The Dreams, Nightmares & Memories Art Festival

It's been a while since I've blogged about any art, mainly due to the fact that real life hasn't allowed me too much time in SL. But the Dreams, Nightmares & Memories exhibition in Virtual Holland, Second Life has spurred me on...it's yet another example of the awesome creativity going on in SL by artists who create works both in real life and through SL.

The art exhibition has been organized by AuraKyo Insoo, showcasing a variety of artistic endeavours, ranging from traditional painting to sculpture made with SL resources only, with the theme of, as the title suggests, dreams, nightmares and memories. It's a real testament to the creativity of the human mind in whatever environment it's in.

'Memories' by AuraKyo InsooAs you climb the inviting orange staircase at the entrance you are first greeted by a marvellous statue, melancholy in it's pose and placement. It's has beautiful form, and is thought provoking with it's accompanying words.
Moving upwards you pass some displays of paintings, to some maybe slightly shocking in content with dark themes, up to the main exhibition area. Here you will find a real assortment of artistic styles.

Rose Borchovski
One of the first installations I visited was the wonderful ....by Rose Borchovski To get to it you click on an eye which opens up a door, reminiscent of The Time Tunnel (the great TV show from the 60's) which teleports you to a platform, high up amongst mist and clouds. The atmosphere is so surreal, the image I posted above doesn't do it justice.
'Kunst der Fuge' by Igor Ballyhoo


The installation by Igor Ballyhoo shows how far artistic creativity in SL has progressed from a few years ago - his complex build is a moving, writing mass of lines encasing tentacled creatures. Far from static, and very original. It's impressive in it's appearance of complexity, which the picture above could not in anyway portray. You have to go and see it.
Bryn Oh
Another installation which struck me was Bryn Oh's untitled one. From the outside it has an abandoned, lonely, grey appearance. It exudes an atmosphere of something lost. But you can step inside the creation, and are struck by the sudden light in the scene, contrasting it's outward appearance. The figures are poised as if you have entered at a moment of time freezing, like an observer or intruder, able to inspect their world. The umbrella appears at first to lie still on the floor, but if you zoom up close to it it gently rotates, and each inner section is filled with words - go and read them, it's beautifully done and cannot fail to touch you.

'Old days' and 'Pain' by AuraKyo Insoo

And of course we can see once again the wonderful work of AuraKyo Insoo. There is so much emotion, so much atmospshere in her work., and so much creativity, it's amazing. Take a walk around her 'Pain' installation, with it's haunting eyes, floating, wonderful figures and forms, and words with add a final dimension of emotion to what she creates.

Unfortunately the exhibition is only temporary, and there's so much more to see than I've blogged about here. Do try and go along and indulge in the works and atmospheres (you can click the post title to get an SURL to the exhibition). It really is a feast.



Dreams, Nightmares & Memories art festival,Virtual Holland, Second Life:Creations by:jackjohannes Allen, Evangeline Arcadia, Carabella Babii, Igor Ballyhoo, Massimo Blinker, Rose Borchovski, Schmonson Dalglish, Explorer Dastardly, Artistide Despres, Glyph Graves, AuraKyo Insoo, Arnold Jung, Kean Kelly, Lollito Larkham, White Lebed, Ludo Merit, Sabrinaa Nightfire, soror Nishi, Bryn Oh, RAG Randt, Betty Rogan, aRa Sheridan, Elizabeth Spieler, Jen Trute, Vianne Udet, Alexandar Vargas and Dan Yapungku.
* Curated by AuraKyo Insoo.