further Interactive - The Vanishing

Some further links regarding the Interactive collaboration at Caerleon -

Apollo Manga's review Part II

FreeWee's thorough Picasa photo-documentary



On Friday, Dec. 4th Iono Allen - Diabolus artist and machinimist - went on a tour with me through Interactive - the large-scale immersion installation by Caerleon artists I have blogged about before. Iono was nice enough to allow me to use our conversation during the tour on this blog for further thoughts and illuminations about Interactive. That transcript follows:

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[Behind the Maze]
Miso Susanowa: did you look in the Well?

Iono Allen: the well ?

Miso Susanowa: yes, it is a big clue. You are searching for a noob yes? And you see... yourself looking back at you, yes? So we tell you right here; at the very beginning; the noob is you

Iono Allen: yes, that's a wonderful idea !

Miso Susanowa: We do this many times in the installation; we show the strings of the playwright. We say - this is not a simple visual movie (Second Life) - this is a world. To be truly present in a world one must interact with that world.

Iono Allen: I agree completely.

Miso Susanowa: we made it like a game where everything is revealed and
yet you do not have the understanding; later, all is obvious... Second Life at first it seems mostly a "chat program with pictures" but later, you realize it is much more, or can be... if you INTERACT with it

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[In Alizarin's Forest]
Iono Allen: and these balls here ?

Miso Susanowa: More dancing, for a group; we encourage interacting with friends here
Iono Allen: and this one is for couple ?

Miso Susanowa:Yes; so Alizarin says, "dance alone, or dance with a friend, or dance with friends"

Iono Allen:Yes, I understand better now. I didn't get that message because I was alone.

Miso Susanowa: SL is not very much fun or interesting alone... only when interacting with the people here :)

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Miso Susanowa: Transition from a... virtual forest to a cartoon forest.

Iono Allen: and the transition is very good indeed

Miso Susanowa: Peeling back another layer of the artifice. At first... SL is all show, yes? :) The best Guides in Second Life are the same ones as in the "real" world - your own curiosity and willingness to engage and participate.

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[Cabaret]
Miso Susanowa: be sure to turn on your music stream :)

Iono Allen:I have it yes; old French songs.

Miso Susanowa: This is one path offered in Second Life... to just have fun; to play the man-woman game.

Iono Allen: Right, it's one of the choices in SL, and in rl too !!!

Miso Susanowa: Yes. There is a depiction of this on the walls of the Maze...

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[The Little Village]
Iono Allen: I like the giant people looking at the village.

Miso Susanowa: ahhhhh a HUGE clue - THEY look at YOU; YOU look at the little people. Here are worlds within worlds; more pointed echoes.

Iono Allen: yes

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[Undersea/Mine]

Iono Allen: Ahh this is very mysterious to me.

Miso Susanowa:The walls and floor change according to your presence and Artistides shows her hand as the Maker; hers is the only wall that does not change because it is HER wall.

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Miso Susanowa: Shakespeare in the depths

Iono Allen: yes

Miso Susanowa: We point again to the play made by you; we show you a famous playwright.

Iono Allen: and the lights ?

Miso Susanowa: The aisle lights of the theatre receeding into the distance.

Iono Allen: and here I am now on a chair, with a book

Miso Susanowa: the author? ^_^

Iono Allen: Victor Hugo...

Miso Susanowa:Another playwright! And you are now in the reverse perspective, observing the "Stage" of the mine floor...

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[The Factory]
Miso Susanowa: the chair is an echo of The Wizard Of Oz, "the man behind the curtain." You are the controller... the rock wall here, another storybook reference: "Open Sesame" or Ali Baba.

Miso Susanowa: Lollito shows the dreamer's bed and tells you you are in a dream. And here is the dream, showing the Puppet Master.

Iono Allen: that is the message ! I didn't get that completely.

Miso Susanowa: All the tricks of SL; the colors, the toys... butt if you look up you see the puppeteer. Our layers get thinner as you rise above.

Iono Allen: Yes. You see, I couldn't make any movie without your explanations :\

Miso Susanowa: but part of those explanations are my interacting with this installation with my mind, yes?

Iono Allen: I guess I had about 85% of them

Miso Susanowa: There were several artists working here; I missed many things the first few times through myself. All the elements work well together to support and reinforce the theme and statement.

Iono Allen: It is really fabulous.


Miso Susanowa: Many came to it... like a good book, I think it escapes many, because they engage in the behaviour we speak about here; sample, graze, move on...

Iono Allen: I have to say that the challenge is very hard, as clever as the artists have been !

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[The Star Globe]
Miso Susanowa: Ok, so now the long ride on the star ("you are the star"). In this we show everything. You are taken aloft, to see the SIM - to see the entire artwork and adventure story as it truly is. It is a digital simulation in a computer matrix called "Second Life."

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[Endgame]
Miso Susanowa: here is the basic building block of SL - the Cube; we even place a plain plywood cube next to it, the most basic of building blocks a person creates when they begin trying toi build something in Second Life.

Miso Susanowa: The final area echoes the first treasure room, but this is the real treasure of Second Life - links to other groups, art, culture, music, education...

Iono Allen: I really like this idea

Miso Susanowa: And one may add to those links, becoming part of our installation.

Iono Allen: oh really ?

Miso Susanowa: Yes; this is where one may drag one's own LMs to add to the linkages. So the collection of information grows and each person becomes part of INTERACTION, the installation.

Miso Susanowa: Here the map you saw way back at the beginning, but now its meaning is clearer. You see the mountain ranges, the village, the pathways, the forest ... everything.

Iono Allen: yes

Miso Susanowa: When you stay in SL for awhile, suddenly a mess of random things make some sense and now you can puzzle out some of the meaning of the world.

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Miso Susanowa: The echoes of this sphere are all throughout... starting in the first welcome
area and maze... in fact, in the Maze treasure room, did you notice Free Wee's small globe?

Iono Allen: no

Miso Susanowa: Undersea... the chair spheres and gumballs... at the very beginning, in the welcome area, the language spheres; Artee's clue spheres you asked me about... like the repetitive elements of a story or painting; reinforcement of theme.

Iono Allen: Ahhhh yes! I try to use that in my machinima. Bach did that in his music.

Miso Susanowa: That is a good collab - we were all "on the beam." Each artist worked that theme their own way and the mesh is very gratifying and larger than any one artist. We did not wish a mishmash or collection of solo exhibitions

Iono Allen: You succeeded !!

Miso Susanowa: it was very gratifying

Iono Allen: and what I like is that it is art...

Miso Susanowa: it was a stellar collaboration

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Iono Allen: I guess that my first look here was about 2 hours

Miso Susanowa: It does encourage them to not merely "view and go" like snack food, which is a serious problem for the arts in this medium, with people conditioned to "computer games" as the use of this type of 3D platform. It is a bad habit for works of art and this is what we wished to dialogue about; it is very discouraging.

Iono Allen: yes

Miso Susanowa: To the artists working in this medium, SL is not just something to be engaged in idle time and to idle purpose.

Iono Allen: No it is not, I agree; a new medium, yes.

Miso Susanowa: There is a deeper world here.

Iono Allen: That's what I like in SL - I learn so much here! About ideas, about people, about technology; opening to the world; different cultures. Tools like Google Wave may be on the right way to improve things toward better communication.

Miso Susanowa: This is the future here. It is crude; it is just beginning, but it IS the future. And I live here.

Iono Allen: We are the future :)

Miso Susanowa: Exactly. And should the future be all... popcorn pictures? Or is it more? What makes it more? We do, by our engagement with it as a serious world. Not many of us have the chance to directly affect a medium of such vast reach. Most people did not have the opportunity to affect the printing press or the television station in the past. Now, with technology reaching to public access levels and affordability, we stand on the verge of a total transformation in media as big as the first printing press or affordable camera.

Miso Susanowa: That's our message... perhaps too ambitious ;)

Iono Allen: You see, I have got richer tonight :)

Miso Susanowa: Then our work as artists is a success and we thank you :)

Dusty Canning's incredible diorama

Ok, this is just too cool for words. Stunning micro-prim work; amazing layout, just not enough words to describe this incredible miniature train diorama done by Dusty Canning at the UWA site. GO SEE NOW!!!!

SLurl: Dusty's Diorama at UWA

Cam-lock (alt-left click) on a train or plane and ride around... zoom in and the scale gets lost and you are in a miniature world; such incredible work for the scale! Poor Dusty must be half-blind by now... an excessively-extraordinary work.

ps: i want one of these under my Christmas tree!!!!

bork

Interactive - The Vanishing

Interactive is open, so now I can talk about it. Without giving too many clues and hints, I'd like to write a bit about the project, give my thoughts about the creation process and the underlying structure.



Arrival

When you arrive, you arrive in a replica of the Second Life Help Island, almost the first place any noobie arrives after the tutorial (that is, if they aren't an alt). You are given an opportunity to choose your shape and gender just like in the tutorial. You are also given some nice freebie clothes to begin your adventure. Continuing down the path, you are introduced to the storyline... and then you encounter my Maze.



The Maze

I have had many comments on this structure, so I will explain not only about the Maze itself, but about the meaning behind it.

When you approach the Maze, you see several things: the "sculpture" of translucent columns on the roof, the opening of the Maze featuring the very platform you just stepped off of and a series of footprints.

The Maze was designed as a microcosm of the Second Life experience, particularly that of a noobie. It's hard to cam around in. The "artwork" on the rising columns are photos from SL itself, the most common first exposure to this world: Freebies... Free Lindens... Free Sex...

Kinda dull isn't it? It's supposed to be. Because at first login, SL looks bland, dated, boring; it's difficult to use the cam, lousy textures... we all know this. But we fool ourselves into forgetting it.

The decor on the walls and floor should be a huge clue: stylized computer circuits and motherboards. The artwork is what you encountered countless times when first finding your way around SL. You see "Dating" and "Shopping" and "Dance Party!" and "Camping" and... all the dull, stupid, surface-level AOL-chatroom type junk that makes the casual sampler say, "ooo this is fun for like, two days ok i'm outta here gotta go play WoW." In the words of one avatar, "I've played a lot of games, so when I first logged on I was like what is this BS?"

Here's the words of one reviewer -

"People just don't have that kind of patience in SL. 99% of the time, "art lovers" are looking to be entertained and also to experience fantastic visuals, so when presented with an obstacle at the very beginning of a sim-wide show, and unless they know you and don't want to disappoint you, they are just going to TP out, or fly past it or..."

or LOG OFF AND GO PLAY WOW. Yep. And that is the heart of the matter we are addressing in Interactive.

[btw - First day opening: 120 unique visitors - Average time of stay: 2 hours - Longest time of stay: 5 hrs - Minimal time of visit: 70 minutes - Repeats: 62 separate avatars. Most positive feedback: from the mother of an autistic child who was ecstatic over the "game." Most negative feedback: "I am going to have to come back several times; there is so much to explore here!" (from many avatars)]



The Environment

I was helping to create and creating in the grandmothers of Second Life in 1996-1999 [ Alphaworld and Black Sun, among others] and come from a huge RP and gaming background. The VR worlds sprang from this background, so don't be so fast to discount it. When interest flagged in virtual worlds, it was the game community that held the line and was most instrumental in the progress of 3D virtual spaces and environments. And through the game worlds and the role-playing community the concept of a living world, a digital universe, was expanded and knitted together and grown. If you don't believe this, you don't know the history of digital worlds.

The first worlds were extremely interactive, as are many game worlds. They were not passive worlds. Everything was new. What most people think of as "SL" stuff was present 13 years ago: changing visuals on "prim surfaces," audio sounds linked to spaces and objects, even primitive video feeds; web page links were quite common; the entire space was loaded with tie-ins and cross-referencing and information transmission. This was the promise of VR (virtual reality); not to mimic some terrestrial billboard or gallery presentation but to transcend it, using the strengths and peculiarities of this new medium. After all, the strength and uniqueness of the network is in its' cross-connections and routing.

Remember, this is not a physical world where you might be surrounded by randomness and accidental object left by the passage of years or 10,000 people - every single element you see on a computer monitor has been deliberately crafted and placed. There are no "insignificant" elements. Objects and textures have been painstakingly placed, either to assist the storyline, provide sensual feedback, confirmation, stimulation or atmosphere. The making and positioning of them has taken many hours of work.

So when you encounter something in such a digital reality, the first thing you need to do is the exact same thing you do when visiting a new city or environment: pay attention! Look around! (er, that is if mutant alien beings or zombies aren't shooting at you).



Back To The Maze

At the very beginning of the Maze is a series of footprints. Hmmm. If this was a mystery (and we tell you it is at the very beginning), such footprints would be a glaring, nay, hackneyed and obvious clue. Since this is Second Life, and in SL many things react to you, you'd probably want to CLICK THEM.

Or, if you didn't, and you went through the Maze with only surface attention, impatient to get through it and get to something else without regarding the Maze as a work of art, to be pondered and thought about... you'd exit at the rear by the (relatively simple) pathway. At that point, if you were actively engaged in the artwork, you'd notice that the footprints changed color. You'd probably investigate them for sure at that point. You might find something quite helpful also.

At another point in the Maze, you can go down a hallway that has a transparent wall in it, which shows you a space beyond the wall, with a rather pointed sign on the wall, almost a "hey silly!" clue to remind you of where you are... and what you are doing. Both audio and chat feedback (along with the ever-helpful Mysterious Footprints) will give you some hints, but it is your own willingness to engage yourself which will help you out best (this is a rather good approach to use with any artwork).

If you, however, pay minimal attention to where you are and to the fact that this is an art installation called "Interactive" and not a movie or a walk in some sunny virtual park with birdies tweeting merrily amidst golden (laggy) sunbeams, you will eventually find a hallway with representative works of the collaboration's artists that leads to a treasure room filled with fun interactive toys and artwork. Most importantly, you will find the first Journal, which will give you the full backstory and provide other clues for the continuation of your adventure. Since it is titled "Vol. I" you'd naturally assume there is a Vol. II...


If you elect to skip the Maze as somehow being insignificant, you can always follow the footprints that lead up a slanted door at the entrance to the roof and wander amidst the columns of light... which will then sing due to your presence. This may provide some clue to you that things possibly might not be what they seem, and it would be helpful to start thinking about what you are doing and what the point of the installation is...

The roof of the Maze also makes a moving sculpture based on the movements of people inside the Maze. Those inside the Maze cannot see the sculpture but an outside observer can. The roof also sings better when several people join in to play, reinforcing the idea that interaction and collaboration produces fun and interesting effects.



Reflections and Metaphors

You might also want to take a sharp look around after exiting the Maze by either Way before you ascend the path. The seemingly-scenic Well by FreeWee Ling should jolt your brain into considering its message of reflection and depth.

The same "wandering around" metaphor of the Maze is reflected in Ali's Forest area, although in this case Ali has opened the area up and provided you with a taste of the mystery and enchantment that is possible in SL by digging and going a little further along the road of exploration. Such exploration is an active process, not a passive viewing.

[When you first come to SL, it may take you some time of wading through DJ clubs and acres of faux-townhouses before you encounter something like "The Far Away" by AM Radio or a work by Adam Ramona, Glyph Graves, White Lebed or... Alizarin Goldflake]

Around the path, a small offshoot leads to a mysterious house. Prominently displayed on the wall over an altar/shrine, is a picture of a guru. Interacting with this guru will provide you with a glaring and major clue, as will interacting with the simple-seeming wooden block hovering outside and the hilariously-funny Twister board by FreeWee, who also helpfully provides a heavy wake-up call along the path to the forest *laughing*

If you merely view it... it might not seem so interesting, in the same way a book seems a pretty dull thing - two pasteboard covers enclosing a mass of crushed and pressed wood pulp stained with ink. Without opening the book, you have no idea what is inside: the mind-numbing and lulling bodice-ripping prose of Danielle Steel or the electrifying and stimulating mirrors of James Joyce.


Engagement


Interaction up until this point has been mostly up to the traveler and many elements will react to the mere passing or proximity of the viewer, leaving deeper and more meaningful displays hidden or unremarked unless actively engaged. But past the forest and the Cabaret is a crossroads: three paths diverge. One goes high, one low, the other straight on. The traveler is confronted by the first forced choice of pathways in the installation and must choose.

This is the midway point in the adventure and a comment on Second Life and VR worlds in particular; if one is not to remain a passive consumer of stimuli, reducing the metaverse to just another television show or eye-candy billboard, one must participate in choices, and not just of what outfit to buy or what shoes to wear. Treating the metaverse in this way is a reduction and a lessening of the potential inherent in the medium. This is not a duplication of physical reality in clever pixels: the metaverse is a new universe and needs to be treated as such.



Crossroads

From this Crossroads, the "action" speeds up and many more opportunities are presented to the traveler to actively participate in jostling, touching, acting upon and changing the environment and thus their perception of themselves as a mere sightseer to one of an active intelligence investigating and manipulating the surrounding environment. The metaphor of virtual reality is underscored and emphasised.


Artistides' SeaDome demands you make the effort to find a way in (and a way out) and her Musician's Chair exposes you as a Creator. FreeWee's Tower provides you with a choice that can have grave consequences and her marvelous miniature village, with Art Laxness' gigantic figures peering over the surrounding mountains while you play god to the little people show you the microcosm again - worlds within worlds. Such is the metaverse.

Almost everything in the undersea Mine will react to the presence of the traveler. Many more things will give the traveler storybook clues as to hir real situation: one may enter a picture, give permission to be loved by a giant, gain a magic storied sword, have a gumball, be Venus for a photo-op. Shakespeare floats in the depths just out of reach; the Playwright's presence is revealed. The typical questions of noobs float over your head, reminding you that you are in Second Life, not under the sea.


Apotheosis

At the end of the ocean plain, James Bond, Man of Adventure, guards the Intake Pipe of Lollito's Factory, sucking the traveler up into the machinery of the build. At the top landing, one may still choose the tourists' life, sitting for a picnic, going fishing with a rather apologetic avatar or talking to the seals and the teddy bear... "Tra la la," as David Bowie playing Jareth in 'The Labyrinth' would say.

If one continues into the (square) Factory, s/he may sit in the Controller's Chair (echoes of "The Wizard Of Oz") and wreak havoc among the machinery. A hidden (but clearly marked) Open Sesame (fairytale) door leads to a passageway beneath the sim (surface) to an Alice In Wonderland (storybook) room. A bed in the room transports the traveler into the Dream, which reveales the Dream Master (puppetmaster) pulling the strings (the reflection of Shakespeare in the depths of the sea). The ascending stairway echoes the moving barrier walls of the Maze, but this time the prims are stable and lead not into conflicting passageways but circle the Dream Master (recalling the circular structure of the Forest and the very beginning Welcome Area) and lead upward to the final destination. The Square has become the Circle.



Dénouement

A magical sphere takes the traveler on a god-like ride high above the sim, tethered to a star. The sim is shown as what it truly is: a small island in a sea of emptiness; a self-contained story consisting of "chapters" and "characters" made up of "prims" which are actually made up of data - representations of code given form on a computer screen by the shifting of light on a computer monitor.

At the end of this ride, the traveler is deposited in a giant sphere (echoing FreeWee's little snowglobe in the Maze's treasure room) filled with the true treasures of Second Life (and the metaverse) - links to groups, information, artworks; people, places and activities to interact with. The End Game Sphere (gumball) is the higher reflection of the humble Maze which began the traveler's journey and also provides the final clue and resolution of our story. All is revealed - the artists themselves, the final Journal, the story structure. Our main point of engagement is made clear:

A virtual world is a world indeed, and a living world demands participation and interaction. Virtual reality is not "television in 3d" where you are a passive consumer of what is presented to you; the possibilities for significant interaction and choice are wide-open and only wait for your hand to wield a creator's brush and reveal yourself as Artist and Playwright.



"If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended,
That you have but slumber'd here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend:
if you pardon, we will mend:
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearned luck
Now to 'scape the serpent's tongue,
We will make amends ere long;
Else the Puck a liar call;
So, good night unto you all.
Give me your hands, if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends."

- William Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

^_^

The Vanishing - An Interactive Collaboration

SLurl: Caerleon Interactive Collaboration
The Vanishing

The Vanishing - Grand Opening Sunday, Nov. 8 @1pmSLT

A Noob enters the virtual world and vanishes... it is up to you to find the clues to hir disappearance and determine hir fate...

A major collaborative work months in the making, Interactive is a sim-wide adventure-story engaging sight, sound and touch, leading the explorer through many areas and types of interaction with the virtual world. The Vanishing explores the role that interaction plays in a virtual environment, presented as a story and allegory of how we all began in Second Life.

You are encouraged and required to INTERACT! The overall design discourages mere passive viewing and is designed to place YOU in the central role of the story. Along the way you will meet with mystery, danger, thoughtful situations, sublime beauty, humorous engagements, dancing, musical structures and treasures.

Can you solve the mystery of the missing Noob?

Caerleon artists Alizarin Goldflake, Artistide Despres, FreeWee Ling, Lollito Larkham, Mencius Watts, Miso Susanowa, Pete Jiminy and Pixels Sideways, with contributions by Art Laxness, Artemiss Luminos, Cae Sands, Feathers Boa, Goose Wycliffe, Kolor Fall, Physeter Nicholls, Sabrinaa Nightfire & Thoth Jantzen unite to present this journey through the possibilities of virtual reality.

URL: Koinup Storyboard

You can also take a look at the Journals I made to be found within the sim and maybe get some clues...

URL: Flickr - Journal graphics

Have fun! ^_^

Devotion

Kelly Yap has been creating themed exhibitions for her gallery which bring together various artists to interpret the single-word titles. The results are interesting and creative, and this time we have Devotion as the theme. Come see the works of Ruuh Cassini, CHUCKMATRIX Clip, Salme Klaar, Al Lurton, Morgana Nagorski, Physeter Nicholls, Wolke Pinion, Sapphoria Shilova, Exosius Wooley, Trill Zapatero, Zephyru Zapetizki & Davideo Zelnik at the gallery through Dec. 15th.

SLurl: Devotion @ Kelly Yap Gallery

My own space is an installation on the theme of Devotion to Craft; my one-year dedication to the return of my ability to create. Since becoming unblocked, I have left Los Angeles and taken this year to work on my craft. I don't have a job; I am spending my savings to work in Second Life and offline 12-18 hrs. a day, 7 days a week to catch up/upgrade/re-establish the skills and networks I left in 1999. Crazy? Maybe. But if you've been blocked for 12 years and your Muse returns, you take the chance and go where She calls.

I have bad dreams, insecurities, big fears. But the bliss of creation and being able to once again talk with my craft carries me. Please ignore the occasional freakouts.

Extention

W00t! According to White Lebed's comment on my last post:

"The events and the activities will be closed in a few days, but the art and the builds will stay for another week and the gates will be opened till Nov 1st."

So, yay for the White Swan!

And i wasn't panicking -_- I was op-ed'ing :P

Burning Life and why is it so short?

Burning Life is in full swing; there is a tremendous amount of amazing, intricate, astonishing and fun builds this year, far more than at SL6B - many, many people have pulled out the stops for this event. It's true; at an event like this, there's barely enough time to see most of the highlights.

But why the h-e-double-chopsticks is Burning Life 2009 one week only? SL6B got extended for two. BL has far more involvement and creativity than SL6B did. The bloggers are just getting started describing the wonders to be seen, interacted with and experienced, owing to the news blackout pre-opening. Buzz is just amping up, and yet all of this will be gone in 3-4 days -_-

Just because the FL Burning Man festival is one week? Are we supposed to merely replicate First Life? That would be a dull metaverse indeed, aping (heh - theme pun) "normal" objects, "normal" buildings, "normal" people. The FL Burning Man doesn't come together to mimic or impersonate a city like Los Angeles or Boston or San Francisco; the physical city built in the desert in Nevada aims to recreate, extend, rethink and reimagine a cityspace and what can be done there.

We aren't limited in SL to vacation times, work schedules, physical water and food requirements, power and health logistics or any of the other reasons that keep Burning Man limited to one week. Why would the Lindens wish to cramp one of the best flowerings of Second Life, its communal spirit and creativity and one of the highest drawing events to date inworld to one week? It's crazy. They wish to show off the wonders and virtues of SL and then do something boneheaded like yank the plug on this year's Burning Life after a week.

*Sigh* I wish they had some people in their structure who actually understood the metaverse, and not a bunch of calculating and strategicalizing newmedia ex-television and website monetization monkeys :(

That said... all hats, propellers and barrettes off to Dusty Linden, White Lebed, Talia Tokugowa, lonetorus Habilis, all the sweet and interesting Rangers i've met, the Lamplighters, the Art Pathfinders, the Greeters, the djs, the hosts and all of the incredible builders and participators and tons and tons of people I don't even know about. Burn On!

Selected sites to go see:

Vessel's Dream by Bryn oh

Gulliver's travel by Ub Yifu

Towards the Future by Solkide Auer & Shellina Winkler

Sekhmet's Serpentunes by Madcow Cosmos & Lorin Tone

Proud Flesh by Adam Ramona

The Tower and the Quest by Alpha Auer & Frigg Ragu

Among Other Things by AM Radio

irregularity by Selavy Oh

144' by Dekka Raymaker & Penumbra Carter

ArtEvolutionCube by Kicca Igaly & Nessuno Myoo

Friends are everywhere! by Yoa Ogee

Inner Child Camp 2009 by Marianne McCann (with the advice and prims of Pygar Bu, Robin howe, Valla Griffin & Jonathan Spad)

The Art Department somewhat managed by White Lebed *laughing*

The full-scale giant MouseTrap Game by Nawlins Streeter!

Cabaret of Flames by Poid Malkovich

“The Burning Woman” by AuraKyo Insoo

Fushion by Four Yip and Mescaline Tammas (mmmm- chocolate!!!)

Happy Family by Artistide Despres

Bringing Water to the Desert by Alizarin Goldflake and Rezago Kokorin


The Art Sculpture Garden just east of Tesseract House

Peanut Butter & Jelly Camp by Physeter Nicholls and Kelly Yap. Get down in da jelly!

Peace & Love Camp by Sabrinaa Nightfire

Lost Planet by FreeWee Ling

Glyph Graves' Hugging alien - Hug him! You'll never forget it!

Rock Garden by Kolor Fall


Now you see why a week is ridiculous!!!!

Burning Life 09

SLurl: The Roof Is Gone

Our Non-Euclidian build for the Second Life Burning Life festival. Make sure you take a gift pack/instruction pack and the notecards and HUDS available. The build is complex and multi-dimensional and can take up to 90 minutes to interact with. Of particular help will be the instructions for viewing/hearing the video through your SL viewer and through the video HUDS.

You can pick up a gift-and-notepack package by touching the small replica globe of the build at the landing point.

Be sure to have media/video enabled when exploring the build!!!

Flickr Photoset

The You Tube Video (open in another window or tab)

Thanks to Misprint Thursday for starting this whole thing with her "choral" sculpture and allowing me to be transported and inspired by it to create the first song i've done in 7 years :)

Thanks to White Lebed and Talia Tokugowa for belief, faith, support and nurturing of this project and this collaboration.

Thanks as always to the people who nurtured me, held me up and let me scream in frustration of doing the impossible -mapping hyperspace:


Goose Wycliffe - Sabrinaa Nightfire - Kelly Yap - Physeter Nicholls - Varian Altney - Marianne McCann - Artistide Despres

and to Parser Lane, who was kind enough to tweak his PL Magic Stairs for two days for me and Tesseract House - mmmwah! ^_^ You can pick up a copy of the PL Magic Stairs here:

SLurl: Parser Lane's store


More later, i am thrashed... esp from writing the explanations of quantum mechanics, information theory, DNA architecture and the Singularity :O

GODart Grand Opening

Woot! I have a piece in GODart. The Grand Opening is October 11 @ 1pmSLT and features two live concerts and two DJ sets:

1pmSLT - Live Concert: Alex Parsons
2pmSLT - Live Concert: Sonorous Breaks
3pmSLT - DJ Set - Shane Hornet
4pmSLT - DJ Set - Nightwish Sveiss

This is the last event and swan song for Freak Show, one of the most interesting, controversial, mind-expanding and sheerly beautiful art groups/projects in Second Life.
Here's the Freak Show website:

URL: Freak Show

The statement is there; I am a latecomer so there's not much more I can add to that. I am very honored that Loglady Loon has chosen to allow me to place a sculpture of mine - Foundation of Guilt - in this last show, given that Freak Show was more about pictorial artworks (from the statement) and that she has given me a place amidst some of the finest artists in SL.

So go; cheer, see, hear, dance; say goodbye to one of the most significant movements/gathering places/showcases/experiments of art in Second Life:

SLurl: GODart in Second Life
Grand Opening - October 11, 2009

The Artists:

Abigale Heron
Bunny Brickworks
Katiya Rhode
Telemaco Homewood
Don Hosho
Denise Rowlands
Bruno Canedeo
Saphire Nishi & Ozz Boyd
Cristiana Jules
Lavendar Paine
Frutti Freschi
Ossi Boa
Subversive Vavoom
Crow610 Mainline
Naxos Loon
Trilly Sands
Demerick Creely
Petersnow Hyun
Kei Kojishi
Nicolette Marx
Stephen Venkman
Nimil Blackflag
Brutus Martinek
Cerdwin Flanagan
Chaos Richard
Damion Dagostino
Alyne Dagger
Starr Sideways
Kiya McMahon
Dolly Voom
Faina Cortes
Miskat Qinan
Charles2 McCaw
Juliet3d Quinzet
Banrion Constantine & Sowa Mai
Miso Susanowa

Many thanks to those who made things possible

Yesterday was the Second Pride art walk & fundraiser with the proceeds going to Second Pride/Amnesty International. I donated three pieces - a Celestial Clock, Annunciation and '"Repent, Harlequin!" said the Ticktock Man' for auction.

I am very proud to say that my three pieces raised almost 20,000L for Second Pride/Amnesty. I was totally suprised and humbled by the interest and bidding on these pieces.

I am writing this not to brag but to once again thank certain people without whos support and belief I could never have dreamed of coming so far:

Goose Wycliffe, Kelly Yap, Nehema Yifu, Physeter Nicholls, Sabrinaa Nightfire, White Lebed & Winged Heron

Ally Aeon, Artemiss Luminos, Callidus Waydelich, Deebrane String, eno Enyo, Georg Janick, Glyph Graves, Hey Voom, Jayme Hancroft, Jimmy Jetaime, June Trefoil, Karri Lemon, LawnDart Curtiss, magi Scribe, Painless Quicksand, Pomo Moomintoog, Rik Zwiers, samantha Mefusula, Stefanik Dagostino, Truthseeker Young, Varian Altney, Walton Vieria & Xenophile Neurocam.

The auction proceeds are as much their care and effort as mine. Thank you all.

Burning Life (previewing)

Whew. "Burning Life" indeed... what a wave has been sweeping the world lately. Luckily, I have something to do! I am installing in the new S&S Gallery, and have put some new work out especially for Stefanik to enchance his wonderful landscaping art/skills. Check it out!:

SLurl: The New S&S Gallery

For Burning Life, I am making a build to support the collaborative project Misprint Thursday and I have done: "The Roof Is Gone."

This collab started with a piece by Misprint, "choral1" in which she used a loop of her acapella song to produce reverb with spacial placement of prims in SL. I heard the loop and was moved to ask her if I could work with it...

The song, "The Roof Is Gone" emerged from that original acapella loop in about 3 days, then took a week to refine the strings and melodic lines. While I was working with it, I conceived a video for it and spent about a week running around trying to find a machinima maker to do the version I saw in my head and explained to White Lebed at the AG3 Gallery one night. White was kind enough to point me in some directions for machinimists...

Anyways, things circled back to Misprint; I hadn't really known she was a video person *blush*. She and I worked on a video vision that is becoming quite different from the one that I originally had (which might be done as well sometime) but is a work in itself. Nice circular feedback collab!

So... we were discussing an installation of this vision for White's Melancholia show at AG3 when I saw the BL "big art" applications and told Misprint, "we should go for this!"

So, some filling out of forms and crossing of fingers ensued, with a last-minute review of my build/artwork and we got the plot on Black Rock playa! Yay!

So... here's a scratch video with the completed song/soundtrack, up at youtube:

The Roof Is Gone - a video by Misprint Thursday and Miso Susanowa @ youtube

and here's some preliminary shots of the Burning Life build -

Burning Life 2009 - preliminary build shots

It's exciting and fun and all that jazz, so when BL opens I will have some more shots.

Ok, now back to the hornet's nest...

City gets seen!

Wooo! I would like to thank Siri Woodget for blogging about 'City (Los Angeles)' in her blog My Life in Second Life. BiW has left 'City' standing now for several weeks and I am very proud and happy about that! Yay!

There's still a chance to see 'City' here:

City (Los Angeles) at Brooklyn Is Watching

and some wonderful photos from inside City (Los Angeles) from Siri


plus i will mention again that it is Glyph Graves who is responsible for this piece being shown and seen, because he urged me and pushed me to put it up at BiW. Thanks Glyph!!! ^_^

Orion's Arm - Rising In Light

I have been honored to have been asked to compose the voice of a starship - Rising In Light. Rising is part of the Extropia project in SL -an online community in the world of Second Life, built around a positive, near-future science fiction theme. It really is something immense and just... mind-expanding.

Rising in Light is a sentient starship, who travels the galaxy collecting art, experiences and information, sharing them with the beings she encounters in her travels. Created by Deebrane String and Truthseeker Young, Rising In Light is a vast and beautiful thing, and I was somewhat anxious when Truthseeker approached me to create her Voice.

Last night, the final elements of her Voice were added to the installation and given enthusiastic approval by Deebrane and Truthseeker and Orion's Arm: Rising In Light is now open to the public for viewing. I am very proud of my contribution to this incredible project!

SLurl: Orion's Arm: Rising In Light

More about the Extropia Community and material:

Extropia main page
Voices of Orion's Arm

Publish Post

YouTube video

Shows, shows, shows

Life is like a train journey... it goes along and scenery streams by the window and you read a newspaper.... then suddenly a junction comes and 27 cars pile up into one another.

That's how it's been for me this weekend; two major shows, a rollicking event and a great chance to show off a piece that is difficult to place anywhere. Woot! I need chocolate!




Arcana - a really amazing show, put together and curated by Pixels Sideways. 22 Artists, 22 Major Arcana; lots of fun and thought-provoking work. Get your fortune told by the great Zoltar! Have a spookily accurate Tarot reading at the Advanced Tarot Table! Get a Crown! Find art! Be transfixed!

and here's my Card: 0-The Fool. Pixels was batting 1000; everyone's Card seemed to be the perfect one for their lives at this moment.

SLurl: Arcanum - Caerleon Art Collective - August 9 to August 31

My own first major show!!! An exploration of the Sacred and the Profane and its influence on my life. Hosted by S&S Gallery - I am very grateful to Stefanik and Ally for taking a chance on some of the pieces, especially 'Confessional' and 'Foundation of Guilt." Work exploring the influences of my Catholic education and my search for meaning throughout many cultures.

SLurl: The Sacred and the Profane at S&S Art Gallery - August 8 to August 18

and finally... thanks to the gentle prodding of Glyph Graves, I have put my "City" up at Brooklyn Is Watching. You probably know about BiW... you don't??!?!?! ACK! Ok go here:

url: Brooklyn Is Watching

So now you know about this incredibly interesting hybrid project, which connects the "real world" with Second Life and allows artists exposure and feedback through both solid and digital mediums...

This week was the Best of Year One anniversary of the project and a wild sim-ride through a number of artworks, including a reception for the artists, the Final 5 selected for BiW from SL and a wild chat crossover between a gallery full of partyin' art lovers and a sim full of crazy art makers. Beautiful fun chaos!

btw, here's a picture someone deemed snapworthy, of me in my cute red dress that Sabrinaa Nightfire made:

url: My pretty red dress at the BiW party

I'm ready for my closeup now, Mr DeMille!! haha ok enough vanity :)

But here's what you really want to see: the platform where you will find 'City' and works of other artists who put them out there for critical review and commentary -

SLurl: Brooklyn Is Watching - Works Platform

'City' is both huge and overwhelming, like Los Angeles itself. From far away, it looks glittery and pretty... from close up or inside, it is a cacophonous assault on the senses. I haven't shown this piece before except in private because it is very uncomfortable to be around; I purposely did not put a sound-off switch in this piece so you have no choice but to flee it for some peace and quiet.

Thanks Glyph! *hug* ^_^

The Soleil

The Soleil show @ AG3/Angelgate Arts promises to be very interesting; the roster of artists assembled by White Lebed is nothing short of a Who's Who of fine SL artists:

GARY KOHIME - The Future of Color
SPIRAL WALCHER - Beyone Violet Symphony
COLEMARIE SOLEIL - The Watcher, Where are You
SAIWUN YOSHIKAWA - 3 Strip_Multi_15/15/2009_sou
SPECIAL JEWELL - Terra Egypta 2, Terra Egypta 3, Terra Egypta 4, Terra Egypta 1
PIXELS SIDEWAYS - AG-F-Summer in the City - Pixel
FILTHY FLUNO - Filthy Complete, #1/3 AngelGate
CORCOSMAN VOOM - In The Sunshine In The Rain
MORGANA NAGORSKI - Glowing, Alone, Wearing Violator, She Hasn't Come Out To Play For Such A Long Time, Feathered
XENOPHILE NEUROCAM - Xenophile Neurocam - dendrite.potential
POID MAHOVLICH - Solen til jorden
BF2 SHEPHERD - Isis Egyptian Goddess WW Fountains
BLUNT FHANG - 1-09-08m black
CHARLES ROSENTHAL - Soleil Charles Rosenthal v.2
JIMMY DEBRUYERE - Polished Fish
FEATHERS BOA - Sand, Sea, Sun (3D)
YABUSAKA LOON - <> Sculpture " Yin Yang"
NESSUNO MYOO - MechanicalKnight
WHITE LEBED - If an Art Gallery could dream about a summer vacation...
SUNN THUNDERS - Fusion Sculpture, 6/2009
ARTISTIDE DESPRES - Soleil d'Or
ZHORA MAYNARD - Mirror by Zhora Maynard
SASUN STEINBECK - Texture Picker 1 Prim, Morph Sculpture v14
ALIZARIN GOLDFLAKE - Sunrise Sunset
KOLOR FALL - Chromosphere
DOROTHY URVILAN - "Take me back to the garden of love"
TALIA TOKUGAWA - Soleil Renaissance
SOROR NISHI - sorors branch
UB YIFU - Sun's birth
SHELLINA WINKLER - DAWN AND SUNSET - DAWN, SAWN AND SUNSET - SUNSET
SOLKIDE AUER - Mi ritorni in mente.
SAPPHORIA SHILOVA - "can only dream of Soleil", "worship the idea of Soleil", "C'est Moi Soleil"
OBERON ONMURA - Heat
*MISO SUSANOWA - The Alchemist's Table
STARHEART ERDHEIN - Star Portal, Wings of Promise, Chariot of Ra
ADAM RAMONA - Stella Sonice
GLYPH GRAVES - Memories of Summer
LUCE LAVAL - AngelGate dancing Sun


The Grand Opening is Saturday, July 11 @ 10am SLT.

"We will enjoy a very special performance by AldoManutio Abruzzo, an amazing professional musician (Dennis Moser in RL) known for his music improvisations." Aldo will only play for ONE HOUR so be sure to get there early for a seat! Following Aldo will be Edward Kyomoon playing from 11-12SLT so again, get there early for a seat, because this show opening is sure to be heavily attended!

*ignore me, i'm nobody ^_^

(however, I am both flattered and pleased that White chose to use a graphic that i had put together to illustrate a teleport-board idea as the main graphic for this show)

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

The July 4th party at Kelly Yap's Gallery for the Water show was a fun-filled festival of exploding attachments and fireworks courtesy of Kelly, who has put together an amazing artwork/gallery (the gallery being built anew for each show) to hold some beautiful pieces of work revolving around the theme of Water. One reviewer even said, "I thought this exhibition would be bland, the theme... but I am very surprised to see such interesting and varied interpretations." Go Kelly! ^_^

Everyone had fun, despite the efforts of "Cheery" Oh, who dropped in to do her usual focus-hogging (i am informed by her blog that this is called "acting/drama" uh huh ya) but was quickly ejected and spent a good hour sulking outside the land perimeter and begging for attention. Oh well ^_^

Water Exhibition at Kelly Yap Gallery through August 15th.


btw, the graphic for this poster is my piece "Radiant Stallions," named after a line in Patti Smith's 'Land' - "the waves were coming in like radiant stallions..."

Some Conversations Pt III

... and i am totally jazzed that my build is stimulating such discussions! This was my purpose for this build - to stimulate discussion regarding technology - including virtual worlds - and the need for an examination of application and disbursement; a balance between technology and humanism.

Why? Such beautiful things, virtual worlds, ne?

Imagine a prison... with a person hooked into a virtual world... convinced that they are in fact in "outworld," talking, speaking, living... and in "reality" strapped to a chair in a 10x10 steel room.

Consider a virtual world, complete with feedback, being used to torture a prisoner.

Consider "The Matrix."

Consider other possible evil or morally-decayed uses of such technology.

There is so much dialogue going about the wonderful uses of such tech; virtual surgery, virtual therapy, virtual training, virtual collaboration... yet we have seen what technology, which has no will nor aim nor moral compass, can do in the hands of the unscrupulous, the greedy and the morally bankrupt.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *


Antimon Kupferberg: yes, I see your idea ...
Antimon Kupferberg: but its not in tech, its what human does with it ... I believe

Miso Susanowa: exactly
Miso Susanowa: but we must think on these applications

Antimon Kupferberg nods of course we have to

Miso Susanowa: or the natural course of big business is to sell indiscriminately

Miso Susanowa: but here its all go go go go
Miso Susanowa: so i wished this installation to ask these questions

Antimon Kupferberg: I am a RL biologist and just preparing an article about potential risks of nanomaterials to workers *shrugs

Miso Susanowa: very dangerous, nano
Miso Susanowa: but so is nuclear fusion and fission *shrugs* we must just take care
Miso Susanowa: what i fear is Gibson's vision; nanotech used to... form children
Miso Susanowa: to make slaves and clones
Miso Susanowa: without a moral framework

Antimon Kupferberg: there is no moral in nano than is in concrete or a piece of bread ...

Miso Susanowa: yes... only in the hand or corp that uses it, agreed
Miso Susanowa: it is a tool

Antimon Kupferberg: it's what you do ... eat or destroy? help or make people suffer ?

Antimon Kupferberg: the problem is, that the main and future technologies are mostly in the hands of few big companies ...

Miso Susanowa: yes exactly
Miso Susanowa: and companies have no morals

Antimon Kupferberg: so where are the people to control? where are WE to control and take influence?

Miso Susanowa: yes

Antimon Kupferberg: ... always the same questions ... *shrugs

Miso Susanowa: there is a struggle going on now
Miso Susanowa: we are seeing the end result of unrestrained industrialization
Miso Susanowa: concentration on the physical without moral or spiritual insight

Antimon Kupferberg: the same with genes , esp crop genes ... mostly now in a hand of Monsanto &Co
Antimon Kupferberg: it is to make the farmers to have to buy new seed again each year instead of raising their own

Miso Susanowa: ugh yes their aggressive corn
Miso Susanowa: that kills the next generation's seed [Terminator technology - see article above]
Miso Susanowa: that is a misuse of a very beautiful technology
Miso Susanowa: which could feed millions
Miso Susanowa: grrrrr

Antimon Kupferberg: this reminds me of a discussion at the radio i just come from ... about science in the movies, ... did you hear about the film "Sleep Dealer"?

Miso Susanowa: ahhh yes i have!
Miso Susanowa: an amazing film effort

Antimon Kupferberg: ok, .. to be honest, I came hear cause I saw the giant plant from above :)

Miso Susanowa: lol! good that is her purpose ^_^

Antimon Kupferberg grins

Miso Susanowa: i spend much time in nature
Miso Susanowa: i admire her forms and her strategies
Miso Susanowa: to cross nanotech with plant genes
Miso Susanowa: could be quite a thing
Miso Susanowa: but very dangerous
Miso Susanowa: nature has strategies not thought of by Man
Miso Susanowa: and we are not so smart as we think

Antimon Kupferberg: yes, we just begin learning ... see the bionics field etc ... or the circling of energy and water and ressource that came to our minds during the very last years

Miso Susanowa: well there is a saying, "nature will find a way"

Antimon Kupferberg: we are scientifically just kids ...

Miso Susanowa: evolution's strategies are so beyond us now we can barely see them

Miso Susanowa: so we must take great care

Antimon Kupferberg: whose strategy? You see a being, a god or something behind?

Miso Susanowa: no... just the strategies that have served genetic evolution for thousands of years

Miso Susanowa: how life has made organisms that can live at 5000 feet below sea level with no light...

Miso Susanowa: wondrous and strange
Miso Susanowa: all from the pressure of Life to live

Antimon Kupferberg: and in volcanoes and salt hot water ...

Miso Susanowa: yes, off sulpher

Antimon Kupferberg: yes, indeed, life is SO great

Antimon Kupferberg: and we are the part of it most dangerous to all the rest perhaps ^^

Miso Susanowa: so us meddling at the genetic level...
Miso Susanowa: yes :)
Miso Susanowa: like as you say Monsanto

Antimon Kupferberg: yes, know what you mean ...
Antimon Kupferberg: but not all what is printed in media is true ... so I know people personally from this kind of companies, and they are all but heatless monsters ... to clear that

Miso Susanowa: ah, but i know some quantum physicists that are very spiritual

Antimon Kupferberg: but they have different opinions of how to feed the world ...

Miso Susanowa: because they see the wonder of the universe
Miso Susanowa: but... they must keep quiet about such things :(

Antimon Kupferberg: I dont share all of them ...

Miso Susanowa: nor do i... but that is the wonder of humanity, ne?
Miso Susanowa: the marvelousness of life

Antimon Kupferberg: oh yes, I believe at the quantum stage spirit and matter meet .. or not? then where ever ? :)

Miso Susanowa: it's just enough that we keep asking, i think
Miso Susanowa: keep our balance

Antimon Kupferberg: good point

Miso Susanowa: we are more than Skinner boxes :)

Antimon Kupferberg: never to stop asking questions ...
Antimon Kupferberg: never think you know everything or even a bit of enough !

Miso Susanowa: companies... wish us to be things
Miso Susanowa: units,
Miso Susanowa: numbers
Miso Susanowa: thus is humanity diminished

Some Conversations Pt II

another dialogue, began with Callidus Waydelich and then joined and expanded by several people:


Callidus Waydelich: Magnificent
Callidus Waydelich: hehe, chief engineer Orillion
Callidus Waydelich: This is truly sci-fi
Callidus Waydelich: there is much here that's been lost on most in the genre today
Callidus Waydelich: I have great appreciation for this work
Callidus Waydelich: there's lots here, like I said, lost on science fiction today
Callidus Waydelich: You've kept its essence
Miso Susanowa: ahhh, ty ^_^
Callidus Waydelich: can't have sci-fi without a philosophical aspect to it
Callidus Waydelich: It's beautiful, it's sad, it's insightful

Miso Susanowa: also, see... he is separated by the wall
Miso Susanowa: from the only living things near him

Callidus Waydelich: I can imagine it getting suddenly humid in here
Callidus Waydelich: like a greenhouse
Callidus Waydelich: but probably cold and uncomfortably sterile in here

Miso Susanowa: so my piece is about
Miso Susanowa: the paradox of virtual worlds
Miso Susanowa: and how i do not wish to ONLY live like this man
Miso Susanowa: sterile, plugged in
Miso Susanowa: isolated from living tissues
Miso Susanowa: and love

Callidus Waydelich: that's grand

Miso Susanowa: im so glad you came

Callidus Waydelich: I anticipated this
Callidus Waydelich: There's alot on SL that's lowbrow
Callidus Waydelich: this is not one of them

Miso Susanowa: to reprogram the earth would be highly dangerous
Miso Susanowa: so his mission might fail
Miso Susanowa: or ruin it worse
Miso Susanowa: a desperate gamble

Callidus Waydelich: This is deep

Miso Susanowa: thank you Callidus :)

Callidus Waydelich: I hope there are others who will appreciate it too
Callidus Waydelich: It's got an important message
Callidus Waydelich: I mean, this makes the social commentaries on Star Trek look like a 1st-grade lesson on courtesy

Miso Susanowa: you know it means much to me, your praise ^_^
Miso Susanowa: i grew up at... 11... reading Ellison, Dick, Disch... Delaney, Spinrad...
Miso Susanowa: the new wave
Miso Susanowa: very socially aware
Miso Susanowa: so i absorbed it all

Callidus Waydelich: I have no idea how that happened, too, I was 5 when I learned to read and it was like my mind was given a hundred times the storage capacity and the most advanced broadband connection available

Miso Susanowa: it was less hardware than... social; what will exposure to this tech DO to us, how will we change
Miso Susanowa: those names... Sturgeon, Bear, Clarke...
Miso Susanowa: Kate Wilhelm
Miso Susanowa: Ursula Le Guin
Miso Susanowa: giant writers with a message
Miso Susanowa: cyberpunk... many missed its message
Miso Susanowa: they thought about the TOYS
Miso Susanowa: not how the toys might be used...
Miso Susanowa: which was cyberpunk's point

Callidus Waydelich: interesting point
Callidus Waydelich: the cyberpunk, that is
Callidus Waydelich: I'd gotten that message but I'd never written it down like that

Miso Susanowa: they were warning us
Miso Susanowa: that to be awash in a field of tech toys
Miso Susanowa: was to turn people into data, and dehumanize us
Miso Susanowa: so you have a split society

Callidus Waydelich: Pandora' box

Miso Susanowa: you know i love tech
Miso Susanowa: but we must think about what it means
Miso Susanowa: and be judicious
Miso Susanowa: this is the end of the industrial revolution
Miso Susanowa: and we are seeing what the outcome of treating people like machines is

Callidus Waydelich: yes

Miso Susanowa: we are biological machines yes
Miso Susanowa: but we are not skinner boxes
Miso Susanowa: we arent JUST mechanics
Miso Susanowa: if we are... we should go back to the trees

Callidus Waydelich: Humanity's not a tool, yes

Miso Susanowa: people are not data
Miso Susanowa: its easy to cut people if your mind thinks of them as numbers
Miso Susanowa: to ignore hunger and pain and poverty
Miso Susanowa: to burn food to keep prices up while people starve

Callidus Waydelich: 1 death is a tragedy, one million is a statistic

Miso Susanowa: its clinical schitzophrenia
Miso Susanowa: all started by henry ford filing the gears on his clocks
Miso Susanowa: to make workers work "faster"
Miso Susanowa: and now we have trash that breaks in a year
Miso Susanowa: and goes into a landfill
Miso Susanowa: when a Maytag washer would last 30-50 years
Miso Susanowa: because it was CRAFTED

Callidus Waydelich nods

Miso Susanowa: Cal... its truly a pleasure to talk about this build
Miso Susanowa: maybe 3 people got it
Miso Susanowa: and none so much as you
Miso Susanowa: thanks :) its totally enjoyable :)

Callidus Waydelich: ah, it's a pleasure to see it

Miso Susanowa: thought and care
Miso Susanowa: and tech... those three together will take us to the stars
Miso Susanowa: and i can waitress in a space station lol
Miso Susanowa: just to look out the windows once in awhile :)

Callidus Waydelich: And I'll leave footprints on the moon

Miso Susanowa: "and dance among the stars"

Callidus Waydelich: Fly me to the moon...

Miso Susanowa: welcome to my installation, Al

Callidus Waydelich: Well, I'll tell you that Miso's work is nothing short of legendary

Al Lurton: love Miso's sound work .. just been introduced to it

Callidus Waydelich: These soundscapes of hers, they've got their tiniest brushstrokes as though it were a painted masterpiece.

Miso Susanowa: Cal, you got the notecard from the main computer yes?

Callidus Waydelich: hmm, not yet, do let me fetch it
Callidus Waydelich: which screen?

Miso Susanowa: over on the biowall

Callidus Waydelich: secured
Callidus Waydelich: Thanks for having me, Miso sweetie

Miso Susanowa: a real pleasure :)
Miso Susanowa: and the lovliness of your compliments
Miso Susanowa: i am so pleased

Al Lurton: bye Callidus

Miso Susanowa: and i am glad to have given you pleasure also
Miso Susanowa: *hugs*

Callidus Waydelich: Til next time!

Miso Susanowa: yessir :)
Miso Susanowa: lets sail soon

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Al Lurton: I love it when people make a comment that really reflects your thinking while creating .. even if its not explicitly in the piece

Miso Susanowa: ah. but Callidus is an old science fiction fan

Al Lurton: for oh so many virtual existence will be the only yet ongoing journey. Immortality once the physical shell is no more

Miso Susanowa: we are part physical
Miso Susanowa: the world is not something to be escaped
Miso Susanowa: the feminine point of view perhaps

Al Lurton: when we die, billions of interconnected neurons will become more intrinsically linked memories stored and interacting enabling us to further celebrate and embrace worldly existence

Miso Susanowa: there is wisdom in the body
Miso Susanowa: we just don't listen very well :)
Miso Susanowa: i am not... enamored of it [tech]
Miso Susanowa: i like it, i use it
Miso Susanowa: but tech doesnt think or feel
Miso Susanowa: and we are seeing the results of that now
Miso Susanowa: and we must change that

Al Lurton: tech will be able to respond to thinking and feeling .. and grow/evolve thoughts and senses
Al Lurton: when it is possible to totally reverse engineer the brain and genomic makeup

Helena Kirkorian: hello Miso :)))

Miso Susanowa: hi :)

Helena Kirkorian: we're exploring here :)

Mariano Essel: very nice place

Helena Kirkorian: just curious

Mariano Essel: : )

Helena Kirkorian: amazing

Al Lurton: 'scientists' will also discover the connectedness between neurons between individuals brain/body self/soul universal consciousness will become integral to our daily existence

Helena Kirkorian: you think this will be the future?

Miso Susanowa: i fear it might be and so i wish this to be part of the dialogue of virtuality

Helena Kirkorian: yes
Helena Kirkorian: i always think we will be plugged in
Helena Kirkorian: like the matrix some sort

Miso Susanowa: it is a warning and a question about thinking only of the virtual worlds

Helena Kirkorian: yes!!!
Helena Kirkorian: we will mix a lot no?
Helena Kirkorian: in the future
Helena Kirkorian: real stuff with virtual stuff

Miso Susanowa: i hope so

Helena Kirkorian: but for example
Helena Kirkorian: the money you have in the bank...
Helena Kirkorian: is virtual money

Miso Susanowa: and can be hacked

Helena Kirkorian: yes!!!

Miso Susanowa: because banks are irresponsible with your details

Helena Kirkorian: yes....

Miso Susanowa: so there nust be balance between commerce and humanity

Helena Kirkorian: a virtual war

Miso Susanowa: yes
Miso Susanowa: we do it now

Helena Kirkorian: it is already possible

Miso Susanowa: with predator drones

Helena Kirkorian: yes!!!

Miso Susanowa: but to the jockeys
Miso Susanowa: it's a video game
Miso Susanowa: and so the horror of war is lessened
Miso Susanowa: and that makes war easier

Helena Kirkorian: we don't seem to have grip
Helena Kirkorian: like it has a mind of it's own

Miso Susanowa: machines have no mind
Miso Susanowa: it is the people running it

Helena Kirkorian: yes....

Miso Susanowa: this is what we must question
Miso Susanowa: a knife

Helena Kirkorian: the man with the button...

Miso Susanowa: can be used to spread butter
Miso Susanowa: or to stab a man
Miso Susanowa: its not the knife
Miso Susanowa: its the hand

Helena Kirkorian: you are right
Helena Kirkorian: this is interssting

Miso Susanowa: thanks :)
Miso Susanowa: yes... sl calls to the mythic, yes?

Helena Kirkorian: yes!!!!!
Helena Kirkorian: well we are investigating in a way
Helena Kirkorian: the thin line between reality and fiction

Miso Susanowa: pioneers

Helena Kirkorian: what is real?
Helena Kirkorian: and who are we?

Miso Susanowa: physics tells us it is all a movie :)

Helena Kirkorian: i am but pixels
Helena Kirkorian: yes!

Miso Susanowa: no
Miso Susanowa: you are a spirit

Helena Kirkorian: yep :)

Miso Susanowa: you are MANIFESTING in pixels
Miso Susanowa: and in your body too

Helena Kirkorian: it is so fascinating to see all this

Miso Susanowa: but we are more

Helena Kirkorian: yes :))

Miso Susanowa: thats why we are human
Miso Susanowa: and not machines

Helena Kirkorian: it is an interface
Helena Kirkorian: we use forms to express
Helena Kirkorian: i love to look at ava
Helena Kirkorian: how people make their ava
Helena Kirkorian: how they express

Miso Susanowa: i call it The Magic Mirror

Mariano Essel: haha interesting

Helena Kirkorian: yes Mariano but it is true hun :)
Helena Kirkorian: your ava is the reflection of the real you?

Miso Susanowa: light descends into matter

Helena Kirkorian: what you are?
Helena Kirkorian: what you wanna be?

Miso Susanowa: it is an art

Helena Kirkorian: yes!!
Helena Kirkorian: ava art!

Miso Susanowa: like the canvas reveals the painter
Miso Susanowa: her mind, her soul

Mariano Essel: the real person is behind it

Helena Kirkorian: yep

Mariano Essel: of course

Helena Kirkorian: my real friends here
Helena Kirkorian: they say...
Helena Kirkorian: there is no difference
Helena Kirkorian: hahaha :)))

Al Lurton: machines will soon be able to represent and nuture our humanity?

Helena Kirkorian: ahahahaha
Helena Kirkorian: yes al

Miso Susanowa: only if we are careful Al
Miso Susanowa: if the enamorization of tech takes hold
Miso Susanowa: it is cyberpunk

Helena Kirkorian: yes.......

Al Lurton: That is the dangerous idea that could well and truly become true

Miso Susanowa: people are not machines

Helena Kirkorian: true

Miso Susanowa: to treat them so is to devolve
Miso Susanowa: to become things

Helena Kirkorian: interesting

Miso Susanowa: that is what cyberpunk was SAYING
Miso Susanowa: but people loved only the surface
Miso Susanowa: they forgot gibsons dark alleys
Miso Susanowa: his people selling kidneys to eat
Miso Susanowa: the grime and decay

Al Lurton: if machine can hold our thoughts, memories and extend them into other thoughts and memories .. how wonderful and terrifying

Miso Susanowa: i know sao paulo
Miso Susanowa: on top it shines
Miso Susanowa: at the foot are cardboard shacks where people sip from puddles
Miso Susanowa: is this right? moral?

Helena Kirkorian: so true Miso!!

Miso Susanowa: that is not the techs problem
Miso Susanowa: it is Mans

Helena Kirkorian: it is our prob
Helena Kirkorian: true!!!
Helena Kirkorian: we cannot put everything on machine!
Helena Kirkorian: WE are responsible
Helena Kirkorian: it's Us

Miso Susanowa: it is only my questions
Miso Susanowa: the dialogue i wish to inject into the go-go future
Miso Susanowa: we must speak of such things

Helena Kirkorian: yes
Helena Kirkorian: and the artist must raise questions

Miso Susanowa: and i am a tech also
Miso Susanowa: so i have the right

Helena Kirkorian: not so much look for answers
Helena Kirkorian: yes!!!
Helena Kirkorian: it is your birth right as an artist

Miso Susanowa: and as a tech
Miso Susanowa: i work with it
Miso Susanowa: i know its limitations

Helena Kirkorian: it is very amazing all this

Miso Susanowa: and it cannot love a baby

Helena Kirkorian: no.....

Miso Susanowa: it cannot hold someone who is crying
Miso Susanowa: that takes humanity

Helena Kirkorian: so true

Miso Susanowa: so tech must AMPLIFY us
Miso Susanowa: not take us over and make us over into its mechanical image

Helena Kirkorian: but we give power to the inanimate
Helena Kirkorian: why?

Miso Susanowa: because it frees us of responsibility of course
Miso Susanowa: to seeing suffering
Miso Susanowa: to fear

Helena Kirkorian: yes obvious reason
Helena Kirkorian: yes....

Al Lurton: in the same way the internet is moving from pull to push .. what is suggested here as in the literature is more of a context rather than content based future Miso. As humans we need to ensure some way to control, maintain and nuture that context?
Al Lurton: as an artist I can ask that question lol

Miso Susanowa: we burn wheat
Miso Susanowa: it is a SIN; that is, it "misses the mark"
Miso Susanowa: yes, we do
Miso Susanowa: that is it precisely

Helena Kirkorian: wow!!
Helena Kirkorian: you must ask questions

Al Lurton: cool maybe I get it in part ㋡

Miso Susanowa: all is context
Miso Susanowa: thats what i know as an artist

Helena Kirkorian: yes......

Miso Susanowa: one shape in one place is sensual and sublime
Miso Susanowa: in another it is pornographic because it suggests control and restriction

Helena Kirkorian: wow!!!

Miso Susanowa: in another it might be prurient
Miso Susanowa: it is context that informs us

Al Lurton: yes definition of control is so important as well

Miso Susanowa: even if only the context in our own associations
Miso Susanowa: yes as an artist i NEED control
Miso Susanowa: but if i control too far... the muse leaves my hand
Miso Susanowa: it is like surfing
Miso Susanowa: one does not control the ocean
Miso Susanowa: if you try you will be very hurt

Al Lurton: We control by making choices .... need to recognise the combined consiousness of all living existence

Miso Susanowa: but you control the board

Helena Kirkorian: but perhaps it is a twisted romantic idea?

Miso Susanowa: through your eyes, your wind sense, your timing

Helena Kirkorian: that machines come alive?

Al Lurton: the surfboard on the ocean?

Miso Susanowa: and you skate on the wave, you ride the interface of sea and sky and gravity and coriolis force

Helena Kirkorian: yep

Miso Susanowa: all things that you cannot control
Miso Susanowa: but you can control the board

Helena Kirkorian: but there is more

Miso Susanowa: and yourself

Helena Kirkorian: there is more then just surface

Miso Susanowa: a surfer doesnt ride a wave

Helena Kirkorian: there must be more then surface alone

Miso Susanowa: she rides the oceans swell
Miso Susanowa: and gravity
Miso Susanowa: and the tide

Helena Kirkorian: you must understand the wave no?

Miso Susanowa: all these are not thinking in her

Miso Susanowa: i lived in california 17 years
Miso Susanowa: i learned to surf there

Helena Kirkorian: yes

Miso Susanowa: but if you THINK
Miso Susanowa: while surfing

Helena Kirkorian: but then you are only talking about technical things

Miso Susanowa: you get really hurt lol

Helena Kirkorian: yes....

Miso Susanowa: like piano

Al Lurton: surfers ride responses from the centre of Earths viscera

Miso Susanowa: if you think while performing

Helena Kirkorian: it is a twisted romantic idea then?

Miso Susanowa: you will make many mistakes

Miso Susanowa: yes

Helena Kirkorian: that we can friend the objects

Miso Susanowa: the romance of tech
Miso Susanowa: is hollow

Helena Kirkorian: yes...

Miso Susanowa: as it is in all OBJECTS

Helena Kirkorian: but you know Miso......

Miso Susanowa: which are things

Helena Kirkorian: i am hollow in here
Helena Kirkorian: look inside my ava
Helena Kirkorian: i am but surface
Helena Kirkorian: pixilated surface

Miso Susanowa: yes

Helena Kirkorian: nothing but electrical impulses
Helena Kirkorian: in fact you could say...
Helena Kirkorian: i am a machine too

Miso Susanowa: that is what i learned from quantum physics :)
Miso Susanowa: not even particles

Helena Kirkorian: a biomachine

Miso Susanowa: nor waves

Miso Susanowa: something
Miso Susanowa: dancing on nothing

Francz Kuhn: but.. in rl are you anything more than matter/energy?

Al Lurton: who controls the pixels Helena?

Helena Kirkorian: i do behind my machine

Miso Susanowa: thats the issue Al

Helena Kirkorian: but who am i??
Helena Kirkorian: a quickly aging biomachine?

Al Lurton: and who controls you Helena?

Helena Kirkorian: even the trees in my garden live longer

Miso Susanowa: or the sum only of all your learning?

Francz Kuhn: that's a thing, not a who

Miso Susanowa: or the synthesis?

Helena Kirkorian: yes......
Helena Kirkorian: it is WILD all this

Miso Susanowa: i am glad you are enjoying this, as am i :)

Helena Kirkorian: i am really enjoying this convo a lot

Miso Susanowa: i have already made a notecard of it lol

Helena Kirkorian: in this day and age where we lost our believes in god

Al Lurton: that is why you need to hug those trees .. wisdom, sense, soul and oneness exists beyond the person who controls the pixels of your av...