched walls filled with vases, chairs and masks (click on the red one in each) surrounding a watery space filled with boats and a bonfire of chairs. I'm oversimplifying and, like Blue, I'll refrain interpretive thoughts, but do go take a look before Float=Nought has to disappear.

Mechanical Circus

For several months, artist Yooma Mayo has been building Mechanical Circus at LEA24 (one of the Linden Endowment for the Arts sims), and finally it's finished. Officially opening today, Thursday, July 25, it's just in time, as the exhibition must end on July 31, so we have only a few days to enjoy this remarkable and glorious build. Those who visited Yooma's installation at La Città Perduta earlier this year may notice a few motivic similarities—elephants, acrobats and the like.

The structure itself is immense, and you won't be able to see all of it unless you turn your draw distance up—the build rises nearly 300 meters up into the air and stretches hundreds of meters across the sim. The number of objects in the artwork—and their level of detail and interconnectedness—is staggering, as is the sheer inventiveness of these half-animal half-machine circus performers. Mechanical Circus is not to be missed.

Ghostville

Opening tomorrow, Thursday, July 25 at 11:00 a.m. slt, is Cica Ghost's Ghostville at Per4mance MetaLES ..O.., curated by Ux Hax, Lanjran Choche and Romy Nayar. Following in the path of the artist's two previous sim-wide installations—Black and White and Rust (the latter of which is still up for a short while longer at LEA13)—Ghostville employs an unmistakably similar form and style but focuses on different materials. Both earlier installations are referenced here.

Black and White, a playful stick-figure world of people, hills and houses, and Rust, a brown-tinted world filled with quirky machines and animals, are taken a logical step forward. In Ghostville, a ground color palette of browns and black is peppered with vanilla and jasmine colored partial buildings (they stand as though they are finished, just not complete), all set against a slowly drifting steel blue sky. Throughout, despite the surreal and sometimes stark landscape, are touch of Cica's sense of humor and playfulness. The installation will remain up for two months.

Leroy

If you're in the mood for tranquility, venture over to Leroy, a sim designed by landscape architect Quark Fallen. At the landing point you'll find yourself on the deck of a brig sailing on a glistening wintery sea. Walk down the gangplank to venture to the sandy island, or follow the path of icy evergreen trees to a quaint little cafe. It's a beautiful, expansive setting with a steady flow of visitors and lots of options for landscape photography.

Back on board the ship you'll spy some teleport options, and from here you can venture to three different places. The first is Quiet after evening, a lush Japanese garden landscape (middle image). The second, Hydrangea, says it's open July 10-15, so it may disappear quite soon: a colorful land of hydrangeas, dense rain and a giant snail. And for a small fee you can rent a tiny little private chamber as well, the Chateau. Teleporting around in Leroy can be a bit of a challenge, as there's a fixed landing point—sometimes fellow explorer Ada Iolo and I had to teleport out of the sim just to return to the boat. But don't let that stop you, and keep an eye out for many free items available here and there.