The University of Western Australia in Second Life

UWA Art Activities Presented to Russian Conference

2012-01-25T09:03:00.008+08:00

From FreeWee Ling:
JayJay and I were asked a few months ago by Yuri Krylov (SL: ykrylov Bluestar), an educator at Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics in Tver to present papers at the 10th International Scientific and Practical Conference on the theme: "Partnership of Business and Education in Regional Innovation Development." My first response was something like, "Lol. Who me?" Yuri is interested in developing resources in SL for his region and insisted that UWA's activities are a model that would be good to hear at the conference. He was not offering to fly us to Moscow to present the papers, unfortunately. In any case we were certainly honored to be asked and he told us they would publish our papers in the proceedings of the conference.

And so they have. A couple weeks ago I received in the mail a dense little package with brightly colored stamps containing a paper bound book of 400 pages. The table of contents is over 4 pages long. Of course most if it is in Russian, but it seems they bundled all the papers in English together at the beginning and the first and second articles are authored by me and JayJay, respectively. I'm thrilled to have my paper published at all, much less at the front of the book, though I presume there is no particular significance to its location.

JayJay's paper is an overview of UWA's presence in SL and especially the arts activity as a case study for bringing many creative people from around the world together in a highly productive and successful project. My paper is a bit more about relationship building and so on, but covers the same idea, i.e., that in virtual worlds a relatively small investment can have a very large impact. You may see our articles scanned from the book (with permission) this PDF.

UWA SKY SIM SERIES (JAN): Between Orient & Occident (Asmita, ChapTer, Louly)

2012-01-21T07:48:00.002+08:00

UPDATE! UPDATE!
A second special event is being held on Sunday the 22nd of January at 1pm SLT to celebrate the last week of this installation. You can expect a short event-program, this time also with Louly Loon, who was missing the first time due to a RL incident. Machinimas documenting the exhibition will also be screened.

BETWEEN ORIENT & OCCIDENT SPECIAL EVENT:
22nd of January 2012 at 1pm SLT
Location: HERE
Click Here for link to Giri's Blog

Program:
1. ChapTer's self-composed Stream with oriental dance by Asmita and Miriam
2. Louly Loon reads a text from "Madam Butterfly", that was point of origin for her installation; reading in voice English, French and Italian
3. Louly's movie documentation of her installation
4. Reinhold Apfelbaum plays a music piece with his oud, accompagnied by Uri with Daf
5. ChapTer Kronfeld reads an Egyptian tale
6. ChapTer's movie on his installation
7. Reinhold Apfelbaum plays a music piece with his oud; oriental dance by Asmita and Miriam
8. Asmita's movie documentation

ORIGINAL POST FOLLOWS:

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES, moves to January with 'Between Orient & Occident', a wonderful collaboration led by Asmita Duranjaya along with Louly Loon and ChapTer Kronfeld. Artistide Despres will helm the January LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (to be announced soon).

BETWEEN ORIENT & OCCIDENT OPENS:
6th of January 2012 at 1pm SLT
Location: HERE
Click Here for link to Giri's Blog which also describes this work

Asmita, Louly & ChapTer describe their work as follows:

In Asmita Duranjaya's words:

The sky-installation 'Between orient and Occident' is a personal statement, based on my Real Life experiences with travelling, living and working as an European in Asian countries. In RL I process my impressions and experiences in a more intellectual way and with this sky-installation in Second Life I took the chance to focus more on the emotional, associative and intuitive side of my mental and physical experiences.

In the developing process of the art installation I found at last five categories, which I like to present and those are:

1. Travel&Trade; 2. The TaleTower; 3. Color&Shape; 4. Urban Standardization; 5. Meditation & Healing.

These are the topics of my five virtual areas, open for exploration. The areas are accessible through teleport-doors. If one area is finally explored, one door with the label “EXIT” will lead to the next place.

There is a guidebook available, that can be worn as a hud in a corner of the screen. It gives short introductory explanations and contains a puzzle, which can be solved just for fun and with the aim to get a gift-box at the end. In every area the visitor has to find a special word and in this word one or two certain characters. The six found characters add up to a solution word and this word terms a symbol, used in the European mythology as well as in the Asian, insofar “between orient and occident”.

I want to thank the jury of the UWA-sky-series to give my colleagues and me the chance and the prims for this art challenge. Thanks also to my colleagues and friends Louly Loon and ChapTer Kronfeld for the motivating and inspiring partnership during the past weeks of preparation. Everybody of them has found an individual perspective on the topic.

In Louly Loon's Words:

When I started to work around that topic, "between Orient & Occident", I first decided to let me inspire by extreme-orient culture. I made the Geisha Butterfly (2d-platform). It was like an evidence, it was the center of my work, just an impulse. As usual in my art works, femininity and the conditions of women were at the beginning... intuitive source of inspiration.

Then I built the other platforms: one material, the other spiritual. But I felt frustrated, no guideline, just inspiration. And then it appeared to me as an evidence! Last year I was always listening to Madam Butterfly, the Opera, an old version sung by M. Callas with the Karajan orchestra. A version I have been offered by a friend.

That's it: my vision of the meeting between Orient & Occident, an opera one of the most beautiful versions that I ever have heard!

Such a beautiful love story, and so dramatical one!

The developing process of this art installation is three parts (as the Opera)

1.At the beginning Cio-Cio-San gives her mind and soul to Pinkerton and denies her culture.

2.She waits for his return, at my eyes one of the most beautiful aria of the opera history: "Un bel di vedremo".

3.She prefers dying than leave without him. "Who can't leave in honor, die in honor". I always cry when I listen to that part, I feel overwhelmed...

I build it as theatre decor. As scenes, just missing singers...

In ChapTer Kronfeld's Words:

Die Installation 'The Route from the Occident to the Orient' zeigt meinen subjektiven Versuch, einen Zugang zu den inneren Strukturen des Morgenlandes zu finden. Als mit toleranten abendländischen Werten und Ansichten aufgewachsener Mensch, begebe ich mich suchend, mit offenem, Wissen suchendem Geist, auf den Weg, die Welt des Orients annähernd zu begreifen. Je näher ich einem vermeintlichen Ziel komme, desto unklarer wird die Erkenntnis. Der Weg muss das Ziel bleiben und nicht ein statischer Endpunkt. Wir alle müssen und werden bemüht bleiben, immer und immer wieder Schritte zu dem Andersartigen und Neuen zu erwandern. Nur durch solch stetiges Bemühen entsteht Toleranz und gegenseitige Achtung.

(Translation by Asmita Duranjaya: The installation 'The Route from the Occident to the Orient' shows my subjective way to find an access to the inner structures of the Orient. As a person, who has grown up with tolerant occidental values and point of views, I set off in search and with an open mind for roughly understanding the world of the orient. The closer I approach my alleged target the less clear becomes the perception. The journey has to remain the reward and not a static end point. We all have to care and to make an effort continuously in approaching step by step the culturally different and new. Only this permanent effort creates tolerance and respect of each other.)

Report on Virtual Outworlding Blog
Report on Virtual Real Blog
Report on Quan lavender Blog

Further reports on Virtual Outworlding
Victoria Lennoire Report
Machinima (ChapTer): The Route from the Occident to the Orient
Machinima (Asmita)
Machinima (Louly)
Juanita Deharo Blog
SL@ArtsParks
Events in SL
Echt Virtuell
Temi Sirbu Blog
.

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES LINEUP JAN-DEC 2012

2012-01-18T09:06:00.002+08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, which came to life in October 2011 following the end of the UWA FULL SIM ART SERIES has confirmed the full lineup for 2012.

For this series, each artist/group of artists will have a full 15,000 prim SIM for 1 month from the 1st day of the month, till the last day of the month. Events will launch when the artists say it is ready!

2012 LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES LINEUP

JAN 2012: Artistide Despres, 'Where I found my Ivory Tower Surrounded by a Huxleyan World, Which Turned out to be an Orwellian World'
FEB 2012: Romy Nayar & Ux Hax, 'An Interactive History of Life'
MAR 2012: Kicca Igaly and Nessuno Myoo, 'The Labyrinth of Absurdity'

APR 2012: Athena Bedrosian, 'Mulligatawny Light -- A Journey'

MAY 2012: Fae Varriale, 'Mirror Worlds'

JUNE 2012: David Denton (DB Bailey: SL), 'In A Tizzy'

JULY 2012: Lolito Larkham, 'Walter's Dream'

AUG 2012: Cajska (AKA Cajska Carlsson & previously Snubnose Genopeak, 'Whispers in Code'

SEPT 2012: Mary Wickentower, 'Cinema City'

OCT 2012: Solkide Auer, 'Architectonic Build'

NOV 2012: London Junkers, 'Project Guernica'

DEC 2012: Nish Mip, 'Animals'

PREVIOUS MONTHS

OCT 2011: Rebeca Bashly's 'Inferno', inspired by Dante Aligieri's Divine Comedy, Inferno
NOV 2011: Tyrehl Byk's "Catharsis" & quadrapop Lane's 'Retrospective'

DEC 2011: Haveit Neox's 'Second Libations'

Victoria Lenoirre's Look at UWA Sky Sim Series: Between Orient and Occident

2012-01-16T08:12:00.004+08:00

Explore the UWA Sky Sim once again this month and see "Between Orient and Occident" by Asmita Duranjaya. She is joined by ChapTer Kronfeld and Louly Loon.

At the landing point, you will find a bright orange/pink/yellow sign welcoming you to the installation. You are in Asmita's exhibition. Read on and you'll find that you need to click it to receive a HUD book that will guide you through the sim. Plus, you'll be given hints throughout the book and at the end, you'll have to solve a puzzle. When you do, you'll be rewarded with a gift.

The first tarea you are in and where you land at is Travel & Trade. According to the book, "Travelling between Orient and Occident is the basis for individual experiences..." This tower portrays danger, war, bloodshed, and fear.

Your next destination is the Tale Tower. There you will find a book and a few yellow pose balls that allow you to sit in front of the book. The hint's answer is about a poet. Listen to the story and find out who it is.

Next is Color&Shape. You should be facing an image of the Taj Mahal when you turn your back on the door you entered by. Your task here is to listen to a tale. Click on a painting and you should get a link to a page. And you should hear the tale from the Windows Media player. The video is called 2 ways drum. Listen to it and figure out the clue.

The fourth destination is Urban Standardization. You hear faster, more upbeat, industrial drums. Everything moves faster and it's noisier. A lot of cities look alike with the tall structures, and air pollution. Walking around you get a sense of feeling overwhelmed by the noise. The effectt is more intense if you wear earbuds. You can even hear car noises. You might even feel lost in this place. Where is the exit? Your fourth hint has to do with pollution.

The fifth destination is Meditation & Healing. You are now in an Ayurveda garden. It is really lovely. Inside are descriptions for ayurvedic plants like Cardmom and Cinnamon. The answer to the last hint is one of the plants in the book. Read through the descriptions to learn which plant will give you the final letters.

The answer to the riddle is the name of a famous mythical creature.
Good luck solving the puzzle and have fun!

So come check it out here!

Between Orient and Occident @ UWA Sky Sim

I visited several times and thought up questions to ask Asmita Daranjaya about her exhibition She was most kind. I even met her while I was visiting one day.

Hi Asmita Duranjaya , I wanted to ask you and your team members about your UWA Sky Sim Installation "Between Orient and Occident". I find this an intriguing concept. I myself am of mixed European and Asian upbringing and ancestry. I believe that we all are of mixed backgrounds. But I've always noticed and felt the disparity between East and West throughout my life.

Can the 2 cultures be reconciled? And how? I agree with what Chapter says about how there must be tolerance. I have always noticed a culture gap when I talk to my parents or their friends. I am an American with European influences raised by Asian-born parents.

Victoria, thanks for your inquisitive questions. Orient and Occident are not “cultures”, they are concepts, grown in the heads and fantasies of past and recent persons, authors, historians, scientists, philosophers, travelers, politicians etc. The terms orient and occident are discursive, that means there does not exist any fixed reality and you and me, we can create our own realm of orient and occident. That might be the biggest difference between Chap’s and my interpretation of the topic, that he tries to find something fixed, which he can take as “orient”, but it does not exist. I see it generally discursive, it is up to our own creativity, to make or see it as oriental or occidental. So I get at last for my person patterns, with whom I can play, which I can combine, modify, change, be it in my fashion style, the style of my interior or in my personality, my identity; the Cultural Studies use for that the term transculturality. It is not found outside, it is inside a person.

The first area is about a history of war and pain. Can you elaborate on that a bit?

No not only. There are also kinds of oasis for regeneration, art pieces, relaxing camels etc. It is an imaginative scenery of the so called Near East (desert countries) along the silk road, but very imaginative, without having the impact to show any reality.
The weapons and the bloody wall remind one of the recent incidents in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq etc.
I noticed the yellow particles, is that supposed to be sand? For some reason, it made me think of Dune. The series by Frank Hebert?

I was smiling here, because you are absolutely right with your imagination of Dune – I had exactly the same association, when I created that – it symbolizes a sandstorm and the tunnels remind of the worms in Frank Herberts books.

Why did you use all the bright colors? I was surprised to see the bright pink, especially.

I used only textures, which I created with my RL stamp-technique and some photos processed with graphic software; I didn’t want to show a desert reality – it is my imaginative expression of a desert, that is alive.

This exhibition is mainly oriental in flavor and I think some were expecting a bit more occidental flavor in it. Can you explain why it was designed this way?
As I wrote in the guiding hud-book, it is my personal intuitive processing of my personal experiences and emotional perception as somebody, who has grown up in a European context and has spend some lifetime in Asian countires. It is not a documentation. So if the “oriental” parts seem to be dominant, it is the perception of the viewer. For me it is not like that; it is the mixture, that I wear inside of me.

Aside from the road you mention in the Travel & Trade section of the book, what other places stood out to you as being dangerous or bearing traces of suffering? The camel and the sand, does that portray storms in the Sahara desert?

As mentioned above, the travel route between Europe and Asia has been historically and recently a route of blood and pain. And the camels are symbols for the trading function of that road.
In the Tale Tower, I read the story The Grapes. It seems to be about how four men all want the same thing and don't realize it. How has this fable affected your way of thinking and living?

It is a nice fable to articulate the basic constants of humankind despite of the diversity of languages, cultures, religions etc. All are hungry and want to get the same thing to eat, only the terms are different. It shows the discursiveness of reality and the embedment and dependency of terms in cultural contexts, at last the segregating function of culture.

In Color & Shape, why did you choose the Taj Mahal as the central structure?

If you look closely, you will find that the Taj Mahal is only a vague shape, which I have modified with a lot of other shapes from different buildings. I like the shape of Asian palaces, temples and dagobas and to play with them was my topic in this area and in addition the colourfulness of the daily sceneries, that is sometimes overwhelming, when you see it the first time.

What is a Memorialis? I see a few throughout.
Memorialis is a Latin word, that means ‘beloning to the memory’ and I have craeted some small 3D-sceneries as kind of a visual diary of my impressions.

Out of all the major cities you've travelled to, which is the noisiest and busiest, you've been to? Do they seem to be all the same in a way, based on how chaotic and polluted they get?

I wanted to show the standardisation of those mega metropoles, which are growing all over the world, but also between orient and occident. They are all very noisy, be it Bangkok, Hongkong, Istanbul, Colombo, Beijing etc. But the busiest for me was always Jakarta in Indonesia.

Great busy city soundbyte. Did you mix it yourself? The colors and spiral effects on the floor are fantastic.
Thank you. Yes I have mixed the soundscape myself.

Meditation & Healing is a great concept. The Orient has always stressed the importance of healing. I noticed you included a Buddha statue and made mention of Vanaransi, a great city in India where Buddhists go to seek enlightenment.

I am not sure, whether we mean the same city; In German we call it Varanasi. It is a starting point for travelling on Buddhist traces, because the historical Buddha Sakyamuni is said to have started his sermons here. The travelroute is then going up the river Ganges to Bodhgaya, where the famous bodhitree waits for the pilgrim to meditate.

What is the meaning of ayurvedic? What is the role that a Bodhi tree plays in healing & meditation?

I see meditation and healing as two parts of the same medal. There cannot be physical healing without cleaning the mind and vice verse. The Ayurvedha concept has been developed in India as well as in Sri Lanka and it is a whole system of healing also based on a mind-body entity. I have often practised it in Sri Lanka and can only recommend it for people who search for profound relaxation. Sitting peacefully under a tree, like the historical Buddha seems to have practised it himself, what better place could you find?

Did you create the textures yourself?

As I have already mentioned, I created the textures myself with my RL stamp-technique and some photos, like for the urban area, I processed with diverse graphic software.

************
ChapTer Kronfeld: The route for Occident to the Orient: A subjective test of ChapTer Kronfeld

Near the beginning of ChapTer's exhibit

You find yourself in a series of dark tunnels that twist and turn. You walk through the walls. You hear strange music and strange letters on the walls. What does it all mean?

If you walk a bit you see scrolling marquee letters that say "Searches For Orient." What is that all about? Will the tunnel lead us to the Orient?

What does the tunnel symbolize?

Walk further and you'll see scrolling marquee words that say Orient meets Occident in English and several other languages. You might hear a strange sound. The best I can describe it is that it is like a creaky bed spring and it just keeps looping.

Where Is The Way To Orient? This is a set of letters you'll see along the way.

Then you see green smoke? What is that about?

Walk on and you'll see bits of pink fog. What does it mean?

Then you see red and you hear some Indian music. Maybe I'm getting closer to the Orient?

I kept walking then I saw a scrolling marquee that said "Searches for Orient" surrounded by pink fog. I walked towards it and found myself falling down a tunnel. You stop falling and land in a room with letters that say "Orient meets Occident". The words crisscross and coincide all around you. And that is the end of the exploration or "test."

It took me a few hours and at least 2 visits to go through ChapTer's entire exhibit. It was definitely a test of my persistence and patience. I found it a rewarding experience.

I sent ChapTer my writeup with the questions I wrote as I was wandering through his "test." Here are his answers:

Hi Victoria, thank you for your interest in our joint project, UWA Exhibition in sky 2012, January [sharing the sky with Asmita Duranjaya and Louly Loon].

Here first a statement of my entire installation: 'The route from the Occident to the Orient'
The installation "The route from the Occident to the Orient" shows my subjective way to find an access to the inner structures of the Orient. As a person, who has grown up with occidental values and tolerant point of views, I set off in search and with an open mind for roughly understanding the ?
world of the orient The closer I approach my alleged target the less clear becomes the perception.

The journey has to remain the reward and not a static end point.

We all have to care and to make an effort to continuously step by step approaching the culturally different and new. Only this effort creates a permanent tolerance and respect of each other.

Now to your questions:

All fog on my long journey, rest places symbolize my thoughts.

The different colors of the nebula express the variety of my thoughts.

On these rest places (fog), I hear, always at the beginning, a clear musical phrase.

The more I listen, to understand this single aspect of the Orient, the less I hear the melody of this basic musical phrase.

It creates a loop, a musical chaos. I feel that I am turning in circles on the long way to "my" East .

I am moving forward, but don't see any goal. This is the meaning of the long tunnel.

On this long way, I keep asking myself "Where is the way to the Orient". In between, I have to remind myself again and again of the topic: "Occident meets Orient meets Occident meed meets East - - - ".
After wandering for a long time I come to a subjective endpoint and I fall into the abyss of my doubts. These doubts become clearer, the deeper I fall. Now I can see all my doubts clearly infront of my eyes.

And these doubts show me that I will never find the complete access to the Orient. A solution for this dilemma I think to find on others paths. But which ones? I do not know. I am going to the right, or straight, or I go to the left, or I go back. I'm trapped in a network. Like a small fly in a spider web, I move back and forth .. . I'm trapped. I don't find any way out. I did not find the quintessence of the Orient. I am not oriental. I remain a European.

**********
Louly Loon's Extreme Orient un reve occidental.

Cio-Cio-San and Pinkerton from Madame Butterfly as depicted by Louly Loon

Based on the great, world-famous Italian opera Madame Butterfly. It's a blend of spiritual, musical, and cultural. Louly built 3 platforms. It looks and feels like a grand theatre. My favorite part was the platform where you land.

I find it fascinating that with white, Louly is able to capture sweetness and beauty. The music creates a delicate, poignant, touching ambience.

In the opera, Cio-Cio-San falls in love with Pinkerton and accepts his culture, turning her back on her own. It's always tough choosing between family and love, especially when one's culture is strict about marrying outside one's race and one's cultural background.

The second platform shows her waiting for him to return to her. Others surround her and it's as though you can feel their disapproval and shame for her. But she is so much in love that she no longer cares what her elders think of her and her behavior.

What does "Un bel di vedremo" mean?

In the end, she decides to die. So the third platform shows her on her knees praying, before she leaves off from living. The music is so sad. You feel this sense of hopelessness and despair.
At the third platform, what are the sounds one hears? Are there dogs barking?

I wrote to Louly about her exhibit and she kindly replied:

Hi Lady
Ty for your note
First you have to know that I'm Italian by my mother, that's why I'm more easy with Italian than English, and the text at the exhibit between Orient to Occident is Italian too..
I love music, and theater discovered Opera since few, and fall in love immediately, "La Wally", "Madame Butterfly", "La flute enchantée"...
For me Madame Butterfly is the symbol of the impossible love between extreme-orient and Occident. So many misunderstood, between those very different cultures. So very fascinating too!

Un bel di vedremo means "One good day we will see" (Google) it express hope in a beautiful future. Cio Cio San thought with the filter of her culture, of her emotion. Honor, engagement, fidelity. She accepts his culture but she can't understand it. It's not how what she was educated in. So dramatically misunderstood, and such a beautiful gift! Her life and the fruit of her body, her son.

My work also talks about a woman's condition. As usual. I always explore this mysterious concept, "femininity".

The sound is an addition of sounds I found right and left in sl. Don't ask me what it is exactly, I don't know... but it's a water sound... a sound of life, of tears, of peace in death...

So there's my exploration of "Between Orient and Occident." Visit it here! You should all come visit the entire exhibition yourself. Take the challenge and have fun!

UWA Artists’ Choice Theme: Perfume!

2012-01-10T11:25:00.006+08:00

This information is available as a notecard from the posters at the UWA gallery or from FreeWee Ling.
TWO ANNOUNCEMENTS!!

I. UWA ARTISTS' CHOICE THEME FOR FEBRUARY: PERFUME!
UWA Gallery SLURL

Express odors visually in a sort of synthetic synesthesia. The ozone smell of burning pixels. Interpret the smell of your lover's hair. The ocean spray on a tropical beach. The pollution spewing from the stacks of an oil refinery or an urban sewer. Meat on the grill. A delicate flower. The decay of rotting prims. .. One of those ideas that you can't really imagine how to visualize, but ferments in your brain for a while until some amazing concept smacks you from behind.

ESSENTIAL:

Deadline is January 30.
Max prims: 210 (300 PE for mesh)
Up to two entries
SEE DETAILS BELOW

CURRENT SPONSORS INCLUDE:

artFiona
DNA Art and Music Fusion
Eliza Wierwight/Patron
Mysterious Wave
NordanArt
Phi Designs
projectZ
UWA

Please thank these great people for their generous support of the arts!

II. UPCOMING THEMES
There's no shortage of ideas. I've listed a bunch I think might be interesting and made it into a survey. Check it out and tell us what you think. Rate my ideas and offer your own!

GO TO SURVEY

THE FINE PRINT

THEMES:
This year it’s about you. A different theme will be announced each month, but the core theme is personal expression. We want you to use this as an opportunity to explore some aspect of your personality, not only as a creative artist, but also as a critical observer.

THE THEME FOR THE CURRENT ROUND IS:

PERFUME!

DEADLINES
Entries for display in February are open NOW until January 30. Entries will be held until the first of the month and will then be displayed all at once. This assures that all entries have equal time and are all on display for close to a full month. Visitor will always see a complete show except when shows are being dismantled or rebuilt.

(NOTE: There will be a hiatus in the middle of 2012 (dates to be determined), during with the major one-time UWA 3D Open Art & Machinima Challenge will be running.)

JUDGING/PRIZES:

IMPORTANT!! The role of the artist is changing in these UWA challenges. When you submit an entry, YOU AGREE TO SERVE ALSO AS A JUDGE for the prize awards. You're work will be judged by your colleagues and the challenge sponsors--people you know and whose work you know. People like you who know art in SL.

There will be at least three top artist awards, plus a non-scripted award and a people’s choice award in each round.

The entries will be judged by the participating artists themselves (YOU), rather than a rl panel. By entering a piece you agree to look at the other entries and vote for your favorites. Obvious limitations apply:
• You are voting for the entry, not the artist.
• You may not vote for your own work or that of your partner.
• We ask that you vote for at least 5 entries that are not your own.
• Any vote is a positive vote. Do not vote for entries you don’t like.

We have developed a separate web-based voting system for the participating artists to use. You will be given the URL when the show opens and you will have all month to look at the work of your colleagues and express your opinions. (Because this is not judged by a deliberative panel, the UWA curator is not disqualified to enter the competitions unless there is objection by the participants.)

The cash awards for this year’s challenges will be less than last year. Actual amounts are to be determined by contributions and sponsorships, and may vary month to month. We welcome sponsors interested in contributing to the prize pools. Our target for fund-raising is L$20,000 each round. The prize money distribution will be as follows, whatever the amount:

First Prize: 35%
Second Prize: 25%
Third Prize: 15%
Non-Scripted 15%
People's Choice 10%

HOW TO SUBMIT ENTRIES:
To submit entries for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, visit the UWA platform and drop your entry in the receiver.
• Select the entry in your inventory (left mouse button) and while holding the button, press CTRL and drag the entry from your inventory to the surface of the receiver object. The outline of the receiver should turn RED when it’s ready to release.
• When the cursor is over the receiver, release your left mouse button and the item will be transferred. A chat message will confirm.
• If you have difficulties doing this, you may give the object directly to FreeWee Ling.
• UWA Gallery SLURL

LICENSE:
Note that by submitting an entry, you are giving permission to the University of Western Australia to place the objects anywhere on UWA owned land, and to have information and images of the entries placed on websites or other publications promoting the activities of UWA. The UWA sims are public spaces. By allowing us to display your work, you permit the entry to be photographed or used in machinima by UWA or by any visitor, within the SL TOS.

PERMISSIONS:
You may make copy/modify/transfer permissions on your entry as restrictive as you want. We ask that you submit two copies of any no-copy items.

You should have full permissions to transfer your entry to FreeWee Ling or her alt on behalf of UWA. We strongly discourage the use of any parts that you cannot transfer (requiring you to install them at UWA yourself), but we will work with you if needed. We are not responsible for the loss of any no-copy or no-transfer objects.

LIMITS:
• Entries: Maximum 2 entries per month per person.
• Prims: Maximum 210 prims per entry. Objects using mesh can be up to 300 prim-equivalents as long as the number of actual prims remains under 210. This is a hard limit. No exceptions.
• Size: There is no size limit other than sim space available.
• If you’re entry is large, it may have to be placed on a platform above the gallery. If that is the case, you may design a simple TP device to move people to and from the gallery floor, or one will be provided. The tp device does not count towards your prim limit as long as it is no more than 6 prims total for both up and down devices (i.e., 3 prims each).
• Scripts: Maximum script time of 0.5ms, and anything that runs at over 0.05ms is to have an on/off on touch with time out of 10 minutes max (if you are unsure of your piece's script load please contact one of the Challenge hosts to have it evaluated).
• Lighting/Sound: The size of your entry includes any internal lighting and sound radius. If the light or sound from your piece extends much beyond the limits of the prim object, it may be placed on a platform where it will not interfere with other entries, depending on space available. Please be careful when using these features. Sounds should not loop continuously when no one is around.
• Please do not use pre-loaders for sounds or textures.
• Media: You may request a media parcel for your entry. Please note that media parcels do not allow us to easily move entries, so the possibilities for positioning those entries may be limited. You will need to provide us with the media texture and URL.
• We reserve the right to reject an entry that would limit the availability of space or any other resources on the sim to the point that it would prevent others from being properly displayed, or would interfere with the normal operation of the other activities on the UWA sims.

SPONSORSHIPS
We welcome sponsors to contribute to the prize pools. We will gladly publicize your events, let you put posters in the gallery, and will acknowledge your contributions at the awards ceremonies. We will not have group awards as we did in the past, where a sponsor gets to select a winner of a sponsored prize, UNLESS you make at least an equal contribution to the general prize pool as well.

Curator for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is FreeWee Ling
Host for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is UWA & Jayjay Zifanwe

Victoria Lenoirre's Look at Aristide Despres's 'Where I found my Ivory Tower Surrounded by a Huxleyan World, Which Turned out to be an Orwellian World'

2012-01-08T23:10:00.000+08:00

This month's installation at the LEA Full Sim is by the fabulous artist, Aristide Despres, Artée, as she prefers to be called. It is a phenomenal body of work. Make sure to increase your draw distance to about 800 or so, if your computer can take it. I have taken a wide shot of the scene.

Doesn't it look amazing? You have to come see it for yourself!

I asked Artée several questions about the vast body of work and I thought her answers were insightful and intriguing.

To quote what Jayjay wrote about your title at blog, your title is a bit unusual: 'Where I found my Ivory Tower Surrounded by a Huxleyan World, Which Turned out to be an Orwellian World', far cry from its original title in early proposals, which was 'Research on Musical Instruments'. Why the long title and why did you choose that title?

Yes quite a long title. I think the installation needed such a title-explanation as I decided to avoid text or navigation on the sim itself.
I was persuaded that the world we are living in, was a Huxleyan one. You know the novel of Alduous Huxley, Brave New World, in which he describes a world where people are entertained. Amusement and fun are the way to keep the crowds from asking too many questions. Since 9/11 the world has changed to a more Orwellian type of society. Phone taping [or Wire tapping], true identity policy on Internet, drone attacks, the freedom of the press under fire, etc.
In October when I was working on the concept of the sim for UWA/LEA, I followed the news events intensively: OWS, the revolution in Libya etc. That had an immense influence on my work.
So of course, technically this is all about my instruments, but it's in a scenery that reflects my state of mind at this time.

Those red particle bugs, are those ticks?

I have no ideas what those insects are. Of course they symbolize something wrong going on. They are a bit apocalyptic, some visitors are quite scared about them.

VL: I was a little alarmed to see those insects, but they do convey the sense of something "wrong" infesting the world right now. They seem to be everywhere, kind of like the media spreads fear, a concept I remember from Michael Moore's documentary Bowling for Columbine.

How long did it take you to create the mesh crab? It looks really great. The texturing is excellent and I love how it hangs down slightly and dwarfs visitors.

The mesh crab was created in 'sculpt mode' with Blender and textured with photos I made from our fishing-holiday in Normandy. The interesting part of this mesh is that I did not try to make it clean in terms of prim count. So the mesh is much too precise and so are the textures. It also uses a new function of LSL to make it move slightly.

That flying camera, is that a Leica? I love cameras, old and new ones. I think that a camera is one of the most fascinating inventions ever created. Why does that camera have wings?

The flying camera is a recursive item in my builds. I am a photographer, and the Leica is still my favorite camera, although i mainly shoot digitally. This camera is a naughty camera, that keeps flying around and repeats, in Canadian-French: " Bravo, c'est vraiment bien! - Toutes mes ficelles de caleçon ! " - If you want to translate it, use the mocking mode and say: " Whaah! It is really good what you've done - For all the laces of my underwear " (which might seem stupid in English, but is a well-known expression in French).

I like how you used the avatar clothing templates on the giant female who is brandishing a long metal rod..

The big avatar is almost a copy of my avatar and the way i dress myself in SL since 2 years. Big Artée is supposed to defend her Ivory Tower (the small island) from the big gray world outside. The greek industrial village being a first Huxleyan layer, then the gray (financial) buildings, even more authoritarian.

I love the movement in this work. The animation you put in is always amazing and unique. There is always so much action going on. Life is in constant motion, isn't it? Would you agree that we are never really motionless? We never really stay still?

I think interaction is one of the most important principles of virtual worlds. It leads to more immersion, also caused by the sound events and the constantly changing elements. By the way, formally i do not use any animation on the sim, all the movements are created by the reaction of the avatars to the moving physicals I use. I call these physicals 'super-physical' as I can control them entirely by script. This way people can still walk while being animated and transported.

Thanks for creating! I love your work and look forward to seeing more in the future!

Voilà Victoria. Feel free to bounce your text back for more questions.

-End of interview-

So that's just a bit of information about Aristide Despres's new installation at the LEA sim. When you get a chance, definitely TP over and wander around. Watch what happens when you walk near the 'roundabouts.'

As always, have fun and enjoy the art!

UWA 3D Artists' Choice Challenge: 3D Self Portraits

2012-01-05T13:35:00.004+08:00

We have received 25 outstanding entries (SEE LIST BELOW) for the first UWA 3D Artists' Choice Challenge on the theme of 3D Self Portraits. The range of work is stunning, from small simple representational pieces to grand meshes to large immersive installations. Many of the familiar names are back, and many are new, but every piece here is worth taking the time to look at carefully. They will be up for the month of January.

VOTING:
People's Choice voting is active and will remain on for the rest of the month.

JUDGING:
Please note that the participating artists themselves will be voting for the main prize winners using the same system as for the People's Choice voting. We will know who votes for what and can extract the artists' votes from the pool.

IF YOU ARE A PARTICIPATING ARTIST:
Please be sure to come look at all the pieces and vote! Your opinion is important!

SPONSORS:
Our current sponsor list includes:

artFiona
Eliza Wierwight/Patron
Mysterious Wave
NordenArt
Phi Designs
UWA

Please let them know you appreciate their support!

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:

Carmsie Melodie Portrait
Cherry Manga Autoportrait
Chic Aeon Do You See Me?
Corcosman Voom Self portrait in Yellow
Dusty Canning Thinking Outside the Box
Eifachfilm Vacirca Smiley d-oo-b
Fiona Blaylock Self portrait
FreeWee Ling Am I my avatar's pet?
Gleman Jun nuJ namelG
Haveit Neox Portrait Clock
kjs Yip Self portrait
Lilia Artis One of billions
Miso Susanowa Self portrait: i am not my code
nexuno Thespian ancient ruins of temple of nex
Nish Mip Self portrait
Praxis Prax - Nut
Rose Borchovski Self portrait
Sea Mizin Juggling Away the Day
Secret Rage There was a little girl
Silene Christen Inner Light
Silene Christen When you left
Sledge Roffo Self portrait
Suzanne Graves S in Prims
ToySoldier Thor Swimmers - The Arrival
Wotthe Dickins Magic Mirror

Report on Toy Talks Blog

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (JAN): Artistide Despres' Musical Masterpiece

2012-01-02T07:49:00.006+08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES, moves to January Artistide 'Artee' Despres at the helm for the LEA, presenting a musical feast with what is believed to be the longest title ever announced, 'Where I found my Ivory Tower Surrounded by a Huxleyan World, Which Turned out to be an Orwellian World', far cry from its original title in early proposals, which was 'Research on Musical Instruments'. For the UWA SKY SIM Series, Asmita Duranjaya along with Louly Loon and Chapter Kroenfeld are presenting a delightful collaboration entitled 'Between Orient & Occident'.

GRAND OPENING: 2PM SLT, THURSDAY 5th JAN 2012

LOCATION: HERE @ LEA 6

Report on Quan Lavender Blog
Report on Apmel Goosson Blog
Virtual Real Blog
Virtual Outworlding Blog
Victoria Lennoire Report
Juanita Deharo Machinima
Temi Sirbu (Japanese Blog)

IN ARTEE'S WORDS:

Sometime ago, when it was known I will have to make a full sim installation at LEA, I saw the possibility to gather all my music instruments in one scene. Although code writers and 3D modelers are mostly working alone behind the keyboard, I found myself much influenced by what was happening in the world. The crisis, OWS, Fukushima, the war machine, everywhere. My small creative ivory tower was under attack.

THEME
On the rest of a tiny island Artée is defending her last bastion. Clusters of Greek holidays houses are popping at random and big gray financial buildings are growing all over the place. The music instruments restrained in a small area have no choice but trying to play in tune. The visitor will be tempted to play around, but will still feel the oppression of the world behind the broken dome.

THE MUSIC INSTRUMENTS
All instruments are playing music with a certain level of randomness. The Coney Island attraction in the middle plays short sample based on the rotation of the platform, while the visitors (and a rusted ball) create random WIZZ-PAW-BLOP. 'Petite Etude sur Olivier Messiaen' uses a complex formula where many parts interact and collide to create some sounds of short samples. Like an African instrument, a white drum produces notes at random while the wind of the sim gives a variation of the execution speed. The three blades of 'Harmony in C Great' keep on moving and buzzing while a discrete piano sequence gets through.
Twelve dwarves spring in the merry-go-round and more…

ABOUT THE TECHNIQUE
This build is a mix of several techniques, please set the 'Media' and 'Steaming Music' OFF and be sure the 'Sound Effects' are ON. You will need a MESH-ENABLED viewer like SL-Viewer3 or Firestorm (i haven't tested the last). Many objects are using my 'super physical' script that allows to interact and move your avatar while walking.

.

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (DEC): Haveit Neox's 'Second Libations'

2011-12-30T15:45:00.001+08:00

THE LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES moves on to December, following two truly stunning months, with Rebeca Bashly in October and Tyrehl Byk with quadrapop Lane in November. The baton passes to Haveit Neox and 'Second Libations' which has already provided us a stunning preview! Luna Metamorphia's 'Interactive Zoo of Endangered Species' will showcase the associated UWA SKY SIM Series following on from RazorZ and jjccc Coronet.

LATEST INFORMATION
THE END IS NIGH!! DESTRUCTION OF THE SIM (Dec 31st 2011)
The month long exhibit, Second Libations, comes to an EXPLOSIVE end on Saturday, Dec 31. If you haven't seen it yet, please hop on over for a last look before the collapse.

There will be a dramatic end to Second Libations on New Year's Eve, Dec 31. As the year 2012 issues in, will it really be the end of the world? Come see for yourself. The show begins at 2 pm, SLT. (SL time is Pacific Standard Time). You may want to be there, and bring your camera :)

Reported Here (Temi Sirbu Blog)
Location for Destruction HERE

Normal Location: LEA6 - CLICK HERE

On Linden Labs Destination Guide Featured Events
jjccc Coronet Machinima
Quan Lavendar Blog
Apmel Goosson Blog
Virtual Outworlding Blog
ACC ALpha Blog
More from ACC Alpha Blog
Temi Sirbu Blog (1st)
Temi Sirbu Blog (2nd)
On MouseDragon Designs Flickr
Toxx News
The Lionheart Times
PJ Trenton's Flickr
Rowan Derryth on Prim Perfect
Honour McMillan Blog
Victoria Lennoire's Look at Second Libations
Spiral Silverstar Machinima Part 1
Spiral Silverstar Machinima Part 2
Temi Sirbu 3rd review
FashionFeed of SL
Virtual Real Blog
More on Temi Sirbu Blog

In Haveit's Words:

THE STORY

The great cosmic storm swept up the last of Earth’s water molecules. On the lifeless planet, the only remaining intelligence flickers on computer screens. In the absence of human maintenance, bot scipters, bot artists, and bot teachers scramble to rescue their resources before the impending threat of blackout.

Like the sorcerer’s apprentice, they begin flooding their world by rezzing buckets of virtual water, in the hope of rehydrating their users. Their strategy needs assistance. Not having been programmed for an unforeseen event of this magnitude, the bots plea for your solution in securing their virtual world.

The Second Libations await your offering. Will you be the one to rescue the world of the bots?

A PREVIEW OF SECOND LIBATIONS

CHIC AEON'S 'CHAINED' - ON SECOND LIBATIONS

EXHIBIT TOUR

1. The Colossus

You arrive to Second Libations by way of the ‘real world’... an Earth become desert. Walking through the computer screen doorway of a pyramid, you enter the virtual world: a place where only bots have survived the desiccation. The interior ramps of the pyramid relate the story in floating short texts. Suddenly you fall through a phantom floor from the austere colorless pyramid, to a welcoming stage saturated in rich hues. Bots line up to welcome you into their electronically generated culture.

As you pass down the stairwell, vending posters offer complementary temple garb to wear if you choose. Have you noticed that you have been walking and tumbling inside a colossus? From the pyramid in the sky to the seabed below, his charge is to deliver you to the Temple of the Bots.

With yet another drop to speed your journey, you find yourself at the bottom of the sea. Houses flooded in the virtual sea were once homes to users. Follow the arrows to the grand marble staircase. It leads you to shore.

2. The Temple of the Bots

Sea level brings you to the inner sanctum: the Temple of the Bots. Here, the bot scripters, bot artists, and bot teachers compose their ideas in an effort to preserve their internet existence. You face three doorways on entering the building. Each takes you via a short labyrinth to reach the main rooms. The signs over the doorways are clearly marked with pictures to show what lies beyond. The three rooms are:

a) Banquet of the Artists. An accumulation of artworks are arranged around the room. The map for the Banquet (included in the free vendors inside the colossus statue) gives more detailed information about the artworks. On the way to the Banquet, you will pass a very colorful installation which has a copy of one of my real life palettes as part of the composition.

b) Librarynth. After you negotiate the bookcase maze, you reach the study area of the teachers where a collection of texts by Second Life residents are displayed. The statements answer the question ‘how will the bots survive without human maintenance’. Do you have an idea to contribute? Please click on the cube in teacher's book and follow the instructions to submit your idea.

c) Scripters’ Web Tower. A mirrored floor captures the magic of the scripters. The bullet shaped dome, rising high into the sky is composed of spiders and their communal web... the very web that makes up the internet. Giant entropic inducing creatures feed upon the spiders, thereby threatening the virtual world’s network. Along the way to the tower, you will also pass the Frogs’ Stage with yet another proposition for bot survival, and the DaVinci cell, where bots attempt to script the Creation of Man to life.

Tour the rooms in any order you wish. Along the way, there are surprises to keep your labyrinth promenade varied.

THE FINALE

On Dec 31 2011, the last day of Second Libations, there will be a dramatic end to the exhibit. If you like seeing big things come apart, this may be something you will want to catch. I will be posting the time for the event on the ACCalpha blog when I have the schedule set up. Please check by late December. See the address below.

Further information:

Updates about the exhibit will appear on the ACC Alpha blog at: http://accalpha.blogspot.com/

A film trailer about the exhibit is posted on YouTube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMJd2zBCUgg&hd=1

Welcome to Second Libations. As explained above, you may be a part of the exhibit by submitting a text for display.

Haveit Neox

A Book On International Education Includes Second Life Photos

2011-12-23T23:36:00.002+08:00

A book released on the 22nd of Nov 2011 by Senator Chris Evans, Australian Minister for Tertiary Education entitled 'Making A Difference: Australian Tertiary Education', carries 2 images from Second Life, taken by UWA's Jay Jay Jegathesan (Jayjay Zifanwe).

Galea Yates with Winthrop Clock Tower

This book on the history and development of international education in Australia, edited by Bruce Mackintosh & Dorothy Davis shows an image depicting the avatar of Galea Yates (USA), in the iconic photo that saw the launch of the first of the UWA Machinima challenges. This image leads Chapter 12 (written by Bob Goddard) of the book, entitled 'Future Perspectives: Horizon 2025'.

Renee Michel, Angharad Catteneo & Jay Jay Jegathesan @ Winthrop Clock Tower

The 2nd image on page 411, also features UWA's Winthrop Clock Tower, this time with the avatars of Renée Michel of Sacramento, California, Angharad Catteneo of Gower, Wales, and Jay Jay Jegathesan of Perth, Australia.

CLICK HERE for more information on the book.

* Pages reproduced here with permission from Bruce Mackintosh

Victoria Lenoirre's Look at LunaMetamorphia's Endangered Species Zoo of Metamorphia

2011-12-22T13:07:00.000+08:00

Entrace to the Zoo

http://slurl.com/secondlife/WASP%20Land/92/7/1302

Come check out Luna Metamorphia's "Endangered Species Zoo of Metamorphia". You only have a few more days left to see it! It is mesh, so you will need to be logged in a viewer that is mesh-compatible.

The way into the maze is the mouth of the tiger. I love how Luna built the habitats. They looks realistic and comfortable. I took a picture of the maned wolf.

The Maned Wolf

At the landing point you should find a bluish purple teleporter. Click to get a menu of target locations. The locations are: Douc Langur, Cafe, Quetzal, Marine Tank, Geo Tortoise, Fountain, Golden Toad, Maned Wolf, Balkan Lynx, Karner, and Numbat. You'll find a teleporter near every exhibit as well.

It's a lovely, fun place to visit with your friends and just all by yourself. I liked the maze concept. I'd love to build one myself. :-)

The textures and the design was well done. The use of color was brilliant and natural-looking.

I recently sent some questions to Luna Metamorphia and below is our exchange:

VL: What did you use to build this installation?
LM: The installation is a bit of a collage. The animals and their enclosures (as well as the tiger head, and a few other items such as the benches) are meshes that I built. The other items within the enclosures are the creations of other Second Life residents. This was not my original intent, but I did not allow enough time to create everything myself. The programs I used for my original work are Maya and Photoshop.

VL: Why did you choose a tiger's mouth as the entrance?
LM: For some reason, I like the concept of walking through a mouth shaped cave (I think it's the implied danger and mystery of it). This is the third time that I've used the concept. It is, however, the first time I have chosen a tiger. The other times I used a jaguar and a dragon. This is the first time I've used a more detailed texture on the entrance (the others were granite and steel, respectively).

VL: Why is it a maze?
LM: I chose the maze because I wanted to offer fun, along with the learning experience that the zoo has to offer. I added the multiporters for those who did not want to participate in the maze.

VL: Do you create your own textures?
LM: The textures on the mesh objects that I created, are my own. With the exception of the ground and the hedges, all non-mesh objects of my creation also have my own textures.

VL: What is your favorite animal?
LM: I don't really have a favorite right now. I admire the qualities each animal has to offer (although I have trouble with things such as mosquitos, ticks, black widows, and scorpions). I love cats and my pug. In the past I have felt akin to hawks and butterflies. The fantasy creatures I like best are unicorns and dragons, and these show up alot in my work.

VL: If you could be any animal, which would you be?
LM: Ideally, I would be a fantasy creature with the ability to shapeshift into other creatures. If I must choose a specific animal, I choose the hawk. I would love to experience flight, as they do.

Please come see LunaMetamorphia's Zoo! It is awesome!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/WASP%20Land/92/7/1302

Happy Christmas all and a wonderful New Year!

UWA Artists’ Choice: 3D Self Portraits

2011-12-19T09:30:00.007+08:00

Following the extraordinary success of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenges, curator FreeWee Ling is now running a scaled-back series of theme challenges in the UWA gallery. “The unprecedented creative energy that was focused on the UWA challenges has been an inspiration to many artists. As long as UWA is willing to support the gallery infrastructure, I feel a responsibility to continue serving the artists of SL and their work,” says FreeWee.

At the 3D Open Grand Finale, FreeWee announced the continuation of art at UWA with a series of theme shows to be called the UWA 3D Artists’ Choice Challenge, beginning with a challenge for January on the topic: “3D Self Portraits.” As always, anyone is encouraged to submit entries. For the theme shows the prim limit is doubled to 210 (300 PE for meshes). Deadline for entries is January 3. Complete details are available on the UWA website.

Important differences between these shows and what we have become accustomed to at UWA include changes in judging and prizes. These challenges will be more cooperative. Cash awards will be relatively trivial, but it’s hoped that the new judging process will come with greater prestige and honor, as the participating artists themselves will chose the winners.

Regarding the theme for the first challenge, 3D Self Portraits, FreeWee says, “Much of my own work in SL has been about identity and how we so fundamentally create a new persona in virtual worlds. The decisions we make and the art we create are all projections of some aspect, whether hidden or overt, of our real life personalities. I thought it would be interesting to ask artists to turn the mirror on themselves and show us in a more direct way how they perceive themselves (or want us to perceive them, which also says something). Many artists are accustomed to using themselves as models in photographic work. But one does not often see a personal expression in a 3D work. I look forward to seeing who does literal representational art and who chooses to be more conceptual or abstract.”

Entries may be submitted at the UWA gallery. SLURL. All questions should be directed to FreeWee Ling.

UWA GRAND FINALE CHAMPS: MISPRINT & TUTSY WALK AWAY WITH IT ALL

2011-12-12T21:55:00.194+08:00

Tutsy Navarathna @ Misprint Thursday's Digital Glove

More than a year in the making, Misprint Thursday's "Digital Glove' soared above an amazing array of 858 artworks sent in across the year to the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge to clinch the title of Grand Champion, and the L$100,000 prize in a nail biting climax where the 35 strong judging panel could only seperate this work from Blue Tsuki's "In Dreams" (seen in this Sophia Yates machinima) by a single point. Oberon Onmura's 'The Chasm' was similarly a one point winner for 3rd place over Claudia222 Jewell's 'Strange Plant... Uglyness & Beauty'. As to MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, Tutsy Navarathna, a Frenchman based in Pondicherry, India, created history by becoming the first person to defend his crown at the UWA Machinima Challenges. His 'Welcome to the Other Side', with its nod to Marshall McLuhan proving too strong for Friday Siamendes gut busting 'Artwashers'. 'Shattered' by Ginger Alsop, pipped paleIllusion's 'You Can't Touch Heaven' in the juried non-scripted category. With the People Choice Awards, Gleman Jun's 'Matter of Ideas' took top spot with a 2 point gap over the joint 2nd prize winners, Blue Tsuki's work & Claudia Jewell's 'Venustrap'.

Chair of the UWA judging panel, Professor Ted Snell, Director of the Cultural Precinct, explained, "

It's been an extraordinary period of creative energy and innovation over
the past two years with an amazingly diverse group of works constantly on
show each month.  The challenge of selecting winners has become
progressively harder as the standard of the entries rose consistently.
The level of technical sophistication and conceptual rigour in the grand
final was a testament to all those artists who have made this such an
exciting project."

3D Artworks can be seen HERE (overall) and HERE (non-scripted)

Major sponsors Open This End provided 25 Awards of Excellence for MachinimUWA IV (full list below). Much thanks to Aino Baar and the Open This End team for being such great supporters of the art.

During the announcements, challenge curator FreeWee Ling offered the following Machinima by way of thanking the artists for their inspiration, as well as to make a surprise announcement on the future of art at UWA

UWA Grand Finale: FreeWee from FreeWee Ling on Vimeo.

BLOGS & NEWS ON THE GRAND FINALE WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENTS

FULL MACHINIMA LIST ON AVIEW TV
Temi Sirbu Blog
Magnum: The Machinima Review
MachinimUWA IV Awards Video by Emmo Wei & Petlove Petshop
I Derryth Blog
Division Street / Divided Path Blog
Kara's Korner
Phi Designs
Pixie Rain Blog
Prof Lori Landay Blog
Apmel Goosson Blog
Second-Lie Blog
Prim Perfect
Hazlo Real Blog (Spanish)
Nordan Blog
SL Newser
SL Newser on Friday Siamendes
Quan's Travelogues
Spotlight Radio MachinimUWA Review Day 1 Hour 4, Hour 3, Hour 2, Hour 1

FULL RESULTS FOLLOW AND THE TEXT OF THE WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT IS REPRODUCED BELOW IN ITS ENTIRETY

UWA 3D OPEN ART CHALLENGE (OVERALL)

1st Prize (L$100,000): DIGITAL GLOVE by Misprint Thursday - 70 points
"I am so honored to have 2 spots in the top 10 of the year...I am amazed at the potential of the medium and look forward to seeing it progress. I am very thankful for the work that Jay Jay, FreeWee and the judges put into this-it is no small task. We have a world of people and possibilities here and it continues to move me. So, thank you." Misprint Thursday

2nd Prize (L$75,000): IN DREAMS by Blue Tsuki - 69 points

"I give many thanks to all the people who voted for me in both the People's Choice and the main judging. There were so many spectacular and deserving works this year, it was an honor to share the same stage. I want especially to thank Jajay and FreeWee for all their hard work and comitment to the arts here in Second Life. I can not understate the positive effect the UWA has had. I believe that virtual art is a unique and valid new art form deserving of our attention. It is in its infancy and even in these few short years I have watched it grow to become more varied and sophisticated. I look forward to seeing it evolve, to see more wonderful work from all of you; to see work both reverent and irreverent, sacred and profane:). I also wanted to thank someone who can not be with us, Sabrinna Nightfire, for giving me so many opportunities to show and develop my work. Because of the generosity of people like Sabrinna and the UWA, we have an art scene in Second Life. So to all of you who support the arts in Second Life, a heartfelt thank you." Blue Tsuki

3rd Prize (L$40,000): THE CHASM by Oberon Onmura - 44 points

"Artists live to show their work to people. When people respond, especially when the response is positive, all the hard work and headaches fade away and it seems, for that moment, that he or she has made a real - if maybe small - difference in the world. Winning this award at the culmination of the UWA 3D Art competitions is a great honor, and it gives me a real sense that artmaking here in SL actually touches people, affecting their virtual lives in a good way. And that makes me very happy! Thanks to JayJay, FreeWee, and everyone else at UWA for their tremendous efforts over the years. I hope all this good work continues and grows for the benefit of the entire SL community." Oberon Onmura

4th Prize (L$30,000): STRANGE PLANT...UGLYNESS & BEAUTY by Claudia222 Jewel - 43 points

"It is hard to express the honour to be even mentioned to be in the end round in uwa grand finals .. this moment in january when i came here and was entering my strange plant . never i would have imagined the impact it has to me later .. thank you all so much for the great support you given me to go on and learn . Thank you for all the opportunitys created for people that like to experiment with more non comercial ways in sl > without events like UWA we maybe soon would become content creators and never see the freedom we can get by just work with passion in new mediums like 3d , and share it with others . a big thanks to all creation supporters in sl <3" Claudia222 Jewell

5th Prize (L$7,500): PARANORMAL FROTTAGE by Misprint Thursday - 39 points:
5th Prize (L$7,500): EXCERPTS FROM REALITIES by Glyph Graves - 39 points
7th Prize (L$5,000): NOT EVERYTHING IS PLAIN BLACK & WHITE by Fuschia Nightfire - 34 points

"I really didn't expect to rate anywhere in the overall winners, the standard of the work there was so high, so i am really honoured to have placed in the top 10" Fuschia Nightfire

8th Prize (L$5,000): FANTASIA EN LA SOMBRA by Romy Nayar - 29 points
8th Prize (L$5,000): IL PLEUT SUR MON COEUR COMME IL PLEUT SUR LA VILLE ("It's raining in my heart, as it's raining in the town") by Cherry Manga - 29 points
10th Prize JOINT (L$1,000): HARMONIES IN C GREAT(+) by Artistide Despres - 28 points
10th Prize JOINT (L$1,000): TROIS PETITS TOURS ET PUIS S'EN VA (Three little turns and it goes away) by Josiane Sorciere - 28 points

"I'm very happy to have been awarded once again, this is a good new to end the year ! Thank you all ! I take this opportunity to thank all those who appropriated the doll and took care of her with poetry, machinimas and other awesome builds. That's pretty cool to see our build living in others imagination, and it's probably the best reward." Josiane Sorciere

10th Prize JOINT (L$1,000): THE DOCK SPIRIT by Scottius Polke - 28 points
10th Prize JOINT (L$1,000): VENUSTRAP by Claudia222 Jewell - 28 points
10th Prize JOINT (L$1,000): SHATTERED by Ginger Also - 28 points

UWA 3D OPEN ART CHALLENGE (NON-SCRIPTED)

1st Prize (L$15,000): SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop - 105 points

"I hope my art, creativity and imagination inspires others to do great things. The UWA Art Challenge has been one of the most mind changing events I have experienced in my lifetime, and I cannot thank UWA enough because through my participation over the past year and half they have opened a window into my soul and allowed me to see with new eyes. No words can express the gratitude of what this has done for me. It is a reflection of the power and the beauty of art." Ginger Alsop

2nd Prize (L$10,000): YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleillusion - 102 points

"It is a great honor ... Thank you so much!!!! *passes out* ^^" paleIllusion

3rd Prize (L$5,000): 99% by Harter Fall - 82 points

"Recieving this award is such an amazing honor. I never thought i would win this prize, especially with such an political installation. I think even the rich ones of us understand they don´t belong to the 1%. I´d like to thank FreeWee Ling and Jayjay Zifanwe for all they did for art and artists in SL, Ally Aeon for her support and Aeonia Arts, Pennelope Parx , Claudia222 Jewell and Nik Gandt for beeing such great friends, the judges for the votes and all the curators, supporters, friends and my family for their help and support." Harter Fall

4th Prize (L$3,000): THE REVOLT OF THE MANNEQUINS by Silene Christen - 63 points
5th Prize (L$2,000): MARIONETTE by Haveit Neox - 62 points:

"The UWA Art Challenge 2011 comes to an end, but it's left its imprint grid wide for the artists of SL. Jayjay conceived of the challenge, and against all odds in an otherwise scattered SL, he managed to nurture an expansive and stimulating place for artists to congregate, share their work, discover each other, and further their visibility in SL. An impossible task, unless you happen to be Jayjay. I am grateful for this award. My thanks to Jayjay, FreeWee, and all those who made the UWA Art Challenge a reality." Haveit Neox

6th Prize (L$1,000): SMALL PIECE OF HELL: The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias by Rebeca Bashly - 61 points
7th Prize (L$1,000): SPRING BOX by Cherry Manga - 58 points
8th Prize (L$1,000): DAUGHTER OF THE WIND by Fae Varriale - 51 points
9th Prize (L$1,000): MISS N by Suzanne Graves - 45 points
9th Prize (L$1,000): BIRDSONG by Cherry Manga - 45 points

UWA 3D Art People's Choice Award, (Overall)

1st Prize (L$15,000): THE MATTER OF IDEAS by Gleman Jun - 64 points

" I am very surprised and pleased. My goal is to make people happy with my pixels." Gleman Jun

2nd Prize JOINT (@L$6,500): VENUSTRAP by Claudia222 Jewell - 62 points

"Thank you all very much for liking my venustrap. Its a great honour." Claudia222 Jewell

2nd Prize JOINT (@L$6,500): IN DREAMS by Blue Tsuki - 62 points

UWA 3D Art People's Choice Award, (Non-Scripted)

1st Prize (L$8,000): SMALL PIECE OF HELL: The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias by Rebeca Bashly - 112 points

"Well, the people have spoken:) This was truly a lovely year, thank you very much. This makes me happy" Rebeca Bashly

2nd Prize (L$5,000): SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop - 92 points

3rd Prize JOINT (@L$1,500): YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleillusion - 67 points

3rd Prize JOINT (@L$1,500): SPRING BOX by Cherry Manga - 67 points

MachinimUWA IV: 1st Prize (L$60,000) - 63 Points

WELCOME TO THE OTHER SIDE by Tutsy Navarathna
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dm4XY49gdzc&feature=player_embedded

"Many thanks to the organisers. UWA competitions are now setting the benchmarks for the creation of Visual 3D and Audio-Visual media in Virtual Worlds. I am very proud to be part of this adventure! UWAMachinima IV is a great achievement in terms of the number of entrants and the high quality of the films being produced. In only three years or so, machinima filmmakers have emerged as an undisputed artistic force in Virtual Worlds...And this is just the beginning! Thank you, all." Tutsy Navarathna

MachinimUWA IV: 2nd Prize (L$40,000) - 47 Points

ARTWASHERS by FRIDAY SIAMENDES of California
http://vimeo.com/28513091

MachinimUWA IV: 3rd Prize (L$30,000) - 42 Points

ART OF THE ARTISTS by Fuschia Nightfire of Dorset, England
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2Nj5ivMTX8

"Thanks mostly i would like to thank all the artists whose work inspired the machinima and CoMa for allowing me to use her music" Fuschia Nightfire

MACHINIMUWA IV: JOINT 4th Prize (@L$22,500) - 35 Points

QUBIT: COGNITIVE DISTORTION by spyVspy of Lisbon, Portugal
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9V46Qy5IyE&feature=player_embedded

"My special thanks to the artists involved and a very special to Maya Paris, also included on my work, so far viral acception from the public, and that for me it is all. Based entirely on the size of our perception, not only individualistic dimension, since the Qubit (The smallest unit of information in a computer designed to manipulate or store information through effects, predicted by the quantum physics) Represented by the "LittleBigPlanet" character dimentions, and the character of the individual and the Dimension of our real knowledge of the vastiness of the whole universe (it's like talking ironically about the tiniest of the tiniest thing, thinking about the hugeness), the common desire of Human beying, reach of the untouchable. Not wanting to get out of our sphere entirely, although I plan to put into (out of the box) to compose this poem. Through the art of the artists I've tried a notion to explain the ideas in fluid way. Like affirmation of the universe seen by the human mind in poetic tone "Draw from the graphite, Brilliant and dazzling" (to our knowledge about the chain of carbon-based life and our universe that designed graphite, bright and shiny). This work was assembled in it's a whole." spyVspy Aeon

MACHINIMUWA IV: JOINT 4th Prize (@L$22,500) - 35 Points

VIRTUAL LOVE by Iono Allen, from the land of Amore, France:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYIL0FZoUCo

"I am very proud to have been part of this excellent competition, and of course I want to thank Josiane Sorciere who has made a fabulous work with this ballerina. I also want to thank UWA team, whom I have followed nearly since the beginning for art competitions and machinma contests as well, and who has made a terrific work since all these years." Iono Allen

MachinimUWA IV Special Award for EMOTION (L$19,000)

YEAH by Hypatia Pickens of the Unites States
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiC2sYwDuJw&feature=player_embedded

"I'm very happy and gratified that both my films got into the top ten; I want to thank everyone who encouraged me... and especially the artists who inspired these stories in me. And please thank the judges for me as well." Hypatia Pickens

MachinimUWA IV Special Award for BREAKING THE BARRIERS (L$19,000)

TRANSFORMATION VIRTUAL ART ON THE BRINK by L1aura Loire / Dr Lori Landay, from Berklee College of Music, USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mCrjkzzDJk&feature=player_embedded

"Thank you for the special award for Breaking the Barriers. It's particularly meaningful because that's what we all do when we make 3d interactive and immersive art, or create films with machinima that make it possible for people who haven't seen the art in the virtual world to experience it, or when we do what is not possible in real life. My film suggests that virtual art can be seen as a step towards what augmented reality might bring to art experience in the future, but as usual, I explore that idea playfully, with a wink at questions about how imagined, created, and actual realities intertwine, and what it might mean to break the barriers between them. It is a privilege to explore those connections with the artist communities of Second Life, especially as we've been brought together by the UWA. Thanks again to the UWA, JayJay, FreeWee, and all the artists and filmmakers involved." Dr Lori Landay

MachinimUWA IV Special Award for THE SOUL (L$19,000)

DUAL by Veruca Vandyke of Arkansas, USA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJdeYql_hNk&feature=youtu.be

MachinimUWA IV ANTON MESMER Special Award (L$19,000)

A PLACID OCEAN OF UNCERTAIN LIBERTIES by Cecil Hirvi, Citizen of the Universe.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGjkeiX_6tg&feature=youtu.be

MachinimUWA IV Special Award for THE HUMAN HEART (L$19,000)

LOVE PRAYER by Hypatia Pickens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHuXudCPtp8

" I'm very happy and gratified that both my films got into the top ten; I want to thank everyone who encouraged me... and especially the artists who inspired these stories in me. And please thank the judges for me as well." Hypatia Pickens

OPEN THIS END AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN FILM ( in Alphabetical order) (@L$2,400)

FUSCHIA NIGHTFIRE (Dorset, England) - Art of the Artists
HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Love Prayer
OONA EIREN & SAYZEE ISHTARI (London, UK) - Remote Control (ONE Machinima in 4 Parts)
PART 1 of 4
PART 2 of 4
PART 3 of 4
PART 4 of 4
URBAN STEAMPUNK (Esteio, Brazil) - Sad Robot

OPEN THIS END AWARD OF EXCELLENCE IN FILM DIRECTION ( in Alphabetical order) (@L$2,400)
HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Yeah
IONO ALLEN (France) - Virtual Love
SPYVSPY AEON (Lisbon, Portugal) - Qubit: Cognitive Distortion
TUTSY NAVARATHNA (Frenchman in Pondicherry, India) - Welcome to the Other Side

OPEN THIS END AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR FILM NARRATIVE ( in Alphabetical order) (@L$2,400)
BRACLO EBER (A Little Town, South Africa) - Vito
GLASZ DECUIR (San Sebastian, Spain) - Fragile
CECIL HIRVI (Citizen of the Universe) - A Placid Ocean of Uncertain Liberties
MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - Daddy, Venomous Constrictor

OPEN THIS END AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR INVESTIGATIVE FILMN ( in Alphabetical order)(@L$2,400)
BLEU OLEANDER - Art of Mind
FRIDAY SIAMENDES - Artwashers
L1AURA LOIRE/ LORI LANDAY (USA) - Transformation: Virtual Art on the Brink
NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) – BODY OF WORK
ORMAND LIONHEART (Surrey, BC, Canada) - In Darkness Featuring Mommaluv Skytower
PENUMBRA CARTER - A Discreet Infiltration of Thought
SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA, USA) - Futurism vs Art of the Future

OPEN THIS END AWARD OF EXCELLENCE FOR DESCRIPTIVE FILM ( in Alphabetical order) (@L$2,400)
HAVEIT NEOX (California, USA) - Exhibition
HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - To Inhabit A House of Uneasy Chairs
GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - UWA Favourites for Jan 2011
JJCCC CORONET (London, England) - Aerie
MOANA LITTLEBOOTS (Hamburgh, Germany) - Dante's Inferno
SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) - In Dreams
SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA) - The Aerie

UWA 3D Open Art Challenge - Audience Participation

1st Prize (@L5,000): LILIA ARTIS - 47 points
2nd Prize (@L3,000): ARROW INGLEWOOD - 39 points
3rd Prize JOINT (@L1,000): LOQUACIA LOON - 36 points
3rd Prize JOINT (@L1,000): NUBDIEST RESIDENT - 36 points

MachinimUWA IV - Audience Participation

1st Prize (L$10,000): LALA LARIX - 66 points
2nd Prize (L$6,000): PIXIE RAIN - 58 points
3rd Prize (L$4,000): LALIE SORBET - 54 points

For anyone interested in seeing the full text of the announcement by Jayjay Zifanwe, delivered from 6am slt on SUNDAY, 11th December, it is reproduced as follows:
Greetings everyone, and welcome to the University of Western Australia, or UWA as she is known and also welcome to the OCTOBER round announcement of winners and party for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. As is tradition at UWA, I would like to acknowledge that the University is situated on Nyoongar land and that the Nyoongar people remain the spiritual and cultural custodians of their land and continue to uphold their values, languages, beliefs and knowledge.

Today brings to an end the 2 years of monthly art challenges at UWA, with 841 artworks being submitted in year 1 across the Art & Architectural challenges and 858 submitted in year 2, also known as the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. Today also sees the conclusion of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists and with this, we had 83 machinima submissions where the theme was to film the artworks submitted to the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Its been an absolute pleasure for me to work with all of you over the year, and especially to those who went above an beyond the call of duty to make all of this a success. Thank you FreeWee Ling, curator of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, thank you LaPiscean Liberty co-host for MachinimUWA IV. Also much thanks to those who have provided support and sponsorship which sees the overall prize pool standing at close to L$2,000,000 across bopth art and machinima. As such I would like to do is to thank and acknowledge the major art houses and groups in Second Life that are part of this Grand Collaboration. These include The University of Texas San Antonio (UTSA) led by Dr Carmen Fies, Open This End, led by Aino Baar, SL Art led by Gleman Jun & Sunset Quinnel, CARP led by Josina Burgess & Velazquez Bonetto, Pirats Art Network led by Merlina Rokocoko & Newbab Zsigmond, Odyssey led by Fau Ferdinand, Jo Ellsmere & Lizsolo Mathilde, BOSL led by Frolic Mills and Editorial Clarity, Nordan Art led by Flora Nordanskiold, S&S Gallery of Fine Art led by TheDove Rhode, The Workhouse Gallery led by Astarte Haalan, Art Place d-oo-b led by Eifachfilm Vacirca, The Tornado Gallery led by Taralyn Gravois and project Z led by Zachh Cale. Also thanks to our Grand Finale sponsors, MidnightRain Glas, Philip Vought, Patch Thibaud, Open This End, TheDove Rhode and UWA. Of vital importancs is Professor Ted Snell, Chair of the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts abd the Director oif UWA's Cultural Precinct and Profesor Alan Robson, UWA's illustrious Vice-Chancellor who is retiring on the 31st of this month, without whose support, none of us will be standing here today.

We will start today with the winners announcements for MachinimUWA IV, FreeWee will then take centre stage for the first time, and we will end with the announcements for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. However. before I do or say anything else, we have a real cracker to kick off the Grand Finale, and I would like to introduce to you to Laurina Hawks and The Phoenix Embers Showcats, with a special performance that reportedly will knock everyones virtual socks off! I am told that for this performance, it is best to watch with the 'night' settings. Over to you Laurina!

(THE PHOENIX EMBERS SHOWCATS PERFORM)

I want to thank all of you for being here today, bringing the world together. The UWA Art, Architectural & Machinima Challenges, the Teaching & Reearch have seen people from all corners of the globe involved with students, artists, builders and machinimatographers hailing from Greece, India, Colombia, Poland, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Ukraine, Taiwan, Hungary, Latvia, Russia, Venezuela, Belgium, Mexico, Wales, Canada, the USA, the UK, Uruguay, Scotland,England, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, France, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Denmark, Holland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Portugal, Austria, Cuba, Serbia, Tunisia, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Australia and parts unknown. More than 40 nations with 6 of the 7 continents of the world represented.

Today brings to an end the amazing journey of MachinimUWA IV, the companion of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. It will see the end of the rein of Eric Boccara as reigning champion, and as for Tutsy Navarathna? who knows.... we could well have a new champion taking the mantle from the 83 amazing entries that have come in from all the nations of the earth.

LaPiecean Liberty, who is one of the true unsung heroes of second life, with AviewTV has been instrumental in putting everything together. Also Kinte Trill, Petlove Petshop & Emo Wei who organized an amazing MachinimUWA IV Review across the 8th - 10th of December and also to Taralyn Gravois for all her work in the lead up to the ceremony, as I am sure she has been speaking to many of you. Sponsored by Open This End, AviewTV & UWA, the MachinimUWA IV Prize pool is sitting at L$350,000, with a 1st prize of L$60,000.

I want to thank our judging panel for their sterling work in looking through the incredible array of 83 entries. It was unbelievably hard to seperate things, and the panel was put to a great deal of work and this was an amazing 18 member panel made up of people from all around the world involved in a diverse array of related areas.

Professor Ted Snell (RL) - Director, Cultural Precinct, The University of Western Australia
Yesikita Coppola (SL) - Official Machinimatographer for UWA 2011
FreeWee Ling (SL) - Curator, UWA 3D Open Art Challenge
Cisko Vandeverre(SL) - Winner of the Original MachinimUWA
Laurina Hawks (SL) - Winner of MachinimUWA II
Kim Flintoff (RL) - eLearning Advisor, Centre for eLearning, Curtin University, Western Australia
Wagner James Au (RL) / Hamlet Au (SL) - Editor in Chief of New World Notes
Nazz Lane (SL) - Journalist and Author
Dr. Phylis Johnson (RL) - Media Professor, Southern Illinois University, Author - Machinima: Aesthetics and Practice (a.k.a, Sonicity Fitzroy, SL Virtual Journalist)
Mal Burns (SL), Metaverse News Aggregator and Broadcaster
C.Steele (RL) - Lecturer, Humanities and Culture, "In Other Worlds: Art and Artists in 3D Multi-User Environments", York University, Toronto, Canada
Chestnut Rau (SL) - Journalist
Thirza Ember (SL) - Art Blog Writer
Pia Klaar (SL) - Machinimatographer and Winner of MachinimUWA III Viewer Event
K. DaVette See (RL)//Suzy Q. Yue (SL), film diretcor, CEO Running Lady Studios
Naya Pinazo - Open This End Group Leader for SL and Facebook
Lapiscean Liberty - CEO of AView TV
Jay Jay Jegathesan (RL) / Jayjay Zifanwe (SL) - Manager School of Physics/ Lead of UWA Virtual World Projects

Before announcing the winners, I just want to remind everyone, that just because the monthly art challenges are ending, this DOES NOT MEAN its the end of art at UWA. Its merely a format change. In 2012, there will be a single major round art challenge with a prize pool of L$500,000. It will have a theme and the theme will be very loosely related the UWA's Centenary. At the same time, we will also have MachinimUWA V, which will also have a theme loosely related to UWA's Centenary and which will also carry a prize pool of at least L$500,000, likely taking place betwen March - June 2012.

Now for the Audience Participation Prize, which has a prize pool of L$20,000, in which anyone in the world who was not on the official judging panel was invited to provide what they thought the top 10 would be as decided by the actual panel. This was no mean task, as the viewer had to watch all 83 machinima and then rank them, and if you ask them they will be able to tell you the enormity of the task. Aside from the Lindens, the winners will receive in the mail a special RL pack that includes a copy of the 2012 UWA Friends of the Grounds calendar that includes 2 photographs taken in Second Life. One by Silene Christen of Spain's Balears Islands, the other a lucky shot by a rank amateur who may be among us today. The first prize winner will also be invited to be on the official judging panel for MachinimUWA V.

There was a maximum of 100 points that any viewer could get, and this is if they were spot on with every single selection and matched the exact order as well. For example, if you listed a machinima in 1st place, and it actually won first, you would receive 10 points (there is a difference of ZERO between your selection and the actual). If you listed a Machinima as 1st, and it got 10th, then you would get one point (difference of 9 between your selection and actual). Now the average score achieved by entrants for this was 27 out of 100, with 66 being the top score, and 2 entries who had zero, with not a single one of their top 10 matching the actual top 10.

Anyway, we had a great response, and finishing in 3rd on 54 points, in the Audience Participation Prize with 7 of their top 10 selections being in the actual top 10 and winning L$4,000 and a special RL pack is... someone who incredibly also won 3rd Prize in the Audience participation event in MachinimUWA III ...

LALIE SORBET !

The 2nd Prize Winner for the Audience Participation Prize, had 58 points, very close between 2nd and 3rd. 8 of this persons selections turned out to be in the actual top 10. And so, the winner of the L$6,000 2nd Prize for the Audience Participation Event is:

PIXIE RAIN

And now the winner of the Audience Participation Prize, on 66 points, and also picking out 8 of the top 10. And so the winner of the L$10,000 First prize for the Audience Participation Event is:

LALA LARIX of Gdansk, Poland!

Congrats Lala. Well, Lala will now be invited onto the official panel for MachinimUWA V, though I am secretly wishing she declines and submits another one of her wonderful machinima for the event instead. Anyway, that will be left to Lala to decide.

Now on to the winners of the competition proper. When the winners are announced, it will be done in 1 minute intervals. We do invite everyone to comment and congratulate the winners and for the winners to respond before the next announcement (and if they could please use the SHOUT function). Hopefully we can get pictures of you attending the event. Anyone taking good pictures of today, please email them to me at jayjayaustralia@hotmail.com

Now to explain how the judging was done. Each judge listed their top 10 in order of preference. 8 points was allocated for a 1st place vote, 6 points for a 2nd place vote, 4 points for 3rd, 3 for 4th, 2 for 5th, and 1 point each for 6th – 10th. Straight aggregates were then used for the top 5, with the special awards going to the other works that finished in the top 10. The judging was extremely diverse with 52 of the 83 works receiving at least 1 top 10 vote. The top 2 machinima however featured in 16 of the 18 judges top 10's respectively. The Special Award winners all finished with between 12 and 26 points.

AND SO.... the MachinimUWA IV Special Award for EMOTION (L$19,000) goes to:

YEAH by Hypatia Pickens of the Unites States

The touching story about how art is the only way a man who has been deprived of speech or understanding it can express the vivid images he has in his head

Next, the MachinimUWA IV Special Award for BREAKING THE BARRIERS (L$19,000) goes to:

TRANSFORMATIONL VIRTUAL ART ON THE BRINK by L1aura Loire / Dr Lori Landay, from the College of Music, Berkelee, USA

Here Dr Landay gets transported into the virtual world and plots her escape!

And now, the MachinimUWA IV Special Award for THE SOUL (L$19,000) goes to:

DUAL by Veruca Vandyke of Arkansas, USA

A chilling machinima exploring the duality of our soul.

Next, the MachinimUWA IV ANTON MESMER Special Award (L$19,000) goes to:

A PLACID OCEAN OF UNCERTAIN LIBERTIES by Cecil Hirvi, Citizen of the Universe.

A mesmerising work immersing us in the virtual world, and I believe his first work since we saw the conclusion to the Saga of Cecil.

And to cap it off, the MachinimUWA IV Special Award for THE HUMAN HEART (L$19,000) goes to:

LOVE PRAYER by Hypatia Pickens

This work where "Tam Lin" meets Finnish love song produces an amazing double for Hypatia amongst the Special Awards!

Next for 5th Prize with L$20,000. I have nothing much to say about this work. I didn't really like it, but it got 5th anyway... and so, 5th Prize for MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists is:

NOBODY

Well there we have it, the first of the famous UWA ties. We have a tie for 4th place, on 35 points. One of these works featured in 12 of 18 judges lists, had THREE 1st place votes, ONE 3rd and ONE 4th place, while the other featured in 13 of the 18 lists, had one 1st place vote, TWO 2nd's, ONE 3rd and TWO 4ths... And so, L$22,500 for 4th Prize in MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists goes to:

QUBIT: COGNITIVE DISTORTION by spyVspy of Lisbon, Portugal

a longtime favourite for the overall title with more than 7,000 youtube views.

And, the L$22,500 for 4th Prize in MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists ALSO goes to:

VIRTUAL LOVE by Iono Allen, from the land of Amore, France

A heartbreaking film featuring "The Music box" (or "Three little turns and it goes away") by Josiane Sorciere.

The 3rd prize for MachinimUWA IV is L$30,000. Now across the 18 judges and 83 machinima, only 2 creations received THREE 1st Place votes. Iono's work and this one. The 3rd Prize winner finished with 42 points and featured in 12 of 18 top 10. This was a truly ground breaking piece, and many are in awe of the method to this work. And so, 3rd Prize (L$30,000) for MachinimUWA IV goes to:

ART OF THE ARTISTS by Fuschia Nightfire of Dorset, England

here 3d artworks are deconstructed and reconstructed in some of the most remarkable sequences seen in a machinima.

2nd Prize for MachinimUWA IV is L$40,000. This machinima featured in 16 of the 18 top 10 lists, had ONE 1st place vote and FOUR 2nd place votes, ONE 3rd and ONE 4th, finishing with 47 points., and so, 2nd Prize (L$40,000) for MachinimUWA IV goes to:

ARTWASHERS by FRIDAY SIAMENDES of California

a gut busting look behind the scenes of how virtual art scrubs up.

MachinimUWA II & MachinimUWA III both had Joint-1st Prizes..... well that sequence is broken. We have one winner of the L$60,000 1st Prize. By a margin. On 63 points, with ONE 1st place vote, FIVE 2nd place votes, THREE 3rd place votes and THREE 4th place votes, featuring in 16 of the 18 top 10 lists. And so, the winner of MachinimUWA IV (L$60,000) is:

WELCOME TO THE OTHER SIDE by Tutsy Navarathna, the brilliant Frenchman based in Pondicherry, India

The defending champion holds on to his crown! Unprecedented in the UWA Machinima Challenges! Congrats Tutsy.

We will play the winners machinima at the end of the announcement of winners for the 3D Artworks.

Before I move to the 3D Art, I would like to invite the curator of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, FreeWee Ling to say a few words:

(FREEWEE SPEAKS)

And now, we move to the Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. Before announcing the winners here, there are a few things I want to share.

First the grand finale & the machinima challenges have been reported in RL media last week, namely in the West Australian newspaper in Perth.
http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/12/uwa-grand-finale-reported-in-west.html

Students from the Universidad Rafel Belloso Chacin, Venezuela had been given a task by their lecturer Dr Doris Molero (Pionia Destiny, SL), as part of the English Language programme, to write a blog post about the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge Grand Finale Artworks. It is very pleasing to those running the challenge that this and other institutions around the world, such as York University have chosen to conduct aspects of their classes at the UWA Art Challenge galleries.
http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/12/venezuelas-universidad-rafel-belloso.html

One of the treasures of UWA, the Somerville Auditorium, with its Norfolk Bay Pines has recently been built by Sharni Azalee & launched. This is where the Perth International Arts Festival Films are shown in RL.
http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/11/launch-of-uwa-treasure-somerville.html

Also some events happening now and coming right after this. If you havent seen it already, do plan to visit Haveit Neox's LEA FULL SIM ART creation, Second Libations which has been critically acclaimed http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/11/lea-full-sim-art-series-haveit-neoxs.html, as well as LunaMetamorphia's UWA SKY SIM SERIES, "Endangered Species Zoo of Metamorphia" which kicks off at 6PM slt today http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/12/uwa-grand-finale-reported-in-west.html

I want to acknowledge the 35 strong judging panel for the Art Challenge
Sasun Steinbeck - Creator of the Art Galleries of SL list at http://sasun.info/ArtGalleriesofSL.aspx
Tayzia Abattoir (SL) Owner of The Oldest Virtual World Art Museum in SL, curator of the Aho Museum & Arts Simulacra on the NMC Campus and Relay For LIfe of SL Event Chair
Lumiere Noir (SL) - Creator of the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives
Dr. Phylis Johnson (RL) - Media Professor, Southern Illinois Uinversity, Author - Machinima: Aesthetics and Practice (a.k.a, Sonicity Fitzroy, SL Virtual Journalist)
Rowan Derryth (SL) - Art & Design Historian; Writer for Prim Perfect Publications
Persia Bravin (SL) - Journalist and Media Producer (SL newspapers, magazines, radio and television)
Dr Carmen Fies (RL) - Second Life Lead: University of Texas San Antonio & UTSA Artspace
Apollo Manga (SL) - examiner.com Writer & Novelist
Jordan Whitt (SL) - Editor in Chief, ICON Lifestyle Magazine
Mariposa Upshaw (SL) - Curator - Ventura Art & Jardine; Officer, Arts Council of Second Life
Saffia Widdershins - Owner and Editor of Prim Perfect Publications
Ally Aeon - Mixed Media Artist & Designer, founder Aeonia Artist Group, creator/owner of the art region Aeonia
Lowell Cremorne - Metaverse Journal
Apmel Goosson - Scandinavian Author/Publisher
Merlina Rokocoko - Pirats Art Network
Newbab Zsigmond - Pirats Art Network
Velazquez Bonetto - CARP
Flora Nordenskiold - Nordan Art
TheDove Rhode - S&S Gallery OFA
Astarte Haalan - The Workhouse Gallery
Eifachfilm Vacirca - Art place d-oo-b
Chestnut Rau - Journalist
Zachh Cale - project Z
Taralyn Gravois - Tornado Gallery
Bryn Oh - Pioneering 3D Artist of Immersiva Fame
Mal Burns (SL), Metaverse News Aggregator and Broadcaster
Holala Alter - Representing OPEN THIS END, (University Philosopher in RL, writer and collector of virtual art)
Stephen Goddard (RL) / Steveke Wulluf (SL) - Associate Director and Senior Curator, Professor of Art History, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas; Curator of SL projects on the Spencer Museum of Art sim

all of whom joined the UWA main panel:

Professor Ted Snell (SL) - Director, Cultural Precinct, The University of Western Australia (RL)
Vyonne Walker (RL) - Curator of Public Programmes, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
Len Zuks (RL) - Award Winning West Australian Sculpturist
FreeWee Ling (SL) - Curator, UWA 3D Open Art Challenge
Jenna Mead (RL) - Coordinator, Bachelor of Philosophy Degree Programme, UWA
Lyn DiCiero (RL) - Editor, WA Artist's Chronicle.
Will Langa (RL) - Journalist, Trove Interactive Arts Magazine
Jayjay Zifanwe (SL) / Jay Jay Jegathesan (RL) - Owner of The UWA SL presence; Creator & Host of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge; Manager School of Physics, UWA

First, there is the People's Choice category. Now for the People's Choice, all of SL was invited to vote. It was also announced that 3 Lucky voters will win for themselves L$5,000, L$3,000 & L$2,000 + Special RL UWA packages posted out as well. I didnt however explain how those 3 winners would be determined. How they are being selected is by how closely their top 10 choices matched with the overall grand finale winners.

As with the Machinima Audience event, there was a maximum of 100 points that any voter could get, and this is if they were spot on with every single selection and matched the exact order as well. For example, if you listed an artwork in 1st place, and it actually won first, you would receive 10 points (there is a difference of ZERO between your selection and the actual). If you listed an artwork as 1st, and it got 10th, then you would get one point (difference of 9 between your selection and actual). It was a lot harder than the Machinima to get 'high' marks on this one, and unlike the Machinima where the TOP 3 scored in the 50's and 60's, here the top score was 47, with everything else 39 and below. What this actually means ... and this is a great thing... is that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and a great range of artwork were loved by many.

Anyway, finishing in 3rd on 36 points, surprise, surprise... we have a TIE! So here they will both receive L$1,000 + an RL pack. They got 4 and 5 of their top 10's in the actual top 10's respectively, but their matching to the actual for those was very close. And as such 3rd Prize in the Audience participation event for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is:

LOQUACIA LOON and NUBDIEST RESIDENT

The 2nd Prize Winner for this category, had 39 points, pretty close between 2nd and Joint-3rd. 5 of this persons selections turned out to be in the actual top 10. And so, the winner of the L$3,000 2nd Prize for the Audience participation event for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is:

ARROW INGLEWOOD

And now the winner of the Audience Participation Prize, on 47 points, picking out 7 of the top 10. And so the winner of the L$5,000 First prize for the Audience participation event for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is:

LILIA ARTIS

Moving now to the actual top 3 artworks selected for the People's Choice Awards.

Here again, all voters listed their top 10 in order of preference. 8 points was allocated for a 1st place vote, 6 points for a 2nd place vote, 4 points for 3rd, 3 for 4th, 2 for 5th, and 1 point each for 6th – 10th. Straight aggregates were then used for the top 3.

First the Non-Scripted category where there were 24 works of art in the Grand Finale. Between 5th and 10th the scores were very very close..... with the work in 10th spot on 54 points and the work in 5th on 61 points. You will notice I didnt mention a 4th place, as we do have a tie for 3rd place on 67 points. And so, sharing L$3,000 in 3rd Place for the People's Choice Vote for the Non-Scripted category of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is:

SPRING BOX by Cherry Manga

AND also in 3rd Place for the People's Choice Vote for the Non-Scripted category of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge on 67 points is:

YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleillusion

There is a big leap to the battle for top spot in the People's Choice vote for the Non-Scripted. In 2nd place on 92 points, taking home L$5,000 :

SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop

And the winner of the People's Choice Vote for the Non-Scripted on 112 points taking the prize of L$8,000 is:

SMALL PIECE OF HELL: The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias by Rebeca Bashly

Now to the Overall Category for the People's choice. Here we had 59 artworks in the Grand Finale. The gap between 4th and 10 was a lot bigger here. with the scores ranging from 35 points for 10th to 59 points for 4th. Any one of the voters however could have impacted on the overall top 3...... as there was only a 2 point gap between the joint 2nd prize (yes... no 3rd) which was 62 points and 64 points respectively.

And so, in Joint 2nd for the People's Choice, for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge on 62 points is:

VENUSTRAP by Claudia222 jewell

and also in Joint 2nd for the People's Choice, for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge on 62 points is:

IN DREAMS by Blue Tsuki

And by a razor's edge on 64 points, the WINNER for the People's Choice for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge overall is:

THE MATTER OF IDEAS by Gleman Jun

And now we come to the crunch. The overall juried Grand Prizes for the UWA 3D Open Art Chgallenge. The results are extremely interesting, and again each judge listed their top 10 in order with 8 points for 1st, 6 points for 2nd, 4 points for 3rd, 3 points for 4th, 2 points for 5th and 1 point for 6th - 10th place votes. The winners are taken as a straight aggregate compiling the individual rankings of each member of the judging panel. No one individual had any greater influence than any other. Every single piece in the Non-Scripted had at featured in at least 3 of the 35 judges top 10's, and 57 of the 59 artworks in the overall featured in the top 10 list of at least one judge. However even the winners of the overall and non-scripted were NOT in the top 10 of at least 12 of the 35 judges. Its a bit hard to comprehend. The overall winners didnt feature in at least 12 of the 35 judges top 10 lists. So there was great individual variability acros the judges, however, when put together, I am staggered by how clearly the results come across.

First the Non-Scripted. The pieces finishing 6th - 10th each receive L$1,000.

In Joint 9th place (@ L$1,000) on 45 points:

MISS N by Suzanne Graves and
BIRDSONG by Cherry Manga

In 8th place(L$1,000) for the Non-Scripted on 51 points:
DAUGHTER OF THE WIND by Fae Varriale

In 7th place (L$1,000) for the Non-Scripted on 58 points:
SPRING BOX by Cherry Manga

In 6th place (L$1,000) for the Non-Scripted on 61 points:
SMALL PIECE OF HELL: The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias by Rebeca Bashly

Was very close in fact between 4th, 5th and 6th, 1 point seperating each.

In 5th place (L$2,000) for the Non-Scripted on 62 points:
MARIONETTE by Haveit Neox

In 4th place (L$3,000) for the Non-Scripted on 63 points:
THE REVOLT OF THE MANNEQUINS by Silene Christen

There is a big jump to 3rd place on 82 points. This work received FOUR 1st place votes, ONE 2nd place vote and FOUR 3rd place votes. So 3rd place (L$5,000) for the Non-Scripted on 82 points is:

99% by Harter Fall

Big battle for top spot. Split by 3 points.

The work taking 2nd spot, had SIX 1st place votes, THREE 2nd place votes and FOUR 3rd place votes. And so 2nd place (L$10,000) for the Non-Scripted on 102 points is:

YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleillusion

It just missed out on top spot which had 105 points. In 1st place for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge (L$15,000) for the Non-Scripted category, with FIVE 1st place votes, SEVEN 2nd place votes, and THREE 3rd place votes. The winner is:

SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop

Finally we come to the overall winners of the UWA 3D Open Art Challege. Very close and the judging showed a lot of variability as expected with 57 of the 59 artworks finishing in the top 10 of at least one of the judges.

Some amazing artworks are missing from the top 10. This is only because of the quality of the field, and bearing in mind that these are all award winning artworks from across the year.No single artwork had more than FIVE 1st place votes, and even the artwork finishing in 33rd place received a 1st place vote but appeared in only 3 of the 35 top 10 lists.

Even by UWA standards, we have quite a remarkable result at 10th place. We have an unbelievable 5 artworks tied for 10th at 28 points each, and so each receives a L$1,000 share of the L$5,000 on offer for 10th.

In Joint-10th place (@L$1,000), on 28 points for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge are:

HARMONIES IN C GREAT(+) by Artistide Despres
TROIS PETITS TOURS ET PUIS S'EN VA (Three little turns and it goes away) by Josiane Sorciere
THE DOCK SPIRIT by Scottius Polke
VENUSTRAP by Claudia222 Jewell and
SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop (the only non-scripted work to finish in the top 10 overall)

In Joint 8th place(@L$5,000), just one point ahead on 29 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge are:
FANTASIA EN LA SOMBRA by Romy Nayar and
IL PLEUT SUR MON COEUR COMME IL PLEUT SUR LA VILLE ("It's raining in my heart, as it's raining in the town") by Cherry Manga

In 7th place(@L$5,000), on 34 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge is:
NOT EVERYTHING IS PLAIN BLACK & WHITE by Fuschia Nightfire

NOW for the last of the ties. We have no 6th place as there is a tie for 5th, and will receive L$7,500 each.

5th place(@L$7,500), on 39 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, with TWO 1st place votes and THREE 2nd place votes and being listed on the top 10's of 9 of the 35 judges is:

PARANORMAL FROTTAGE by Misprint Thursday

Joint-5th place(@L$7,500), on 39 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, with TWO 1st place votes, ONE 2nd and TWO 3rd place votes and being listed on the top 10's of 10 of the 35 judges is:

EXCERPTS FROM REALITIES by Glyph Graves

3rd and 4th are seperated again by a single point (so every single placing made by the judges has been important... whether they put a work in 5th place vs 6th place on their lists have had a bearing on the result.

4th place (L$30,000) on 43 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, with THREE 1st place votes, ONE 2nd and TWO 3rd place votes, and being listed on the top 10's of 10 of the 35 judges is:

STRANGE PLANT...UGLYNESS & BEAUTY by Claudia222 Jewel

3rd place (L$40,000) on 44 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, with TWO 1st place votes, TWO 2nd and TWO 3rd place votes and being listed on the top 10's of 13 of the 35 judges is (and boy will this artist be glad when its over) :

THE CHASM by Oberon Onmura

Those bots can finally go to bed!!!!

I can tell you now... that any differences by any of the judges in terms of where they placed the top 2 would have had a profound impact on the final result.

25 points seperated 3rd place from 2nd, but between #1 & #2, the gap was 1 point. The narrowest margin possible.

2nd Prize (L$75,000) on 69 points for the Overall UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, with FIVE 1st place votes, ONE 2nd place vote, TWO 3rd place votes, THREE 4th place votes and being listed on the top 10's of 17 of the 35 judges, is:

IN DREAMS by Blue Tsuki

amazing. 2nd place in the People's Choice and 2nd place Overall.

This brilliant artwork inspired Sophia Yates to create a machinima about it within 24 hours of it being set up at the UWA Gallery. Love this machinima!
http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/10/machinimuwa-iv-sophia-yates-in-dreams.html

And now we come to what could be the end of the reign of Nish Mip as Overall Grand Champion for the UWA 3D Art Challenges. In the Grand Finale last year, Nish Mip took both 1st and 2nd places. Blue Tsuki has already ensured that Nish 2 pieces in the Grand Finale this year will not repeat a 1-2 like last year.

And so, after seeing 858 art works and across more than a year since this challenge kicked off..... we are left with THE ONE. 1st Prize (L$100,000) on 70 points for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, with THREE 1st place votes, THREE 2nd place votes, TWO 3rd place votes, FIVE 4th place votes and being listed on the top 10's of 16 of the 35 judges, is:

DIGITAL GLOVE by Misprint Thursday

A stunning show by Misprint with TWO of the top 5 works out of 858.

Thank you artists of Second Life!

Thank you FreeWee Ling (do check out the 2,000++ images on the gallery she has set up of all the artworks sent in across the year https://picasaweb.google.com/freeweel)

Thank you LaPiscean Liberty. I hand the floor to you to end the Grand Finale by playing the Top 3 Machinima from MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists.

Thank you one and all.

Victoria Lenoirre's Look at "Second Libations" by Haveit Neox

2011-12-12T03:15:00.000+08:00

This month at the LEA6 Full sim, "Second Libations" by Haveit Neox, is the featured work. Below, I have captured the Tower of the Bots, the main attraction. There is also a high tower structure, the Colossus, where you first land. The SLURL is below.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA6/80/100/237
The landing point is a red and white target.

I found myself in a wide open area of sand. Then I noticed a portal of white noise and 2 dogmen, men with dog hindquarters, hold up an arrow pointing to the door, "Enter here" they seem to be saying. I enter through a square tunnel and am now in a room full of wood blocks. There's a open trapdoor, watch your step.

I found myself in a narrow passageway with signs telling of the end of the world and how bots are to blame. And bots are trying to rejuvenate humans with "simulated water." My favorite sign says, "Can you provide them with more effective means? They await your solution." The next sign then welcomes the visitor to Second Libations.

Then as you turn the corner, you suddenly see bright oranges, instead of the dull brown. Take a few steps and you'll find yourself in a room full of figures...some dogmen and some men with fishtails. These are the "South Welcomers." I called this the "Welcomer room" and it's also where you find a rehydration fountain or pool. A froghead lady in a long gown points the way down the ramp so down I went.

After 2 flights I saw a sign for free Under Garments so I took some and then put them on. Then I got a cape to wear. Then a headdress. And then I got a ceremonial umbrella! Wow! The signs are all numbered. Sign 5 gives you a map.

I walked down several flights before falling and landing underwater. Then you have to climb up marble steps to reach the Temple of the Bots.

Past the lobby you see 3 doors, The Scripter's Web, the Librarynth, and the Banquet of Artists. I went to the Scripter's Web first. It was pretty straightforward and easy to follow the map. The Librarynth was harder. After a lot of twists and turns I found the study. Wow! And it was worth it. I saw ivory columns gilded in gold, desks cluttered with scrolls, you must see it for yourself. I think it looks fascinating!

Then I flew back to the entrance and headed to the Banquet of Artists. The first room I saw was the Artist's Palette. According to the texture map, it is one of Haveit's Real Life palettes. Very nice!

Follow the path and eventually you'll find yourself underwater, this is Rescuscitation of Waters. Here is where you'll find sculptures like Recipe for Water and Body Shop. The underwater textures are very well rendered.

I love the animated cloud background and the texture flicker along the bottom of the Temple. The inside textures were classic and understated. As I looked around inside, I felt overwhelmed by all the books in the shelves. They were all arranged neatly, like they had been left untouched for a long time. Water covers the floor.

I also got a chance to ask the artist some burning questions. :-) He was more than happy to answer them.

After the welcome sign, there's a room or orange with pentacles. Is the orange simulating a fire? Why are the pentacles or dream catchers there?
>> When the visitor enters the computer screen at the pyramid, they walk into the virtual world. The orange room is the first burst of color the visitor encounters, a gateway to Second Libations. Walking into the room, the avatar suddenly drops through a phantom floor, now having passed the frontier, so to speak. Once fallen into the next level, which is also saturated with color and texture, I was hoping the visitor would experience a slight culture shock, like arriving in a new country.

The South Welcomer room is interesting. What kind of creatures are they?
>> I’m not sure which room you’re referring to. Perhaps you could show me? In general however, I could tell you that there are several types of bots represented. As bots had been created by their human users, they vary in appearance and function. I grouped together certain categories. The centaur bots as an example tend to take the role of content creators. The humanoid bots are most likely to be the workers carrying the buckets of water. The frogs are the least linear in their function. Like humans, they seem to have been programmed to simulate free will. Some of them assist the content creators and even become content creators themselves, while others apply themselves to destruction. The Scripter’s tower is prey to a type of frog fish creature whose aim is to swallow up the internet, thereby bringing an end to the virtual world. These frogs are feasting on the spiders, the very builders of the internet, the web. The frogs are unpredictable, due to their random programming.

While the exhibit may appear to have a dark side on the surface, I have planted various indications of light heartedness, and even humor through out the space. In all of my builds, I want the visitor to recognize something that feels familiar, and hopefully even comfortable regardless of the ‘storm’ all around them. I think the contrast is interesting and a mirror of RL.

Do you build your own sculpts and mesh?
>> Only a few of the simpler sculpts are mine. The rest by and large are made by SL sculpt creators, but I rearrange them. I have found some very fine sculpts, such as the mannequins. They have enough body parts to allow me flexibility in building a pose. Even the toes are separate pieces. You may notice that I combine sculpts in new ways. After arranging a pose I created, I apply my own self made textures to the pieces to finish the composition and give it yet another touch. I am very influenced by the Mannerist style of the Renaissance. The classical gestures of Balinese dance are just under the surface at times. This is typical of how I enjoy mixing Asian and European influences into my work. I’ve been doing this blending of styles in my real life artwork for some 20 years now.

Do you create your own textures? I love that classic, antiquated look and feel to them.
>> Thank you Victoria. The bulk of the textures are mine. There are a few exceptions, such as the library bookshelves on the pillars which I purchased in SL. The antiqued look I get is from blending together photos and/or drawings and paintings I do in RL, with the tools available on Photoshop. When I travel, I love to take pictures of interesting subjects.

I like the rehydrated animation. Did you create that yourself?
>> Isn’t that great! No, that was from a place called SLC. I’ll post the lm here if you’d like to check out their animations. They have a great choice of unusual ones.

The only thing I animated in the exhibit is the centaur with the frog on its back in the pool at the Banquet of Artists. I used the Puppeteer tool for that.

Why do visitors need the Under Garments?
>> Ah, the visitors actually don’t need anything. I simply placed the whole outfit at their disposal if they wish to blend into the culture of the bots. It’s another example where I insert something fun into the experience. Some people prefer not, and they are certainly as welcome as those who do wear the costume.
After the Resuscitating Waters room, I ended up back at the Artist's Palette. Do you have time to show me how to get to Recipes for Water? Thanks.
>> Of course:) I have just finished writing the above, so please let me know when you’d like to get together, and I’ll show you how to go there. It’s in the very last room of the Banquet of Artists. Or if you want to try on your own, here are the directions: The Banquet of Artists is in the Temple (the huge building on dry land). After walking in the main entrance of the Temple, you face three doors. The far right one will take you there. Go all the way to the end of that labyrinth. Follow the path into the water. That is the room underwater where the centaur and frog are animated. Recipe for Water is the installation in front of the wall mural of a woman facing a fireplace. Please let me know if you would like some help finding it, or if you have more questions.
Thank you
Haveit Neox

taken by Victoria Lenoirre

Front of Temple of Bots courtesy of RazoRZ

This is a fabulous body of work by Haveit Neox and I told him so last night when I met him and talked to him for a short time. He is currently working on builds at two sims. Details can be found at his Picks, check it out!

Victoria being rehydrated by 2 bots. :-)

Please visit "Second Libations"! It will be on the LEA full sim until December 31st! Visit it inworld here!

Grand Finale: UWA 3D Open Art Challenge & MachinimUWA IV - Sunday, 11th December 2011

2011-12-10T21:55:00.001+08:00

The year-long University of Western Australia (UWA) 3D Open Art Challenge, with its $4,000 USD (L$1,400,000) prize pool, has attracted 858 entries by artists from 24 nations around the globe, with every continent but Antarctica being represented. The companion MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, with entries relating to the artworks that have formed part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, has seen 83 machinimas submitted by artists from Pondicherry (India) to Gdansk (Poland) to Kentucky (USA) to Buenos Aires (Argentina) and many more. Both these challenges come to a finale at 6AM SLT (or 10PM local time in Perth, Western Australia) Sunday the 11th of December at the 200-seat UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre (Entrance 1, Entrance 2).

For the Grand Finale, 59 artworks have been shortlisted for the overall 1st prize of L$100,000, along with a further 24 for the non-scripted category. The 35-member international judging panel for the challenge was led by Professor Ted Snell, Director of UWA's Cultural Precinct, and Chair of the Visual Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts. Click Here for a full list of the members of the judging panel as well as the artworks in contention for the Grand Finale.

Leading up to the Grand Finale, AviewTV and Indy Radio will be hosting a review of the machinima challenge on the 8th, 9th and 10th of December at the same location.

The UWA 3D Open Art Challenge Gallery, curated by FreeWee Ling of the Unites States, will be open 24/7 in the lead-up to the event, and all are welcome to view the artworks prior to the grand finale (and also for at least a month after).

Click here to visit the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge Gallery to view the Grand Finale Artworks

Click here to attend the Grand Finale event at 6AM SLT, Sunday 11th December (10PM local time in Perth, Western Australia)

Click here for a list of the 83 machinima/videos that have been submitted to MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists

Click here for information on the machinima review event taking place on the 8th, 9th & 10th of December

*Note: clicking the first two links will prompt those who have not signed in to Second Life before to get a free second life account, where an avatar will be provided to you.

LUMIERE de l'Art Magazine (Pages 9 - 12)
Report on the Grand Finale in the West Australian Newspaper, 5th December 2011
Nocater Blog
Pixie Rain
.

MachinimUWA IV: ALL 83 Entries, Winners Ceremony 6am SLT SUN, 11th DEC L$20,000 for Audience Event

2011-12-10T14:26:00.000+08:00

MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which kicked off in June 2011 is heading towards its finale! 83 entries (all listed below, and all linked on AViewTV) have come in from around the world, including Mexico, USA, England, Italy, Brazil, Canada, Spain, India, Greece, South Africa, Germany, Venezuela, Poland, France, Australia, Portugal, Sweden & Argentina!

UWA would like to acknowledge the amazing efforts of the co-host of this event, LaPiscean Liberty (AViewTV) who is also a sponsor, alongside OPEN THIS END (directed by Cristina García-Lasuén (RL) / Aino Baar (SL) International Curator, Art Writer, Founder & CEO of the group), who have sponsored the UWA Machinima events since MachinimUWA III (Click Here for Cisko Vandeverre's Show Reel of MachinimUWA III Winners). Special mention also to Taralyn Gravois and FreeWee Ling.

More than L$350,000 will be distributed to Machinima Winners at the winners announcements from 6am SLT, Sunday 11th December. This will be held in conjunction with the winners announcements of the Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT CEREMONY 6AM SLT SUNDAY 11th DECEMBER
A special event will be held to announce the outcomes of the challenge:
Time & Date: 6am SLT Sunday, 11th December
Location: UWA - BOSL Grand Amphitheatre (Entrance 1, Entrance 2)

Show Kicks Off With THE PHOENIX EMBERS SHOWCATS with 'Gothica'

L$350,000 PRIZE POOL (Sponsored by Open This End, AView TV & UWA)
1st Prize - L$60,000
2nd Prize - L$40,000
3rd Prize - L$30,000
4th Prize - L$25,000
5th Prize - L$20,000
5 Special Awards - L$19,000@
Open This End Awards of Excellence - L$60,000 Prize Pool
Prizes for Audience Members - L$20,000

L$20,000 AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION EVENT
Win a Share of L$20,000, A Spot on the Official Jury for MachinimUWA V & Special RL Package
Deadline: Midnight SLT 30th November 2011
L$20,000 has been set aside for viewers who take part in a special participation event. We are asking everyone to watch the submissions and give us your TOP 10 machinima, in order of your preference (email jayjayaustralia@hotmail.com OR list them on a notecard to Jayjay Zifanwe - please put your name on the title of the notecard with the words MachinimUWA IV Audience Event).

The 3 participants whose order comes closest to the final order decided by the judging panel (as below), will win for themselves L$10,000, L$6,000 and L$4,000 each. The first prize winner will also be invited to be on the panel for MachinimUWA V and ALL 3 will receive in the mail a special pack that includes a copy of the book, '100 Treasures of UWA' which was produced for UWA's Centenary.

MACHINIMUWA IV: ART OF THE ARTISTS (83 entries)
(In reverse Klingon alphabetical order)

PENUMBRA CARTER - A Discreet Infiltration of Thought

CHIC AEON (Corvallis, Oregon, USA) - Shades of Gray

FUSCHIA NIGHTFIRE (Dorset, England) - Art of the Artists

VERUCA VANDYKE (Arkansas, USA) - Dual

L1AURA LOIRE/ LORI LANDAY (USA) - Transformation: Virtual Art on the Brink

NAKOTO EXONAR (Milan, Italy) - Inferno

BERT JEDBURGH (Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) - Treasure

HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Yeah

URBAN STEAMPUNK (Esteio, Brazil) - Sad Robot

FRIDAY SIAMENDES (Calabasas, California, USA) - Artwashers

GLASZ DECUIR (San Sebastian, Spain) - Fragile

TUTSY NAVARATHNA (Frenchman in Pondicherry, India) - Welcome to the Other Side

SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) - In Dreams

CECIL HIRVI (Citizen of the Universe) - A Placid Ocean of Uncertain Liberties

PERSEPHONE REQUIEM (Devon, UK) - In Search of Methusela

GIANNIS PIAGGIO (Athens, Greece) - Theatre of War

CONTESSA IDLEMIND (Canada) - Fragment of It's Art

EVIE FAIRCHILD (Washington DC, USA) - Intermission

HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Love Prayer

JAMESAIR (Nevada, California, USA) - Between Lives

SCOOBY MODE (Lexington, Kentucky, USA) - Art is Dead

BRACLO EBER (A Little Town, South Africa) - Vito

ORMAND LIONHEART (Surrey, BC, Canada) - In Darkness Featuring Mommaluv Skytower

ALESSIA VEGRO/DEMAYA (Padova, Venice, Italy) - A Place in the World

CARL VELDE (Naples, Italy) - The Artist's Mind

DAKI ARIES(Los Angeles, California, USA) - The Reality of Art

ALESSIA VEGRO/DEMAYA (Padova, Venice, Italy) - Revolution Life

SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA, USA) - Futurism vs Art of the Future

IONO ALLEN (France) - Virtual Love

LALA LARIX (Gdansk, Poland) - 3112

ALESSIA VEGRO/DEMAYA (Padova, Venice, Italy) - UWA: A New Way

SODA LEMONDROP (Monterey, California, USA) - Inner Voice

BLEU OLEANDER - Art of Mind

SPYVSPY AEON (Lisbon, Portugal) - Qubit: Cognitive Distortion

LISAAIR (Newfoundland, Argentina) - Questions, A Poem By LisaAir

HAVEIT NEOX (California, USA) - Exhibition

URBAN STEAMPUNK (Esteio, Brazil) - Nightmares

SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) - A Virtual Reality

SOPHIA TREFUSIS (Sweden) - Isolophobia

GLYPH GRAVES (Sydney, Australia) -Forest of Water

OONA EIREN & SAYZEE ISHTARI (London, UK) - Remote Control (ONE Machinima in 4 Parts)

GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - UWA Favourites for Jan 2011

SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA) - The Aerie

AIDEN WITRIAL (Munich, Germany) - The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias

YT RECREANT (Berlin, Germany) - Face the Cardinal Sin

PELON BEATON (Caracas, Venezuela) - The Explorer

MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - Daddy, Venomous Constrictor

SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA) - The Rhythm of Mood

BLEU OLEANDER (Phoenix, Arizone, USA) - Better One, Better Two

GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - Liquidity

MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - CITY: An Immersive Experience

GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - UWA Favourites for Dec 2010

BLEU OLEANDER (Phoenix, Arizone, USA) - Bird Song Melody of Rememberance

JJCCC CORONET (London, England) - Aerie

SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) -The Copper Beech Tree

MOANA LITTLEBOOTS (Hamburgh, Germany) - Dante's Inferno

HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - To Inhabit A House of Uneasy Chairs

APMEL GOOSSON (Stockholm, Sweden) - Hello Many Worlds

MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - Time As A Helix of Semiprecious Stones

PALOMA BIGBEAR (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - Titilina's Playful Visit to UWA

CORPHAELIA NINETAILS (Bristol, UK) - Farshore

GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - Aurora

PELON BEATON (Caracas, Venezuela) - The Mayans

20 ENTRIES BY NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part I (Multiple Artworks)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part II (Multiple Artworks)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part III (Multiple Artworks)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part IV (Multiple Artworks)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - "Paradox" (Art - Nino Vichan)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Spirits Move Me (Art - Fae Varriale)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - "Baby Elephant Walk" (Art - jjccc Coronet)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Flying Window of the Soul (Art - Leigh Quartz)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Reaching (Art - Oberon Onmura)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - On a warm winter day (Art - Ush Underwood)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Cubes of Color (Art - Betty Tureaud)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Home & Garden,Not (Art - Claudia222 Jewell)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The Rhythm of Mood (Art - Lea Supermarine &
Jarapanda Snook)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Color Tinted Sphere (Art - Wizard Gynoid)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Color of Money (Art - Miso Susanowa)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Running Wild or Catch me if you can (Art -
Dusty Canning)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Sheets of Acid (Art - Giovanna Cerise)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Many Moon (Art - spirit Radikal)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Waiting for (Art - Miso Susanowa, Big Winter)

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - portent 3 views (Art - Spiral Silverstar)

JUDGING PANEL

Professor Ted Snell (RL) - Director, Cultural Precinct, The University of Western Australia

Yesikita Coppola (SL) - Official Machinimatographer for UWA 2011
FreeWee Ling (SL) - Curator, UWA 3D Open Art Challenge
Cisko Vandeverre(SL) - Winner of the Original MachinimUWA
Laurina Hawks (SL) - Winner of MachinimUWA II
Kim Flintoff (RL) - eLearning Advisor, Centre for eLearning, Curtin University, Western Australia
Wagner James Au (RL) / Hamlet Au (SL) - Editor in Chief of New World Notes
Nazz Lane (SL) - Journalist and Author
Rowan Derryth (SL) - Art & Design Historian; Writer for Prim Perfect Publications
Dr. Phylis Johnson (RL) - Media Professor, Southern Illinois University, Author - Machinima: Aesthetics and Practice (a.k.a, Sonicity Fitzroy, SL Virtual Journalist)
Mal Burns (SL), Metaverse News Aggregator and Broadcaster

C.Steele (RL) - Lecturer, Humanities and Culture, "In Other Worlds: Art and Artists in 3D Multi-User Environments", York University, Toronto, Canada
Chestnut Rau (SL) - Journalist
Thirza Ember (SL) - Art Blog Writer
Pia Klaar (SL) - Machinimatographer and Winner of MachinimUWA III Viewer Event
Persia Bravin (SL) - Journalist, SL Media Producer and TV host
K. DaVette See (RL)//Suzy Q. Yue (SL), film diretcor, CEO Running Lady Studios
Naya Pinazo - Open This End Group Leader for SL and Facebook
Lapiscean Liberty - CEO of AView TV
Jay Jay Jegathesan (RL) / Jayjay Zifanwe (SL) - Manager School of Physics/ Lead of UWA Virtual World Projects

News on MachinimUWA IV
On Caitlin Tobias Blog

Living in a Modem World
Kara's Korner
On New World Notes
Pixie Rain Blog
Chestnut Rau
More New World Notes
The Examiner

MachinimUWA IV Review: Hosted By AViewTV & Indy Radio (8th, 9th & 10th DEC 2011)

2011-12-08T14:19:00.001+08:00

Aview TV Team: Petlove Petshop, Emo Wei, Lapiscean Liberty & Kinte Trill (L to R)

The MachinimUWA IV Review: Hosted by AviewTV & Indy Radio 8th, 9th & 10th December 2011

The MachinimUWA IV Review will be hosted by AviewTV & Indy Radio from Thursday 8th December through Saturday 10th December in the lead-up to the Grand Finale on the 11th of December.

UWA is grateful to LaPiscean Liberty the rest of the AviewTV team, Kinte Trill, Emo Wei & Petlove Petshop as well as both Indy Radio and TMUnderground for hosting this event.

Time & Date:
Day 1: 5pm – 9pm slt , Thursday 8th December 2011
Day 2: 5pm – 9pm slt, Friday 9th December 2011
Day 3: 8am – 12pm slt Saturday 10th December 2011

Location: UWA-BOSL Grand Amphitheatre
(Entrance 1, Entrance 2).

This event is a review of entries to the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists. Every single machinimatographer who sent submissions in will be featured at this event! They will be watched and reviewed by various panel members.

THE INDY RADIO SITE WILL HAVE UPDATED INFO ON THE SCHEDULE. AS FOLLOWS IS A ROUGH SCHEDULE TAKEN FROM THE SITE:

Day 1: 5pm – 9pm slt, Thursday 8th December 2011

5pm - 6pm slt Thursday 8th December 2011
Panelists: FallopianFedora, Petlove Petshop
Guest artists: TBA
1. HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Yeah 4:07
2. HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - To Inhabit A House of Uneasy Chairs 2:02
3. SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) - A Virtual Reality 11:26
4. SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) -The Copper Beech Tree 1:54
5. TUTSY NAVARATHNA (Frenchman in Pondicherry, India) - Welcome to the Other Side 7:00

6pm - 7pm Thursday 8th December 2011
Panelists: Rachel, Petlove Petshop
Guest artists:Chic Aeon, Scooby Mode
1. CHIC AEON (Corvallis, Oregon, USA) - Shades of Gray 3:34
2. SCOOBY MODE (Lexington, Kentucky, USA) - Art is Dead 5:12
3. JAMESAIR - Between Lives 3:52
4. VERUCA VANDYKE (Arkansas, USA) - Dual 3:45
5. SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA, USA) - Futurism vs Art of the Future 4:37
6. SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA) - The Aerie 4:07
7. SPIRAL SILVERSTAR (New Orleans, LA) - The Rhythm of Mood 3:06

7pm - 8pm Thursday 8th December 2011
Panelists: Magnolya Citron, Emmo Wei, Pooky Amsterdam
Guest artists: BERT JEDBURGH
1. GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - UWA Favourites for Jan 2011 8:09
2. GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - Liquidity 3:31
3. CONTESSA IDLEMIND (Canada) - Fragment of It's Art 5:24
4. BERT JEDBURGH (Mexico City, D.F., Mexico) - Treasure 5:49
5. BLEU OLEANDER (Phoenix, Arizone, USA) - Better One, Better Two 2:45

8pm - 9pm Thursday 8th December 2011
Panelists: Harrison Heller aka Nefarious guy, Emmo Wei
Guest Artists: TBA
1. FRIDAY SIAMENDES (Calabasas, California, USA) - Artwashers 4:20
2. CHIC AEON (Corvallis, Oregon, USA) - Shades of Gray 3:34
3. DAKI ARIES(Los Angeles, California, USA) - The Reality of Art 2:35
4. MOANA LITTLEBOOTS (Hamburgh, Germany) - Dante's Inferno13:41

Day 2: 5pm – 9pm slt, Friday 9th December 2011

5pm - 6pm slt Friday 9th December 2011
Panelists: Anim8tor Cathy, Keith
Guest artists: TBA
1. GLYPH GRAVES (Sydney, Australia) -Forest of Water 5:40
2. SOPHIA YATES (Lancaster MA, USA) - In Dreams 4:08
3. PENUMBRA CARTER Wisconsin USA - A Discreet Infiltration of Thought 1:19
4. HYPATIA PICKENS (Rochester, New York, USA) - Love Prayer 4:21
5. MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - CITY: An Immersive Experience 2:55
6. MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - Daddy, Venomous Constrictor 4:00
7. MISO SUSANOWA (Ohio, USA) - Time As A Helix of Semiprecious Stones 3:45

6pm - 7pm slt Friday 9th December 2011
Panelists: Rachel, LIllylivers
Guest Artists: NicoleXMoonwall
1. EVIE FAIRCHILD (Washington DC, USA) - Intermission 6:12
2. NicoleXMoonwall (New Orleans) - Sheets of acid
3. NicoleXMoonwall (New Orleans) - Waiting for 1:10
4. GLASZ DECUIR (San Sebastian, Spain) - Fragile 7:02
5. LALA LARIX (Gdansk, Poland) - 3112 2:56
6. IONO ALLEN (France) - Virtual Love 4:45
7. CECIL HIRVI (Citizen of the Universe) - A Placid Ocean of Uncertain Liberties 4:09

7pm - 8pm slt Friday 9th December 2011

Panelists: TBA
Guest artists: L1AURA LOIRE/ LORI LANDAY
1. L1AURA LOIRE/ LORI LANDAY (Cal, USA) - Transformation: Virtual Art on the Brink 4:13
2.SPYVSPY AEON (Lisbon, Portugal) - Qubit: Cognitive Distortion 3:56
3. GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - UWA Favourites for Dec 2010 6:28
4. GINGER ALSOP (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) - Aurora 3:44
5. BLEU OLEANDER (Phoenix, Arizone, USA) - Art of Mind 5:05
6. BLEU OLEANDER (Phoenix, Arizone, USA) - Bird Song Melody of Rememberance 4:18

8pm - 9pm slt Friday 9th December 2011
Panelists: Grouchobeer
Guest artists: TBA
1. BRACLO EBER (A Little Town, South Africa) - Vito 11:33
2. LISAAIR - Questions, A Poem By LisaAir 1:50
3. ORMAND LIONHEART (Surrey, BC, Canada) - In Darkness Featuring Mommaluv Skytower 3:50
4. SODA LEMONDROP (Monterey, California, USA) - Inner Voice 2:46
5. HAVEIT NEOX (California, USA) - Exhibition 2:42
6. GIANNIS PIAGGIO (Athens, Greece) - Theatre of War 3:08

Day 3: 8am – 12pm slt, Saturday 10th December 2011

8am - 9am slt Saturday 10th December 2011
Panelists: Tom CarterGuest artists: TBA
1. ALESSIA VEGRO/DEMAYA (Padova, Venice, Italy) - UWA: A New Way 4:09
2. NAKOTO EXONAR (Milan, Italy) - Inferno 6:26
3. ALESSIA VEGRO/DEMAYA (Padova, Venice, Italy) - Revolution Life 4:29
4. ALESSIA VEGRO/DEMAYA (Padova, Venice, Italy) - A Place in the World 5:52
5. CARL VELDE (Naples, Italy) - The Artist's Mind 4:39

9am - 10am slt Saturday 10th December 2011
Panelists: Roger Strange-Burlong, Tom Carter
Guest artists: TBA
1. AIDEN WITRIAL (Munich, Germany) - The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias 2:34
2. YT RECREANT (Berlin, Germany) - Face the Cardinal Sin 4:06
3. SOPHIA TREFUSIS (Sweden) - Isolophobia 3:58
4. APMEL GOOSSON (Stockholm, Sweden) - Hello Many Worlds 4:06
5. FUSCHIA NIGHTFIRE (Dorset, England) - Art of the Artists 4:20
6. JJCCC CORONET (London, England) - Aerie 6:42

10am - 11am slt Saturday 10th December 2011
Panelists: Roger Strange-Burlong, Jake
Guest artists:TBA
OONA EIREN & SAYZEE ISHTARI (London, UK) - Remote Control (ONE Machinima in 4 Parts)
1. PART 1 of 4 5:28
2. PART 2 of 4 5:58
3. PART 3 of 4 4:57
4. PART 4 of 4 4:45
5. PERSEPHONE REQUIEM (Devon, UK) - In Search of Methusela 4:06
6. CORPHAELIA NINETAILS (Bristol, UK) - Farshore 3:45

11am - 12pm slt Saturday 10th December 2011
Panelists: Jake
Guest artists:TBA
1. URBAN STEAMPUNK (Esteio, Brazil) - Nightmares 9:01
2. URBAN STEAMPUNK (Esteio, Brazil) - Sad Robot 5:46
3. PALOMA BIGBEAR (Buenos Aires, Argentina) - Titilina's Playful Visit to UWA 4:07
4. PELON BEATON (Caracas, Venezuela) - The Explorer 4:35
5. PELON BEATON (Caracas, Venezuela) - The Mayans 4:29

* IMPORTANT: If your machinima is being shown at a timeslot that you are able to attend, and Kinte Trill (SL) has not maanged to contact you about it to appear at the time and talk about your machinima, please contact him urgently either inworld or via email (indyradio2011@gmail.com).

UWA SKY SIM SERIES (DEC): Luna's "Endangered Species Zoo of Metamorphia"

2011-12-06T16:52:00.000+08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES, is complete in December with LunaMetamorphia's "Endangered Species Zoo of Metamorphia". This will open from 6pm SLT on the 11th of December and lines up alongside the already critically acclaimed "Second Libations" by Haveit Neox.

MESH ALERT: NOTE THAT THIS IS A MESH EXHIBIT AND YOU WILL REQUIRE A MESH ENABLED VIEWER

OPENS: 6PM SLT, 11th DECEMBER

WHERE: CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO START LOCATION

This interactive zoo of endangered species includes the Geometic Tortoise (Africa), Douc Langur (Asia), Numbat (Australia), Resplendent Quetzal (Central America), Balkan Lynx (Europe), Karner Blue Butterfly (North America), and Maned Wolf (South America). The zoo entrance is in the shape of a tiger's mouth with a maze leading you to each exhibit. The exhibits would provide notecards on each species, plus there would be links to the Wold Wildlife Fund's website.

In LunaMetamorphia's Words:

When trying to decide what to propose for this exhibit, I asked a friend, "If you could create anything, even if it was something not possible in real life, what would you make?" Her response wasn't exactly what I was going for. It was, "I would help the animals." At first, I dismissed it as not having answered the question.

I later returned to her answer and asked myself, "How can I use my 3D art to help real life animals?" The answer I came up with was a 3D zoo of endangered species; with links to donate to the World Wildlife Fund. I wanted to help the animals, not only by asking for money to help them, but also by providing an educational exhibit. For this purpose, I chose species that are not widely known and I've included links to information about them.

This has turned into a rather large undertaking! Consequently, not all the environment objects are my own creations. Things such as plants and rocks may have been created by other Second Life residents. The items that are my creations are mostly mesh, so you will need a mesh enabled viewer to enjoy this exhibit.

Finally, I wanted to ad an element of fun to the exhibit, so I set the zoo within a garden maze! There will be a treasure hunt on the first day of the exhibit, where you can get some of my products for free, and a few visitors will also win some L$!

Where does this idea go from here? Since I started this project, it has turned into something even bigger! I'm continuing modeling more creatures and environments. I will them be using Unity 3D to create a social media game called: repop. In this game, you will be care for animals, breed them, and help repopulate the world with endangered species both virtually and in real life! How will playing the game help in real life? 1% of the annual profits will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund. (I hope to increase the percentage, as the game's popularity increases.) If you'd like to know more about this upcoming project, please visit: http://repop-game.blogspot.com.

UWA Grand Finale Reported in the West Australian Newspaper

2011-12-05T14:21:00.000+08:00

West Australian Newspaper, 5th December 2011

The 5th December 2011 edition of the West Australian Newspaper carries news on the Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge scheduled for 6am SLT Sunday, 11th December (10PM Local time in Perth, Western Australia).

The paper carried a photo of Gleman Jun's 'The Fragility of the Soul is not a Defect' as well as Scottius Polke's 'Dock Spirit' in the background of the smaller image.

The story, penned by Lyn DiCiero, Editor of the Artist's Chronicle (Western Australia's Arts Journal), can also be found online HERE.
.

Grand Finale: UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, SUNDAY 11th December 2011

2011-12-03T12:37:00.006+08:00

The Grand Final the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge approaches

We will be announcing the Grand Finale winners of both the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge and MachinimUWA IV from 6am SLT on Sunday 11th December 2011 (10pm Sunday local time in Perth, Western Australia) at a gala event at the UWA-BOSL Ampitheatre. You can see all the artwork HERE anytime

Rowan Derryth's: The Loveliness of Virtual Art

OVERALL PRIZES & PRIZES FOR VOTERS
3 Lucky voters will win for themselves L$5,000, L$3,000 & L$2,000 respectively + Special RL UWA packages posted out to you!

Overall Prizes: L$100,000 (1st), L$75,000 (2nd), L$40,000 (3rd), L$30,000 (4th), L$10,000 (5th) and L$5,000 each for 6th - 10th.

Non-Scripted Prizes: L$15,000 (1st), L$10,000 (2nd), L$5,000 (3rd), L$3,000 (4th), L$2,000 (5th) and L$1,000 each for 6th - 10th.

People's Choice Overall Prizes: L$15,000, $8,000 (2nd), $5,000 (3rd)

People's Choice Non-Scripted Prizes: L$8,000, L$5,000 (2nd), L$3,000 (3rd)

With thanks to our Grand Finale sponsors, MidnightRain Glas, Philip Vought, Patch Thibaud, Open This End, TheDove Rhode and UWA

FINALISTS FOR UWA 3D OPEN ART CHALLENGE OVERALL PRIZE (Click HERE for location. NC with Full list of artworks available at location also, or request direct from Jayjay Zifanwe or FreeWee Ling)

The 59 finalists for UWA 3D Open Art Challenge are located at the LM provided above. Here is a list of the works in the running (in reverse Klingon alphabetical order):

ONE OF THESE ARTWORKS WILL WIN L$100,000

1. FLY WITH THE WIND by Josina Burgess
2. FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE by Miso Susanowa
3. THE GLOWING SERPENT by Ginger Alsop
4. LAZER BALLS by Betty Tureaud
5. DREAM OF THE COLD SLEEPER by Typote Beck
6. IL PLEUT SUR MON COEUR COMME IL PLEUT SUR LA VILLE ("It's raining in my heart, as it's raining in the town") by Cherry Manga
7. TRAVEL IN THE SHADOW OF TECHNOLOGY by Anley Piers
8. PARANORMAL FROTTAGE by Misprint Thursday
9. THE ILLUSIONIST by Gleman Jun
10. LIGHT TOWER by Betty Tureaud
11. TURNING THE TIDE by Nish Mip
12. CHOOSE YOUR BLOSSOM by Suzanne Graves
13. SYMPHONY IN THE BARREL OF A GUN by Arrow Inglewood
14. PLANET CENSORED by Anley Piers
15. STRANGE PLANT...UGLYNESS & BEAUTY by Claudia222 Jewel
16. THE RHYTHM OF MOOD - Lea Supermarine & Jarapanda Snook
17. DIGITAL GLOVE by Misprint Thursday
18. THE WILD WILD WORLD OF ILLUSION by RazorZ & Olga Soulstar
19. THE MINOTAUR OF CARTON by Typote Beck
20. ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Cherry Manga
21. SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop
22. THE FRAGILITY OF THE SOUL IS NOT A DEFECT by Gleman Jun
23. SPANISH BULL by Silene Christen
24. TROIS PETITS TOURS ET PUIS S'EN VA (Three little turns and it goes away) by Josiane Sorciere
25. JUNGLE CHALLENGE by Dusty Canning
26. THE DOCK SPIRIT by Scottius Polke
27. ULTRA VIOLET by quadrapop Lane
28. THEATRE OF WAR by Miso Susanowa
29. VENUSTRAP by Claudia222 Jewell
30. ONE AND FOUR TIMEBOARDS by L1Aura Loire
31. UNE HORDE DE CORDES by Aristide Despres
32. 5x8 COMPUND CUBE by Wizard Gynoid
33. TIME AS A HELIX OF SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES by Miso Susanowa
34. THE HUMANICAL FROG by Lollito Larkham
35. HERE COMES THE SUN by Sledge Roffo
36. TV MORNING EXERCISES by Dusty Canning
37. PIUME DI PAVONE by Nino Vichan
38. DANGLING NARROW CHAIN DEMONSTRATOR by Emilin Nakamori
39. HARMONIES IN C GREAT (+) by Artistide Despres
40. NOT EVERYTHING IS PLAIN BLACK & WHITE by Fuschia Nightfire
41. LIVING FRACTAL by June Clavenham
42. THE MATTER OF IDEAS by Gleman Jun
43. THE SUPERHEROES BREAKFAST by Typote Beck
44. DOWN ON THE DATA FARM by Miso Susanowa
45. PETITE ETUDE SUR OLIVIER MESSIAEN by Artistide Despres
46. OMNIPOTENT by Pixels Sideways
47. THE CHASM by Oberon Onmura
48. EXCERPTS FROM REALITIES by Glyph Graves
49. THE ABANDONED DAUGHTER by Eliza Wierwight
50. YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleIllusion
51. AUTUMN by nexuno Thespian
52. THE CROSSING by Nish Mip
53. FANTASIA EN LA SOMBRA by Romy Nayar
54. PRIMSCAPE DREAM by Sledge Roffo
55. 99% by Harter Fall
56. BLACK SHIRT by Misprint Thursday
57. IN DREAMS by Blue Tsuki
58. SWALLOWED UP BY THE CROWD by Fuschia Nightfire
59. L'IMPATIENCE by Josiane Sorciere

FINALISTS FOR THE NON-SCRIPTED PRIZE, UWA 3D OPEN ART CHALLENGE

(Click HERE for location. A notecard with a full list of artworks is available at location also, or request direct from Jayjay Zifanwe or FreeWee Ling or email jayjayaustralia@hotmail.com)

The 24 finalists for UWA 3D Open Art Challenge Non-Scripted Prize are located at the landmark provided above. Here is a list of the works in the running :

1. THE COPPER BEECH by soror Nishi
2. LOSS by Gingered Alsop
3. MISS N by Suzanne Graves
4. DAUGHTER OF THE WIND by Fae Varriale
5. GECKO ON THE GEKKO by Yooma Mayo
6. SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop
7. THE FRAGILITY OF THE SOUL IS NOT A DEFECT by Gleman Jun
8. TRIBUTE TO GOYA by Silene Christen
9. MARIONETTE by Haveit Neox
10. HISTORY IN CREAM by Haveit Neox
11. FATA DANZANTE by Daco Monday
12. SPATIAL by Sledge Roffo
13. SPRING BOX by Cherry Manga
14. TRUST by spirit Radikal
15. TUNNEL WITH LIGHT AT THE END OF IT by RazorZ
16. HURDLE by Corcosman Voom
17. BEHIND COLUMNS by Harter Fall
18. BIRDSONG by Cherry Manga
19. YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleIllusion
20. STILL LIFE by soror Nishi
21. 99% by Harter Fall
22. THE REVOLT OF THE MANNEQUINS by Silene Christen
23. USED PIECES by Secret Rage
24. SMALL PIECE OF HELL, The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias by Rebeca Bashly

ON THE GRAND FINALE JUDGING PANEL ARE:

Sasun Steinbeck - Creator of the Art Galleries of SL list at http://sasun.info/ArtGalleriesofSL.aspx
Tayzia Abattoir (SL) Owner of The Oldest Virtual World Art Museum in SL, curator of the Aho Museum & Arts Simulacra on the NMC Campus and Relay For LIfe of SL Event Chair
Lumiere Noir (SL) - Creator of the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives
Dr. Phylis Johnson (RL) - Media Professor, Southern Illinois Uinversity, Author - Machinima: Aesthetics and Practice (a.k.a, Sonicity Fitzroy, SL Virtual Journalist)
Rowan Derryth (SL) - Art & Design Historian; Writer for Prim Perfect Publications
Persia Bravin (SL) - Journalist and Media Producer (SL newspapers, magazines, radio and television)
Dr Carmen Fies (RL) - Second Life Lead: University of Texas San Antonio & UTSA Artspace
Apollo Manga (SL) - examiner.com Writer & Novelist
Jordan Whitt (SL) - Editor in Chief, ICON Lifestyle Magazine
Mariposa Upshaw (SL) - Curator - Ventura Art & Jardine; Officer, Arts Council of Second Life
Saffia Widdershins - Owner and Editor of Prim Perfect Publications
Ally Aeon - Mixed Media Artist & Designer, founder Aeonia Artist Group, creator/owner of the art region Aeonia
Lowell Cremorne - Metaverse Journal
Apmel Goosson - Scandinavian Author/Publisher
Merlina Rokocoko - Pirats Art Network
Newbab Zsigmond - Pirats Art Network
Velazquez Bonetto - CARP
Flora Nordenskiold - Nordan Art
TheDove Rhode - S&S Gallery OFA
Astarte Haalan - The Workhouse Gallery
Eifachfilm Vacirca - Art place d-oo-b
Chestnut Rau - Journalist
Zachh Cale - project Z
Taralyn Gravois - Tornado Gallery
Bryn Oh - Pioneering 3D Artist of Immersiva Fame
Mal Burns (SL), Metaverse News Aggregator and Broadcaster
Holala Alter - Representing OPEN THIS END, (University Philosopher in RL, writer and collector of virtual art)
Stephen Goddard (RL) / Steveke Wulluf (SL) - Associate Director and Senior Curator, Professor of Art History, Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas; Curator of SL projects on the Spencer Museum of Art sim

along with the Main UWA panel who have been meeting monthly and have selected the works to be part of the Grand Finale:

Professor Ted Snell (SL) - Director, Cultural Precinct, The University of Western Australia (RL)
Jayjay Zifanwe (SL) / Jay Jay Jegathesan (RL) - Owner of The UWA SL presence; Creator & Host of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge; Manager School of Physics, UWA
Vyonne Walker (RL) - Curator of Public Programmes, Lawrence Wilson Art Gallery
Len Zuks (RL) - Award Winning West Australian Sculpturist
FreeWee Ling (SL) - Curator, UWA 3D Open Art Challenge
Jenna Mead (RL) - Coordinator, Bachelor of Philosophy Degree Programme, UWA
Lyn DiCiero (RL) - Editor, WA Artist's Chronicle.
Will Langa (RL) - Journalist, Trove Interactive Arts Magazine

News on the Grand Finale
Lane's List
Kara's Korner
Living in a Modem World
Apmel Goosson Blog
Chestnut Rau
Temi Sirbu Blog
PJ Trenton Photo Collection of Grand Finale works
Metaverse Journal

Venezuela's Universidad Rafel Belloso Chacin @ UWA 3D Art Challenge

2011-12-01T00:00:00.002+08:00

Students from the Universidad Rafel Belloso Chacin, Venezuela had been given a task by their lecturer Dr Doris Molero (Pionia Destiny, SL), as part of the English Language programme, to write a blog post about the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge Grand Finale Artworks. It is very pleasing to those running the challenge that this and other institutions around the world, such as York University have chosen to conduct aspects of their classes at the UWA Art Challenge galleries.

They were asked to consider the following questions:
1. What did you think of it? Take pictures of it.
2. Is this something that can be of help for your field of expertise? What are some of the applications you can see in your line of work?
3. Try to talk to someone attending the exhibition. Pick your favorite piece of art and send a message to the author asking about it. Take a picture of the piece and write why you liked it.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/UWA%20Winthrop/209/128/248

As follows are some of the interesting results of the students assignment:
Arlu
Mahou Marcano
Mariangela Boscan
Patz Elric
Claudia Flores
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Tyrehl Byk and Cypress Rosewood's Performance at the LEA full sim!

2011-11-27T23:24:00.000+08:00

Saturday, November 26th at 7pm SLT, Tyrehl Byk presented his one-time only particle effect performance. Live music was played by Cypress Rosewood, the best SL artist for Ambient music.

The particles were simply amazing. I loved how the effects would go behind Cypress and all around the theatre. You, the audience, felt like you were surrounded by the vivid, lushness of it all. It was definitely a grand spectacle!

Cypress's playing was just serene and well-matched to the mastery of particles from Tyrehl. The camera views at this show were strikingly different and quite fascinating. Your view was aimed around the theater area, unlike during Catharsis and Particle Phantasmagoria.

Cypress Rosewood

This I think is one of the best effects of the night.

You can feel the intensity. All the colors are vivid as they are startlingly bright and numerous. This was near the end of the performance. Just like in any symphony, the music builds to its climax and this I think was the climatic period of the night's performance.

This show was absolutely phenomenal, the crowning finale to end the November LEA full sim series! Tyrehl outdid himself and has exceeded expectations. Maestro, bravo...a thousand times bravo! Cypress's music was moving and so poignant. Thanks so much, Cypress! Bravo to you, Cypress!

Most of all, thank you to everyone at UWA and LEA for making all this possible!

So enjoy the art and have fun with whatever you do! =^.^=

APMEL & PIPPILINA take on Art @ UWA

2011-11-27T14:15:00.000+08:00

Famed Swedish Blogger Apmel Goosson, has created a unique series of Machinima, 'Pippilina Takes on the Art', where Apmelina "Pippi" Slingshot looks at various artworks that are part of the Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. In the machinima above, Part 1 of this 10-part series, Pippi checks out Miso Susanowa´s FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE

The rest of the series is linked below:

Misprint Thursday´s DIGITAL GLOVE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_eBKJxq78U

Typote Beck´s THE MINOTAUR OF CARTON
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJCpuUEnLf4

Claudia222 Jewel´s STRANGE PLANT...UGLYNESS & BEAUTY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ul_uHPwjVE

Arrow Inglewood´s SYMPHONY IN THE BARREL OF A GUN
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2SAQKv4VQw

Cherry Manga´s IL PLEUT SUR MON COEUR COMME IL PLEUT SUR LA VILLE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ilnWqeup0PU

Aristide Despres´ UNE HORDE DE CORDES
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-ALE6WqYZ0

Blue Tsuki´s IN DREAMS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaSJdYuNdmA

Gleman Jun´s THE MATTER OF IDEAS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fx5C25bG8UE

Sledge Roffo´s PRIMSCAPE DREAM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zRwGR9f_Ms

Grand Finale Artwork features on Scruplz Magazine

2011-11-27T06:32:00.001+08:00

Open publication - Free publishing - More 3d

One of the Grand Finale artworks (99% by Harter Fall) features in the November issue of Scruplz Magazine. Beautifully written. PAGE 27 Onwards.

Or click here
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Launch of a UWA Treasure: The Somerville Auditorium

2011-11-25T00:41:00.001+08:00

On the morning of the 23rd of November 2011, UWA's Somerville Auditorium was officially launched in virtual space by Jay Jay Jegathesan, Manager of the School of Physics (Jayjay Zifanwe in SL). Created by Sharni Azalee (of Western Australia) with assistance from Marcus Inkpen, this makes it the 12th of the 100 Treasures from UWA to now be present on UWA land in Second Life.

The Somerville Auditorium plays host every year to the Lotterywest Festival Films as part of the Perth International Arts Festival, as such, the launch of the Somerville in Second Life was christened by the screening of a selection of machinima that have formed part of the growth and development of UWA in virtual space. The very first Machinima shown at the Somerville (SL) was Bert Jedburgh's October Round Winners Machinima of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. Ironically, it will be the last of the monthly winners machinima that have been created over the past 2 years for the UWA 3D Art Challenges (as the monthly challenges evolves to something else).

Those attending the launch were also treated to a most incredible show of light and magic amongst the Norfolk Bay Pines, by the wizard behind the wonders of Catharsis, Tyrehl Byk.

Other machinima playes included Cisko Vandeverre's SEEK (winner of MachinimUWA), Bradley Dorchester's Art of the Artists (joint-winner of MachinimUWA II), Tutsy Navarathna's Journey Into the Metaverse (joint-winner of machinimUWA III) and Kobuk Farshore's Requiem (MachinimUWA III Award Winner).

2011, 2012 & 2013 are centenary years for the University of Western Australia, and MachinimUWA V, which will be held in 2012 will be in honour of UWA Centenary. A theme will be selected loosely corresponding to the centenary, with a rule being that at least one of the 100 Treasures of UWA has to feature in the Machinima.

UWA 3D Art Challenge on Metaverse TV Live!

2011-11-23T22:04:00.001+08:00

Metaverse Live #3 from Metaverse TV on Vimeo.

On the 22nd of November, Jayjay Zifanwe (Jay Jay Jegathesan, Manager, School of Physics UWA) was invited to a panel discussion on Metaverse TV live, hosted by Mal Burns & Dousa Dragonash where the conversation ranged from Facebook to Holodecks to Linden Endowment for the Arts and the UWA Art and Machinima challenges.

The 35 minute mark onwards is where the focus shifts to the upcoming Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge and the winners announcements for MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists.
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Please vote for your top 10 for UWA's 3d Open Art Challenge Finalists!

2011-11-23T10:51:00.001+08:00

Hey all! I just got done voting . Call me crazy, but I looked at every single one of them on the notecard FreeWee and Jayjay are handing out tonight. There are 59 3d Open Art Finalist pieces and 24 Non-scripted pieces. I'm fairly certain I saw them all! :-)

Details and Links Here

I'm a little tired but very proud of myself. I love art and all the works I saw tonight were very well rendered. I was biting my nails and tapping my forehead trying to decide which ones to put in my top 10. It was hardest for the Open Art category, the one with 59 pieces! The Non-scripted was slightly easier, but I've probably said this before....I like them all! And I'm not just saying that!

The artists in SL are truly amazing. I've had the great pleasure of talking to some of you and seeing your galleries and I really enjoy it. It brightens my SL experience. I really want to thank you for that. Since joining SL, I have always been a great admirer of the art in SL. It is so very remarkable.

I urge you all to vote!

You'll see art from Cherry Manga, Miso Susanowa, Soror Nishi, Nish Mip, Dusty Canning, Wizard Gynnoid, RazorZ, Josiane Sorciere, Aristide Despres, RazorZ, Haveit Neox, and many more!

Let's all come vote and show our support for these fabulous artists and persons in SL! Most of all, thanks Jayjay, FreeWee, and quadrop for making all of this possible and so organized. It is terrific what they do.

And don't forget to catch some of Tyrehl Byk's performances! This man is amazing....his shows are like nothing you've ever seen. He blends color, light, and pictures in a masterful way. You have to see it!

A scene for Tyrehl's Particle Phantasmagoria

Take care all! And to those in the United States (like me), Happy Thanksgiving!

Bert Jedburgh's Machinima of October Winners: UWA 3D Open Art Challenge

2011-11-19T08:16:00.000+08:00

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The brilliant Bert Jedburgh, brings us the last of the official monthly machinima of winners for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge!

Do participate in the Audience participation event for machinimUWA IV, and the People's Choice Vote for the Grand Finale of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. Both of these close on the 30th of November, with the Grand Finale event taking place from 6am slt on Sundat, 11th December.

In Bert's words:
Artworks in order of appeareance:

- "Black Shirt" by Misprint Thursday
- "In Dreams" by Blue Tsuki
- "99%" by Harter Fall
- "The Revolt of the Mannequins" by Silene Christen
- "Used Pieces" by Secret Rage
- "Small Piece if Hell, The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias" by Rebeca Bashly
- "Second Libations Preview" by Haveit Neox
- "AERO1" by Simotron Aquila
- "Two of Three Uneasy Pieces (PT II)" by Eliza Wierwight
- "History of Falls" by Anley Piers
- "Within the Waves" by Nish Mip
- "HL'ADANIE" by Corcosman Voom
- "The Wild Wild World of Illusion" by RazorZ & Olga Soulstar
- "Big Winter by Miso Susanowa

Special thanks to Martin Schweiger for Orbiter
http://orbit.medphys.ucl.ac.uk/

To David413 for the Shuttle Fleet V. 4.3.
http://www.orbithangar.com/searchid.php?ID=3730

And to the National Aeronautic Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America
http://www.nasa.gov/
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Victoria Lenoirre Explores ~(Not a Knot) and The Forest

2011-11-17T09:06:00.000+08:00

Hi there! Have you seen Tyrehl Byk's ~Not a Knot exhibit at the LEA full sim and RazorZ's Forest at the UWA Sky Sim? If you haven't, you definitely should! These are the showcase 3d galleries this month only!

The Entrance to ~(Not A Knot)

Here I am standing in the foyer in front of the Transport Curtain. There are arrows on the floor pointing to it, for easy finding. And next to the curtain you should see a bulletin that says "touch" as you can see in the snapshot I took. Click on that for a performance calendar. And to the right of the calendar is a Transport Curtain to the Horizon Theatre where you can view Catharsis, a spectacular performance of particles, light, and more. You don't want to miss it!

Once you click to transport, you should find yourself on a stone terrace. To your right you should see a knot, a brown knot...called a rope knot. Click the knot for viewing instructions. You will get a notecard that explains what settings are best to use when exploring the body of work by Tyrehl. For example, you should turn off ambience and turn sounds to the max. Tyrehl has some animals sounds and voice clips.

Outward Look

Fire Extinguisher Area

This area which I captured above was one of my favorite spots. The sound of the fire in the torch sounded so real and so loud, especially since I changed my settings as Tyrehl instructed in the notecard I got as I landed on the terrace.

Here's the interview I sent him:

Why is this called ~(Not a Knot)?
I recognized those symbols from logic, Formal Logic.
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The name serves to highlight the idea that symbolic communication (primarily language based communication) is a landscape trapped and then sealed by the chains of people's assumptions and expectations. When communication is unclear, all falls to confusion, anger, and/or frustration. A common myth is that words hold power. Words can only point at places where the meaning (power) resides. If that destination is absent, the words themselves are signposts pointing nowhere.
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Why did you choose to build a forest?
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Is it really a forest that exists floating in unsupported space, ungrounded, and without roots? Are you consciously aware of this characteristic while wandering the space? If not, why not?
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Water and fire seem to be fundamental for this work. Are you referencing the elements: earth, wind, water, and fire?
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The ~(Not-A-Knot) construct is non-corporeal in nature. The elementals that you mention are referenced from your memory and the words point at things that are corporeal at their most fundamental level. Why do flammable and inflammable point at the same thing, while finite and infinite do not?
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Interesting choice of sound bytes, especially the one about Elvis. It seems to emphasize the feeling of isolation and separateness. Is that the feel you were going for?
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Actually those choices (Elvis has entered/left the building) were nothing more complicated than humorous signals indicating that the artist has entered, or has left the environment at the start and finish of a performance period. I do have an obscure sense of hurmor sometimes. :)
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Why do you have the Vietnames food takeout box in the sim? It seems incongruous to the surroundings.
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If that was the only thing you found to be incongruous, then I’m almost certain you did not see everything in the space. This is not a build which is likely to reveal all of its substance in a single brief visit, nor is it something that will unfold the same for a person wandering along, vs. traveling with a group of people, or experiencing it during the times I am installed at the piece performing. It is easy to assume that it is mostly just a lot of pretty landscape, but that is just the surface. Many things can be touched / sat upon to reveal layers that are not apparent at first glance. Truth is rarely superficial, and many times it is quite elusive and often times people are quite simply too pressed for time, or too impatient to look beyond surfaces. If you like, I could set aside some time to guide you around in more depth. Unfortunately, this is not an easy piece to apprehend, and it is quite likely that only a small fraction of people will uncover all of its subtle nuance.
===================================
I love how the terrain is rough. One has to walk up and down. And sometimes, you have to turn around because you can't walk any further. What's the message there?
=================================
How many people do you know who “escape” into Second Life as if it is some sort of refuge that they believe should be “easy” and “comfortable” all the time? Why do people refer to their off-world experience as “real life”, with the implicit expectation that what occurs in Second Life is somehow NOT real? Why don’t those people see the lack of truth in that belief? Why would a person be surprised to discover that in-world experience has its own set of challenges and that not all things are easy and inconsequential?
If you'd like me to guide you around a bit, let me know when and I'll make arrangements to meet you.
Thanks for your interesting questions. I'm sure I've probably raised as many new ones as I've answered.

Thanks for answering my questions, Tyrehl. Give it up for Tyrehl Byk! Fantastic creation!
Additionally, the UWA Sky Sim features RazorZ's Forest. You should see it. RazorZ gave me a personal tour. I liked the scenery, the sound effects, and of course....the animations.

View from Above

This was taken with regular windlight settings. RazorZ has a notecard with recommended windlight settings so the scene will look very different and more amazing!

Flying back and forth over a "Real Water Pond"

Above, I have included a snapshot of my favorite aspect of the sim, I loved the flying animation as well as the sounds I heard around me. Listen carefully. What does it sound like to you?

Below is an interview I had with RazorZ:

So where is this forest that you based your exhibition off of?

There is no particular forest in real life that my work is based on. My real life work is wood sculpture, tree surgery & landscaping. And I pass by, & work in & around forests, glens, rivers & meadows all the time & I feel that this does inspire & connect me to the natural world, perhaps more than others. I joined second life to further my study of sculpture & take it into 3D modeling, so I approached everything from this background. After a few months of exploring in Second life & going to classes, learning. I built my 1st large build, which was a fractal garden set in a 20x20x20 box. I was exploring the link between Fractals & there equations in a digital form & how they relate to the real natural world. That piece, (The Order of Fractals in a Digital World) went on to win a Peoples Choice award, and is currently displayed in galleries now. There have been various updates & expansions on this project since then, & I entered another Mega Prim version (Mega Fractal Jungle)of this to UWA in August 40x40x40, which was more of a blend of real life pieces & virtual fractal abstraction.
On the strength of all that work, Jayjay asked me to do the Sky SIM at UWA, with this 'Forest Theme'. And now that I am working on it, it is taking a new direction. You will have to come see it finished to understand what that is.

What are some techniques that you like to use to add depth or contrast to your work?

I have learnt about using shadow prims over the last few months & showing light & shadows is the best way to highlight the best parts & add depth & contrast. But ever since I started building in SL, I have tested my builds by walking through them in 'Mouselook'. This gives great view to explore how immersive a piece is, and allows me to adjust things to make it ideal & aesthetically & ergonomically suitable for the environment. I also like to use a lot of colour in my SL Art as I find others with more 1, 2 tone spectrum a little drab & depressing.

What do you love most about forests? Did you try to instill that feeling in this body of work?

I adore the magical enchantment of forests in general. Being in a place & feeling that connection to nature makes us realize that the world around us is more vast & powerful than anything we can create ourselves. Connecting to this natural environment makes us all feel better & more relaxed & is something deeply embedded in the human psyche'. So yes, I do try to instill that feeling in my work & communicate it through this virtual world.
Did you use any experimental methods you haven't used before in previous builds?

I have been experimenting with Rez target scripts & Die on timer scripts over the past month or so & learning how they work. I used this on my Wagon piece in October to throw the Barrel & Box out the back. And I wanted to script my Unscripted piece, which was photographs of nature set on Flexi prims, with a gradient stepping on the transparency levels. To use that script, would of allowed me to actually make the Pictures, Photos on the Prims, Fall Over! This occurrence happens in nature, from the leaves falling, branches breaking & falling in the wind & whole trees too. Even the flow of water falls with gravity! So I will be continuing my study into this & try to use it in my Forest build at UWA Sky SIM this month, November.

Thanks, RazorZ for answering my questions! More great work from RazorZ!
So check out these two sims. They are fantastic and simply phenomenal. And don't forget to see Tyrehl's Catharsis and Particle Phantasmagoria. You'll be delighted out of your senses! Umm....well maybe just blown away. You need your senses. :-) Definitely keep an eye out for RazorZ's work. He may be a new artist in SL, but his stuff is quite impressive. Don't just take my word for it!

Enjoy the art and have fun!

UWA SKY SIM SERIES (NOVEMBER): RazorZ's FOREST 'THE WALKTHROUGH"'

2011-11-13T13:14:00.005+08:00

The LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, and 'little brother' UWA SKY SIM ART SERIES, round out in November with RazorZ's Forest 'The Walkthrough', which lines up alongside the works of Tyrehl Byk & quadrapop Lane at LEA 6. THIS EXHIBIT IS OPEN NOW THROUGH THE END OF NOVEMBER! CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO START LOCATION

RazorZ's Forest Landing Point


Hidden Cottage

Destination Guide Editors Picks
Quan's Traveloges on Forest
On Virtual Outworlding Blog
Caitlin Tobias Blog
Toxx News
Caliburn Susanto Flickr

IN RAZORZ'S WORDS:

UWA SKY SIM - FOREST "THE WALK THROUGH"

This forest of fractals in the Sky is an abstract & obscure experiment of a mix of real life & digital & virtual shapes, textures & form.   An continuation of my previous 2-3 fractal jungle's & forest's in a box.   Only this time, it is Sim Wide! Put together with real life structure, the organic shapes reaching for the sun & sky, the berries falling from the trees with gravity, maybe the only things to keep your bearings by here! Even though the growing life here is rooted to the ground, it is like nothing you seen before!.

Using various textures from natural real life plants & organic life & matter, I have mixed them up onto abstract forms of growing plant & tree like sculpture's.   As you may notice, at the start there is a canopy, which is enclosing, blocking the view of the Sky, then below all different sizes of growth & vegetation. Borrowing real life structure's, I show how abstract shapes & forms can create a similar atmosphere in a virtual world.

The yellow brick path is layed out as a guide to walk you around. It is designed for walking in 'Mouselook' to truly give the most immersed experience. At the start is very abstract but following the path around everything is set out to gradually blend to real life. At the end of the path is a beautiful old style cottage all made to real life scale & textures which is where all becomes less abstract & totally normal inside.

Until, you click on the rug in the middle of the floor!

What it all questions is how in a virtual world the environments are not under the same building & growing constraints as in the real world, and with abstract forms following real life rules we can still create a similar environment which makes the viewer feel the similar in both worlds. And maybe how all that we see, create & experience is linked in our own dream worlds & the collective unconscious.

Unique fractal textures & abstract sculpties & everything we got, Olga Soulstar & I built a magical & psychedelic digital jungle. Making the connection between nature, rl & sl, fractals and how they appear in real life nature! Its filled with beautiful particles, dances & poses & relaxing areas. Perhaps some strange & obscure growths too. Come and see it for yourself...   Only until the 30th November, 2011.

Razorz & Olga

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SPECIAL MACHINIMA by Cisko Vandeverre of the MachinimUWA III Winners

2011-11-11T19:37:00.001+08:00

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Cisko Vandeverre, inaugural champion of the UWA Machinima Challenges has made a brilliant show reel or 'winnereel' of the Winners of MachinimUWA III: Journeys. Winners were announced in the first half of 2011.

In his words:
a small tribute to the films which had won the last MachinimUWA categories.

GRAND PRIZE WINNER of MachinimUWA III (JOINT) (@L$85,000):
1- JOURNEY INTO THE METAVERSE by Tutsy Navarathna
2- JURONEY by Eric Boccara of the Netherlands

Peter Greenaway MachinimUWA III Prize (L$60,000)
3- RUSTED GEARS by Bryn Oh

3rd prize for MachinimUWA III (L$50,000)
4- UNPLUGGED by Al Peretz (Alfonso Kohn) of Miami Florida, originally hailing from Colombia

MachinimUWA III Special Award for JOURNEY AND MACHINIMA ADAPTATION (L$37,150):
5- THE EGG by Animatechnica Umbarundu

MachinimUWA III Special Award for INTERPRETATION AND DELIVERY (L$37,150):
6- WARRIORS OF ALIVENESS by Cecil Hirvi

MachinimUWA III Special Award for ‘FEEL’ & MUSIC (L$37,150) :
7- BAKERMAN’S JOURNEY by Arrow Inglewood

MachinimUWA III Special Award for IMAGERY (L$37,150):
8- BEGINNING OF KNOWLEDGE AND OF SORROW by Laslopantomik Yao

MachinimUWA III Special Award for NARRATION AND HISTORICAL CONTENT (L$37,150):
9- KAPHD by Hypatia Pickens

MachinimUWA III Special Award for MESSAGE AND IMAGINATION (L$37,150):
10- ESCAPE by Veruca Vandyke

MachinimUWA III Honourable Mention Prize JOINT (@L$18,575):
11- REQUIEM by Kobuk Farshore
MachinimUWA III Honourable Mention Prize JOINT (@L$18,575):
12- THE JOURNEY by Soda Lemondrop
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MachinimUWA IV: Ormand Lionheart's 'In Darkness Featuring Mommaluv Skytower'

2011-11-11T17:45:00.001+08:00

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'In Darkness Featuring Mommaluv Skytower', by Ormand Lionheart, the final entry to MachinimUWA IV features numerous award winning artworks that have been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

IN ORMAND'S WORDS:
Song: In Darkness
Music - teru http://ccmixter.org/files/teru/12169

Vocals & Lyrics - http://www.mommaluvskytower.com/

Spoken word - spinningmerkaba

Actors:
13Angelsmine Bluebird
Diawa Bellic
Ormand Lionheart
Maiko Yheng

Artists:
Faery Solo - Cautionary Tale: Witches Workplace Health and Safety
Eliza Wierwight - One of Three Uneasy Pieces
Alizarin Goldflake - Merry Go Round
Lucignolo - slaves of the light
Fae Varrial - Mirror Worlds
thoth.jantzen - TooMuchCaffeine1
dudi - unplug
Rebeca Bashly - Minotaur & Centaurus from 7th circle of Hell
Rebeca Bashly - The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias
Nino Vichan - deus Ex Machina
Oona Eiren - Hopscotch
Cherry Manga - The Machine

Video Editor: FuzOnAcid
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MachinimUWA IV: Contessa Idlemind's 'Fragment of It's Art'

2011-11-11T17:34:00.000+08:00

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'Fragment of It's Art', by Contessa Idlemind features numerous award winning artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artworks featured:
Revolt of the Mannequins - Silene Christen
Travel in the Shadow of Technology - Anley Piers
In Dreams - Blue Tsuki
Autumn - Nexuno Thespian
The Chasm - Oberon Onmura
TV Morning Exercises - Dusty Canning
Ultra Violet - quadrapop Lane
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MachinimUWA IV: Sophia Yates' 'A Virtual Reality'

2011-11-11T16:20:00.000+08:00

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'A Virtual Reality', by Sophia Yates features numerous award winning artworks that have been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

ARTWORKS
1. FLY WITH THE WIND by Josina Burgess
2. FOR YOUR VIEWING PLEASURE by Miso Susanowa
3. THE GLOWING SERPENT by Ginger Alsop
4. LAZER BALLS by Betty Tureaud
5. DREAM OF THE COLD SLEEPER by Typote Beck
6. IL PLEUT SUR MON COEUR COMME IL PLEUT SUR LA VILLE ("It's raining in my heart, as it's raining in the town") by Cherry Manga
7. TRAVEL IN THE SHADOW OF TECHNOLOGY by Anley Piers
8. PARANORMAL FROTTAGE by Misprint Thursday
9. THE ILLUSIONIST by Gleman Jun
10. LIGHT TOWER by Betty Tureaud
11. TURNING THE TIDE by Nish Mip
12. CHOOSE YOUR BLOSSOM by Suzanne Graves
13. SYMPHONY IN THE BARREL OF A GUN by Arrow Inglewood
14. PLANET CENSORED by Anley Piers
15. STRANGE PLANT...UGLYNESS & BEAUTY by Claudia222 Jewel
16. THE RHYTHM OF MOOD - Lea Supermarine & Jarapanda Snook
17. DIGITAL GLOVE by Misprint Thursday
18. THE WILD WILD WORLD OF ILLUSION by RazorZ & Olga Soulstar
19. THE MINOTAUR OF CARTON by Typote Beck
20. ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Cherry Manga
21. SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop
22. THE FRAGILITY OF THE SOUL IS NOT A DEFECT by Gleman Jun
23. SPANISH BULL by Silene Christen
24. TROIS PETITS TOURS ET PUIS S'EN VA (Three little turns and it goes away) by Josiane Sorciere
25. JUNGLE CHALLENGE by Dusty Canning
26. THE DOCK SPIRIT by Scottius Polke
27. ULTRA VIOLET by quadrapop Lane
28. THEATRE OF WAR by Miso Susanowa
29. VENUSTRAP by Claudia222 Jewell
30. ONE AND FOUR TIMEBOARDS by L1Aura Loire
31. UNE HORDE DE CORDES by Aristide Despres
32. 5x8 COMPUND CUBE by Wizard Gynoid
33. TIME AS A HELIX OF SEMI-PRECIOUS STONES by Miso Susanowa
34. THE HUMANICAL FROG by Lollito Larkham
35. HERE COMES THE SUN by Sledge Roffo
36. TV MORNING EXERCISES by Dusty Canning
37. PIUME DI PAVONE by Nino Vichan
38. DANGLING NARROW CHAIN DEMONSTRATOR by Emilin Nakamori
39. HARMONIES IN C GREAT (+) by Artistide Despres
40. NOT EVERYTHING IS PLAIN BLACK & WHITE by Fuschia Nightfire
41. LIVING FRACTAL by June Clavenham
42. THE MATTER OF IDEAS by Gleman Jun
43. THE SUPERHEROES BREAKFAST by Typote Beck
44. DOWN ON THE DATA FARM by Miso Susanowa
45. PETITE ETUDE SUR OLIVIER MESSIAEN by Artistide Despres
46. OMNIPOTENT by Pixels Sideways
47. THE CHASM by Oberon Onmura
48. EXCERPTS FROM REALITIES by Glyph Graves
49. THE ABANDONED DAUGHTER by Eliza Wierwight
50. YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleIllusion
51. AUTUMN by nexuno Thespian
52. THE CROSSING by Nish Mip
53. FANTASIA EN LA SOMBRA by Romy Nayar
54. PRIMSCAPE DREAM by Sledge Roffo
55. 99% by Harter Fall
56. BLACK SHIRT by Misprint Thursday
57. IN DREAMS by Blue Tsuki
58. SWALLOWED UP BY THE CROWD by Fuschia Nightfire
59. L'IMPATIENCE by Josiane Sorciere

NON-SCRIPTED ARTWORKS
1. THE COPPER BEECH by soror Nishi
2. LOSS by Gingered Alsop
3. MISS N by Suzanne Graves
4. DAUGHTER OF THE WIND by Fae Varriale
5. GECKO ON THE GEKKO by Yooma Mayo
6. SHATTERED by Ginger Alsop
7. THE FRAGILITY OF THE SOUL IS NOT A DEFECT by Gleman Jun
8. TRIBUTE TO GOYA by Silene Christen
9. MARIONETTE by Haveit Neox
10. HISTORY IN CREAM by Haveit Neox
11. FATA DANZANTE by Daco Monday
12. SPATIAL by Sledge Roffo
13. SPRING BOX by Cherry Manga
14. TRUST by spirit Radikal
15. TUNNEL WITH LIGHT AT THE END OF IT by RazorZ
16. HURDLE by Corcosman Voom
17. BEHIND COLUMNS by Harter Fall
18. BIRDSONG by Cherry Manga
19. YOU CAN'T TOUCH HEAVEN by paleIllusion
20. STILL LIFE by soror Nishi
21. 99% by Harter Fall
22. THE REVOLT OF THE MANNEQUINS by Silene Christen
23. USED PIECES by Secret Rage
24. SMALL PIECE OF HELL, The Suicide Forest Infested by Harpias by Rebeca Bashly
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MachinimUWA IV - NicoleX Moonwall's Record 20 Entries

2011-11-11T15:58:00.002+08:00

NicoleX Moonwall, one of the most prolific Machinimatographers in Second Life has shattered all previous ecords for entries to the UWA machinima Challenges (shattering her previous record), with 20 entries to MachinimUWA IV.

Some of the previously announced entries have been rethought, as now only one machinima per artwork will be entered by Nicole.

Here is the full list of 20 entries:

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part I (Multiple Artworks)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL158ijCgXM

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part II (Multiple Artworks)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LynpOIncS64

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part III (Multiple Artworks)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWyazOghkOk

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The End or the Beginning, Part IV (Multiple Artworks)
TBA

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - "Paradox" (Art - Nino Vichan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=llDpq7Gahq0

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Spirits Move Me (Art - Fae Varriale)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ3cRaB2uFM

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - "Baby Elephant Walk" (Art - jjccc Coronet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OiJUZozD1ZY

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Flying Window of the Soul (Art - Leigh Quartz)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGVzKsvHmAQ

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Reaching (Art - Oberon Onmura)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcm1dvq_JWw

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - On a warm winter day (Art - Ush Underwood)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uddjzGfAFIs

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Cubes of Color (Art - Betty Tureaud)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNg0tM9yOO0

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Home & Garden,Not (Art - Claudia222 Jewell)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGj9sx_NvBc

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - The Rhythm of Mood (Art - Lea Supermarine & Jarapanda Snook)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutTwKguaiM

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Color Tinted Sphere (Art - Wizard Gynoid)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPtHitAOww0

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Color of Money (Art - Miso Susanowa, Art of War)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E6vDCkbey8

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Running Wild or Catch me if you can (Art - Dusty Canning)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdYOGEt-0Kg

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Sheets of Acid (Art - Giovanna Cerise)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzImOwOS-nQ

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Many Moon (Art - spirit Radikal)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LUyXvA3-jM

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - Waiting for (Art - Miso Susanowa, Big Winter)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5AaTChWD9E

NICOLEX MOONWALL (New Orleans, USA) - portent 3 views (Art - Spiral Silverstar)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyW1jd5jQP0

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MachinimUWA IV: Corphaelia Ninetails' 'Farshore'

2011-11-11T11:15:00.001+08:00

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'Farshore, by Corphaelia Ninetails features 'The Fly-By-Night Eggs' an artwork by Kobuk Farshore that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

It looks like Corphaelia has managed to submit the very very last entry to both MachinimUWA III & MachinimUWA IV!
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MachinimUWA IV: Evie Fairchild's 'Intermission'

2011-11-11T09:27:00.001+08:00

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'Intermission', by Evie Fairchild features numerous award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artworks Featured:
Here Comes the Sun by Sledge Roffo
Forest's Tears by Silene Christen
Uncanny Valley by Oberon Onmura
Butterfly Ball by Milly Sharple
Three Little Turns by Josiane Sorciere
Wizz-Pow-Blop by Artistide Despres
Minotaur of Carton by Typote Beck
Fly with the Wind by Josina Burgess
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MachinimUWA IV: Alessia Vegro's (Demaya) 'Revolution Life'

2011-11-11T09:22:00.000+08:00

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'Revolution Life, by Alessia Vegro (Demaya) features numerous award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Featured Artworks include:
Spring Box (Cherry Mmanga)
In Dreams (Blue Tsuki)
Salvation or... (Toughlove Sabra)
My World (Secret rage)
Omnibus (Solkide Auer)
Mirror Worlds (Fae)
Overlaps (Giovanna Cerise)
Within The Waves (Nish Mip)
Second Libations (Haveit Neox)
Gateway To Hell (Fuschia Nightfire)
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MachinimUWA IV: L1aura Loire's 'Transformation: Virtual Art on the Brink'

2011-11-10T23:36:00.000+08:00

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'Transformation: Virtual Art on the Brink', by L1aura Loire/Professor Lori Landay, explains virtual art while featuring various award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artwork Featured
Swallowed Up by the Crowd, Fuschia Nightfire
Digital Glove, Misprint Thursday
The Matter of Ideas, Gleman Jun
Here Comes the Sun, Sledge Roffo
One and Four Timeboards, L1Aura Loire

In L1aura's words:

The best virtual art is a new kind of new media, using the particular properties of the virtual world to make metaphors manifest.

Virtual art can be seen as experimentation with what could become augmented reality, when the equipment for creating and experiencing it are more accessible to everyone.

When we break free from the constraints of the physical, we call attention to new contrasts; we may make distance evaporate, but does that mean we create closeness? If the experience of telepresence is to know that I am experiencing something where I know I am not, and teleaction is to affect change where I am physically not, what kind of aesthetic will have to emerge when our subjectivity is so connected to the perception that there is no distance between myself and what I see?

Live footage filmed by
Richard Cownie, Andrew Paonessa, Lori Landay

Edited by Lori Landay

Music generated with Otomata

For more information about Joseph Kosuth's piece, One and Three Chairs,
see the MoMA website:http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=81435

For my essay "Virtual KinoEye: Kinetic Camera, Machinima, and Virtual Subjectivity in Second Life," in The Journal of eMedia Studies, see http://journals.dartmouth.edu/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Journals.woa/2/xmlpage/4/art...

Original content: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License 2011
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MachinimUWA IV: Fuschia Nightfire's 'Art of the Artists'

2011-11-10T23:13:00.001+08:00

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'Art of the Artists', by Fuschia Nightfire, is a unique deconstruction that features a number of award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Works in order of appearance:
Aerie by Cherry Manga
Here Comes The Sun by Sledge Roffo
Primscape Dream V4 by Sledge Roffo
Turning the Tides by Nish Mip
Faun Androgyn Trinity by Claudia222 Jewell
Strange Tree by Claudia222 Jewell
Not Everything is Plain Black & White by Fuschia Nightifre
Real Life paintings by Nina Camplin (a.k.a Fuschia Nightfire)
Music by Obisdia featuring CoMa

In Fuschia's words:
My idea for this machinima was to take some of the installations at UWA that I found most aesthetically appealing and to deconstruct them and reconstruct them into RL paintings, then to use the actual painting process in the machinima.

With thanks to Cherry, Sledge, Nish and Claudia for giving up their time to do their 'walk through' bits for me!
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UWA & University of Kentucky Collaboration

2011-11-10T11:00:00.000+08:00

Winthrop Professor Grady Venville

In October 2011, the first joint lectures between the University of Western Australia and the University of Kentucky took place. This came about via collaboration between UWA's Winthrop Professor Grady Venville, the inaugural Professor of Science Education at UWA and Dr Jennifer Wilhelm, Associate Professor of Science and Maths Education of the UK's College of Education.

The collaboration is beautifully described by Grady as follows:

I participated in my first second life lecture a month ago. I have been collaborating with a colleague, Jennifer Wilhelm, from the University of Kentucky for a number of years as we are both science educators and both present curriculum and methods courses for students who are preparing to become science teachers.

We try to incorporate innovative teaching methods into our courses to ‘practice what we preach’. For example, for the past few years we have my students in Western Australia and Jennifer’s students in Kentucky concurrently observe and record the phases of the Moon for a month. We then provide them with opportunities to communicate with each other through email or some other electronic medium to compare their observations. This enables them to recognise the similarities and differences in the way that people in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres see the Moon and to deductively work out the path the Moon takes as it revolves around the Earth and the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun that causes the Moon phases. We hope they can see the value of using similar strategies when they become teachers themselves.

This year Jennifer is delivering most of her lectures for this class at Kentucky University in second life. She invited me to do a combined second life lecture. Intrigued, I coerced my science education colleague here at UWA, Christine Howitt, to join me in Jennifer’s second life class. The plan was to enable ‘live’ discussion about what we were observing ‘down under’ with the Moon and Jennifer’s students could ask us questions.

Christine and I both created Avatars and Jennifer sent us both invitations to enter the University of Kentucky second life island. We practiced entering the University and teleporting to her classroom before the day of the combined lecture.

On the day of the lecture, Christine and I both woke early in the morning and logged onto second life from our homes at 6am while Jennifer conducted the class at 6pm Kentucky time. When we entered the class we could see Jennifer’s 12 students sitting on pods in the teaching space. On the ‘whiteboard’ were photographs of the Moon that I had taken from Perth and previously emailed to Jennifer next to photographs Jennifer had taken in Kentucky on the same day. The students asked us interesting questions and we discussed relevant issues such as whether the Moon is in the same phase at the same time in each hemisphere, which part of the sky the Moon traverses and the direction the Moon waxed and waned.

The lesson was a great success because it enabled ‘live’ discussion across the hemispheres which is an enriching experience when trying to understand and explain the phases of the Moon. Our goal is for these pre-service teachers to see the ‘added value’ that platforms like second life can bring to teaching, whether they become primary, secondary, or tertiary teachers.

Our next step is to have our students from Perth join the students in Kentucky for a joint lecture or workshop. We can see that as I have about 30 students in each of my workshops this will be a challenge to manage. We will have to think of creative ways of clustering or grouping the students to find an optimal number of Avatars in the same place.

MachinimUWA IV: Giannis Piaggio's 'Theatre of War'

2011-11-10T10:49:00.000+08:00

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'Theatre of War', by Giannis Piaggio, is a soulful rendition is Miso Susanowa's artwork of the same name, an award winning creation, part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

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MachinimUWA IV: Veruca Vandyke's 'Dual'

2011-11-10T05:44:00.000+08:00

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'Dual', by Veruca Vandyke, is a chilling creation that features a number of award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artists featured in the machinima include:
Bryn Oh
Lea Supermarine & Jarapanda Snook
Typote Beck
Anley Piers
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MachinimUWA IV: Paloma Bigbear's 'Titilina's Playful Visit to UWA'

2011-11-09T18:08:00.000+08:00

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'Titilina's Playful Visit to UWA', by Paloma Bigbear, the first Argentinean artist to participate in any UWA event features numerous award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artists featured in the machinima include:
Claudia222 Jewell
Hypatia Pickens
Lilia Artis
Kobuk Farshore
Secret Rage
Rebeca Bashly
Fae Varriale
Ginger Lorakeet
Soda lemondrop
Cherry Manga
Faery Sola
and Igor Ballyhoo (of legend)

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MachinimUWA IV: Lala Larix's '3112'

2011-11-09T08:42:00.000+08:00

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'3112', by Lala Larix features numerous award winning artworks that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artists featured include:
Nexuno Thespian
Haveit Neox

Vixen Quandry
paleillusion
Gleman Jun
Ginger Alsop
Arrow Inglewood
Oberon Onmura
Artistide Despres
Josina Burgess
Daco Monday
Thoth Jantzen
oona Eiren
Gfresh Botha
Pixels Sideways
Blue Tsuki
Luis Bunuel
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Green Dots Brings Universities in Perth & Geneva Together

2011-11-09T05:56:00.001+08:00

Joint Presentation by Students of UWA (Perth) & UAS (Geneva, Switzerland)

The 13th and 14th of October saw a landmark event taking place in the evolution of UWA's presence in the virtual world. A joint marketing class was held by the University of Western Australia & the University of Applied Sciences, Western Switzerland (Geneva Business School) which took place in Virtual Dublin in Second Life.

Groups of marketing students from each university, some teamed with Second Life mentors from the UWA 3D Art Challenges ran a case study called 'Selling Green Dots in Second Life', an award winning case study created by UWA's Professor Wade Halvorson and enhanced in cooperation with Professor Sabine Emad of the University of Applied Sciences (UAS) to simulate the real world process of data collection and team work.

Following the information collection activity in Virtual Dublin, students came together in groups to analyse the case and present their proposed solutions. A winning team from each university was selected and prezes awarded.

"This is the first time we have included the information collection stage in an online case study class," said Professor Emad, "and the feedback from students was very encouraging." Students were divided into groups of four, each with a different role to play including a Marketing Manager, Finance Director, CEO and Second Life 'expert'. This enabled group members to come together, each bringing with them a different category of information, which needed to be shared with the group in pursuit of a solution.

The winners were Sean Wrigley , Mark Pui & Ayman Sherbini (assisted by Stylianos Ling) from UWA and Alizée Decooninck, Marjorie North, Alice de Preux & Aurora Barbieri of UAS.

Of the experience, Stylianos said, "I enjoyed the international collaboration atmosphere. I found the idea of mixing students with experienced SL avatars brilliant! UWA's sustainable innovation in Virtual Worlds is an example for all universities that seek excellence in teaching & research"

Commenting on the winners, Prof Halvorson said, "What I found most interesting in these presentations is that they were less descriptive than the presentations of the other groups.They didn't just summarize the case content, but really used analytical tools to view the information under a different angle.This paid off."

UWA Winner - Sean, Mark & Ayman

UAS Winner - Alizee, Marjorie, Alice & Aurora

UWA would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Second Life mentors linked to the UWA 3D Art Challenges who so generously gave of their time and experience to assist with this activity, including quadrapop Lane, Reslez Steeplechase, Eliza Quinzet, Josiane Sorciere, Neeks Karu, Fiona Blaylock, Winter Ravenheart, Forceme Silverspar, Stylianos Ling, secret Rage & Eliza Wierwight.

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MachinimUWA IV: Apmel Goosson's 'Hello Many Worlds'

2011-11-09T05:55:00.001+08:00

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'Hello Many Worlds', by Apmel Goosson features the artwork "Timelike loop (or why we have free will)" by the creator that had been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

In Apmel's words:

A submission for the MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists featuring my own artwork "Timelike loop (or why we have free will)" for the 2011 May round of UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Soundtrack by Lennart Nilsson also using voice excerpts from a speach Damian Conway held 2008 @ O'Reilly Open Source Convention, Portland, OR, July 22, 2008 that can be seen on Blip.Tv

UWA @ The Nonprofit Commons

2011-11-08T21:58:00.001+08:00

Photo Credit: Buffy Beale

On the 4th of November, UWA was invited to speak at the weekly meeting of the Nonprofit Commons, led by Rik Panganiban / Rik Riel (Community Manager, Nonprofit Commons in Second Life).

The event took place at the Plush Nonprofit Commons Amphitheatre, with a great group of people attending!

Photo Credit: Buffy Beale

As follows is a portion of the transcript of the meeting:

UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA IN SECOND LIFE
[08:53] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): ok Jay Jay can you come on down please?
[08:53] Buffy Beale: clapping for Jayjay!
[08:53] Jayjay Zifanwe: thanks Rik
[08:53] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Jay Jay is the School Manager of the Physics University of Western Australia
[08:54] Gentle Heron: YAY JayJay!
[08:54] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): and owner of the UWA presence in SL
[08:54] Secret Rage: woot JayJay
[08:54] Jayjay Zifanwe: thanks
[08:54] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): I've long been a fan of their machinima and art competitions
[08:54] FreeWee Ling: For every action there is a reactin ;)
[08:54] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): so I thought it was long past due that we have Jay Jay come here and tell us what they have been up to!
[08:55] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Jay Jay, can you tell us about how UWA got started in SL?
[08:55] Jayjay Zifanwe: sure
[08:55] Jayjay Zifanwe: well in 2007
[08:55] Jayjay Zifanwe: i was thinking of how to build the uni in 3d
[08:55] Jayjay Zifanwe: uwa i mean
[08:55] Jayjay Zifanwe: and i had at the time zero technical capability
[08:55] Jayjay Zifanwe: nothing has changed insofar as my technical abilities
[08:56] Gentle Heron: HAHAHA
[08:56] Jayjay Zifanwe: anyway a phd student asked me to provide server resources
[08:56] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): lol
[08:56] Jayjay Zifanwe: for a virtual world he wanted to build
[08:56] Jayjay Zifanwe: Chris Thorne
[08:56] Jayjay Zifanwe: and contact with him
[08:56] FreeWee Ling: You're up to at least 2.3..
[08:56] Jayjay Zifanwe: pointed me to the person with the technical capability to make things happen
[08:56] Jayjay Zifanwe: we started with the uwa virtual universe project
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: which was on a single server at UWA completely built i house
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: then in 2008, we won the Google earth Build you campus in 3d competition
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: this gave us coverage in national newspapers
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: and our vice chancellor took notice
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: and we received funding to be able to start a presence in a virtual world for 3 years
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: we chose SL
[08:57] Jayjay Zifanwe: and thats how it started :)
[08:58] Panny Bakerly: Are classes taught on line here?
[08:58] Jayjay Zifanwe: yes
[08:58] Jayjay Zifanwe: we have 2nd year units in the school of business
[08:58] Jayjay Zifanwe: using sl
[08:58] Panny Bakerly: Fantastic! Wish my school would do this.
[08:58] Jayjay Zifanwe: as well as masters by coursework units
[08:59] OnlyMeMe: what courses are tought in SL?
[08:59] OnlyMeMe: they are in SL and not just online?
[08:59] Jayjay Zifanwe: Buyer behavious and decision making in the masters
[08:59] Jayjay Zifanwe: and
[08:59] Jayjay Zifanwe: electronic communication strategy in 2nd year
[08:59] Jayjay Zifanwe: well those courses are subsets of the rl degree
[08:59] Panny Bakerly: How do the students find this type of teaching tool?
[08:59] Jayjay Zifanwe: they are not offered just as units on their own
[09:00] Jayjay Zifanwe: the enrolled students while taking the normal courses
[09:00] Jayjay Zifanwe: have these sl units as well
[09:00] Jayjay Zifanwe: as part of thir degree programme
[09:00] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): nice
[09:00] Panny Bakerly: Do the students like sl?
[09:00] Jayjay Zifanwe: they find it interesting
[09:00] Red (talkwithmarie): wonderfu;
[09:01] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): lets let Jay Jay give some background before hitting him up with questions
[09:01] Jayjay Zifanwe: but as with courses.... id say 85% focus on it during the running of the unit
[09:01] Panny Bakerly: sorry
[09:01] Jayjay Zifanwe: and after that they have other units in following semesters
[09:01] Jayjay Zifanwe: so the load overall on students is high
[09:02] Jayjay Zifanwe: what next rik?
[09:02] OnlyMeMe: what aspects of SL do they find interesting?
[09:02] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): So what let from that to the art competitions you alls sponsor?
[09:02] Jayjay Zifanwe: well
[09:02] Jayjay Zifanwe: 2 days before we launched the uwa presence to an rl audience at the Uni
[09:02] Jayjay Zifanwe: the director of the cultural precinct at UWA
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: who is also the chairman of visual arts in australia,
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: professor ted snell
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: asked me what i could do for art
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: if he gave me $1,000
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: and i told him without hesitating and knowing 0% about art
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: that i could run a year long art challenge
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: now anyone with experience
[09:03] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): nice
[09:03] Jayjay Zifanwe: in sl
[09:03] Gentle Heron: Gentle Heron smiles.
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: knows that is an absolutely crazy'response
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: lol
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: but through serendipity
[09:04] Buffy Beale: wow, great going to jump in there!
[09:04] Secret Rage: :)
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: i met good people who knew about art who helped me
[09:04] LaPiscean Liberty: crazy like a fox :)
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: like quadrapop Lane
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: and like FreeeWee Ling
[09:04] Jayjay Zifanwe: who is sitting here today and is the current curator of art at UWA
[09:04] Secret Rage: cudos to both :)
[09:05] FreeWee Ling: (We just published some statistics about the last year in the art challenges. I have to run, but you can see the numbers here : http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/11/fax-n-figgers.html
[09:05] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): oh yeah saw those, super interesting!
[09:05] FreeWee Ling: I think you'll be impressed :)
[09:05] Jayjay Zifanwe: ys. 850 + artworks across the year
[09:05] Jayjay Zifanwe: and now we have reached the grand finale
[09:05] Jayjay Zifanwe: all of you can participate and vote
[09:06] Zazoom Zimminy: Zazoom Zimminy whispers Kyle Reis, Grants Managers Network, NYC
[09:06] Jayjay Zifanwe: and anyone who votes for the grand finale could win L$5,000
[09:06] Jayjay Zifanwe: the overall winner for the art
[09:06] Jayjay Zifanwe: will win L$100,000
[09:06] Buffy Beale: that's amazingly wonderful!
[09:06] OnlyMeMe: how have the competitions benefited the University?
[09:07] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): So let's talk about that for a bit
[09:07] Jayjay Zifanwe: its not about benefiting the uni
[09:07] OnlyMeMe: in terms of financially and the Unviersity Mission statement?
[09:07] Jayjay Zifanwe: uwa is committed in a general sense
[09:07] Jayjay Zifanwe: to promoting arts
[09:07] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): What have you learned about SL from running these competitions?
[09:07] Jayjay Zifanwe: and what we have been able to do
[09:07] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): FreeWing, feel free to chime in
[09:07] Jayjay Zifanwe: is exactly in line with the philosophy of the uni
[09:07] OnlyMeMe: so, the Unviersity Mission statement probably says something about commitment to general intellectual endeavors, and this is how the program fits in?
[09:08] Jayjay Zifanwe: to Rik' question. we have learned that SL is an amazing place for collaboration
[09:08] Nany (nany.kayo): Jayjay, will new artworks be accepted into the competion or is this to judge artworks that have already been submitted?
[09:08] Jayjay Zifanwe: yes onlymeme, UWA has a commitent to promote and foster the arts in all forms
[09:08] Jayjay Zifanwe: curretly the grand finale round is running
[09:08] Jayjay Zifanwe: http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/10/grand-finale-uwa-3d-open-art-challenge.html
[09:08] Jayjay Zifanwe: info is there
[09:09] Jayjay Zifanwe: it is a shortlist of the winners from every month
[09:09] Jayjay Zifanwe: so the current round is set in terms of artworks
[09:09] FreeWee Ling: I'm not involved with the university other than being a hired curator. JJ will have to address the benefits to UWA. But I can say that it has had a tremendous impact on getting people to take creative work in virtual worlds more seriously.
[09:09] OnlyMeMe: how does the competition benefit the individual entrants?
[09:09] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): nice freewing
[09:09] Jayjay Zifanwe: well in many ways
[09:09] OnlyMeMe: like, the artists who submit?
[09:10] Jayjay Zifanwe: many new artists who had never shown art before
[09:10] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): OnlyMeMe, hold off the questions for a bit till the end please
[09:10] Jayjay Zifanwe: started their 'art career' so to speak through the uwa challenges
[09:10] Jayjay Zifanwe: many have won lots of prizes
[09:10] OnlyMeMe: ok I will do that thank you for letting me know
[09:10] Jayjay Zifanwe: many are covered in the blogs and other places
[09:10] Jayjay Zifanwe: ok i'll wait for rik
[09:10] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): JayJay, we're here as nonprofit organizers and professionals and volunteers
[09:11] Jayjay Zifanwe: yes
[09:11] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): What can you tell us about how we might do similar type competitions for ourselves that we might not know?
[09:11] FreeWee Ling: The exposure is tremendous. The quality of work there is inspiring and artists feel it a privilege to be seen among the top artists in SL. It's an open competition so anyone could enter.
[09:11] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): how long does it take? who do you bring aboard? how do yo umanage it?
[09:11] Jayjay Zifanwe: oh are you planning to?
[09:11] Jayjay Zifanwe: it takes a lot of time, love and dedication
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: it can be run by 3 people
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: if the 3 are committed
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: and willing to give of themsel;ves
[09:12] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): 3 people minimum
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: thats what people like freewee have done
[09:12] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): that's good to know!
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: well in general, i have run it with 2
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: but its not easy
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: who you bring aboard
[09:12] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): how much lead time do you need to organize it well?
[09:12] Jayjay Zifanwe: is something that
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: you know through gut feeling only'
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: lead time well
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: i started the first 'year long' challenge
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: with 2 days notice
[09:13] FreeWee Ling: lol. lead time..
[09:13] Secret Rage: :)
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: lead time is
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: hard to pin down
[09:13] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): I mean "ideally"
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: the LEA
[09:13] FreeWee Ling: We mount a new show with roughly 70 entries every month.
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: took a lead time of 1 year
[09:13] Jayjay Zifanwe: to get things going
[09:14] Jayjay Zifanwe: and i am part of the lea
[09:14] Nany (nany.kayo): I didn't know anything about the competition until now. Where was it announced?
[09:14] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): well we all know that isn't going to happen for most of our groups!
[09:14] Jayjay Zifanwe: id say its hard to run things proper
[09:14] Jayjay Zifanwe: if things are run by committee
[09:14] Jayjay Zifanwe: the leader needs to have vision, and be able to do things with almost a free hand
[09:14] Jayjay Zifanwe: and the hand that the leader uses must be tempered with patience
[09:15] LaPiscean Liberty: Amen
[09:15] Secret Rage: how well put
[09:15] eif (eifachfilm.vacirca): lol
[09:15] Jayjay Zifanwe: Nany it was and has been announced in every art group
[09:15] Gentle Heron: 100% correct
[09:15] Nany (nany.kayo): Thanks, Jayjay. Must have missed it.
[09:15] Brena Benoir: We need to emblazon that in to our grounds here.
[09:15] Jayjay Zifanwe: i've sent the NC to nany
[09:15] Jayjay Zifanwe: nany pls give to anyone else who wants
[09:16] Nany (nany.kayo): The competition itself is what I missed. I am a gallery owner who is mentoring an artist in SL
[09:16] Nany (nany.kayo): Looking for competitions exactly like this one
[09:16] Nany (nany.kayo): next time I hope : )
[09:16] FreeWee Ling: I have to run. Anyone with questions about the art program at UWA can IM me or JAyJay.
[09:16] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Outreach is always hard in SL, since there are so many disparate communities
[09:17] Jayjay Zifanwe: yes
[09:17] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): thanks for ocming FreeWing
[09:17] Jayjay Zifanwe: so the other focus
[09:17] Jayjay Zifanwe: has been media
[09:17] FreeWee Ling: FreeWee :)
[09:17] FreeWee Ling: By
[09:17] Secret Rage: bye Free
[09:17] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): lol, right sorry!
[09:17] Jayjay Zifanwe: if one looks at the webste for the grand finale
[09:17] Jayjay Zifanwe: and the list of judges
[09:18] Jayjay Zifanwe: you will see many from sl tv and news sites
[09:18] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): I think competitions are one of the best ways to create energy about your institution and cause
[09:18] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): We've done a few here, but probably need to learn how to do them better
[09:18] Jayjay Zifanwe: cool
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Perhaps we could do a cause-based art competition in conjunction with UWA?
[09:19] OnlyMeMe: what percentage of regular SL players are artists?
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): we might help put some money on the table
[09:19] OnlyMeMe: why focus on art competitions?
[09:19] Jayjay Zifanwe: sounds like a good idea
[09:19] Jayjay Zifanwe: no
[09:19] Jayjay Zifanwe: not only art
[09:19] Jayjay Zifanwe: we have a machinima challenge running now as well
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): could be machinima
[09:19] Jayjay Zifanwe: we have research and teaching
[09:19] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): or photography
[09:19] Jayjay Zifanwe: as well as architecture
[09:20] OnlyMeMe: what percentage of SL players are content creators?
[09:20] Jayjay Zifanwe: with photography
[09:20] Jayjay Zifanwe: we managed to get 2 sl photos into an RL only calendar
[09:20] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): OnlyMeMe that's a hard question!
[09:20] Jayjay Zifanwe: first time it happened
[09:20] Jen (jenelle.levenque): I think almost everyone creates at least some in SL
[09:20] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): not even sure how to get that stat. but SL makes it easy for anyone to create.
[09:20] Secret Rage: not all though by any means...some never do
[09:20] LaPiscean Liberty: Every Avatar is a realtime camera person and all Avatars are builders, if not by object , then by relationship and social creatiobn. :)
[09:21] Jayjay Zifanwe: well said Lap
[09:21] Secret Rage: true LaP
[09:21] OnlyMeMe: do you think the economy in Australia has influenced your organization?
[09:21] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): well lets open it up for questions for the next few minutes.
[09:21] Jayjay Zifanwe: no the economy has had no impact
[09:22] OnlyMeMe: do you think that the projects in SL would continue even if somethign happened like a massive hard hitting recession?
[09:22] OnlyMeMe: or the Australian job market collapsed?
[09:22] Jayjay Zifanwe: well i have enough to guarantee the uwa position in sl till the end of 2012
[09:22] Jayjay Zifanwe: right now
[09:22] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): OnlyMeMe, maybe we could let some others get in some questions too? Thanks.
[09:22] Jayjay Zifanwe: the only thing that will change the uwa activities
[09:23] Buffy Beale: Question: are you looking at any other virtual worlds to use?
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: is if the main driving forces leave
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: or dont wake up tomorrow
[09:23] Secret Rage: smiles
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: pathfinder linden
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: contacted me yesterday
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: to investigate another virtual world
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: but in general
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: we are in sl
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: if we go to another it will be lock stock and barrel
[09:23] Jayjay Zifanwe: but right now
[09:24] Jayjay Zifanwe: we have a good edu group in sl
[09:24] Jayjay Zifanwe: and we are part of the australian virtual worlds working group
[09:24] Jayjay Zifanwe: AVWWG
[09:24] Jayjay Zifanwe: quite a number of journal papers etc published
[09:24] Buffy Beale: thanks Jayjay
[09:25] Jayjay Zifanwe: :)
[09:25] Buffy Beale: the nice thing about your contest is seeing all the creativity in one place, from so many different artists and builders
[09:25] Buffy Beale: such talent in SL for sure
[09:25] Jayjay Zifanwe: yes its amazng to get all the locations of all the artists
[09:26] Jayjay Zifanwe: i normally say when making the monthly winners announcements
[09:26] Jayjay Zifanwe: that we have artists from 6 of the 7 continents in the world
[09:26] Jayjay Zifanwe: we only missed out on antarctica
[09:26] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): haha
[09:26] Panny Bakerly: truly global
[09:26] Buffy Beale: truly amazing that is, to connect them too
[09:26] Buffy Beale: yes
[09:26] LaPiscean Liberty: Truely a world renown gallery then :))
[09:26] Secret Rage: :D
[09:26] Buffy Beale: yes LaPiscean!
[09:26] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): JayJay, FreeWee was talking about how the art competition made people outside of SL take notice. Can you say a bit more about how that happened?
[09:27] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Did you have real world events to show the artwork? Or just on the web?
[09:27] Jayjay Zifanwe: we did have RL exhibits
[09:27] Jayjay Zifanwe: 'in fact
[09:27] Jayjay Zifanwe: the former ceo of linden labs
[09:27] Jayjay Zifanwe: M Linden
[09:27] Jayjay Zifanwe: sent to me his RL artworks
[09:28] Jayjay Zifanwe: and we had an RL exhibit of his works at UWA
[09:28] Jayjay Zifanwe: along with an sl exhbit of his works in the sl presence simultaneously
[09:28] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): wow that's cool
[09:28] Jayjay Zifanwe: outside of SL
[09:28] Panny Bakerly: neat
[09:28] Buffy Beale: nice one!
[09:28] Jayjay Zifanwe: people took notice because of the machinima competitions
[09:28] LaPiscean Liberty: Shanghai World expo with machinima
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: we had a competition where the goal was to film the artwork and create stories etc with the artwork they saw
[09:29] Buffy Beale: ooo Draxtor will be happy to hear that
[09:29] Secret Rage: :)
[09:29] OnlyMeMe: an idea might be to integrate the two, even compare an artists RL work side by side to the digital
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: this greatly helped in getting the message out to people who did not have experience with sl
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: and could see it on youtube first
[09:29] OnlyMeMe: so that people can look and notice the differences and similarities
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: yes we had that too
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: students from york university
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: in canada
[09:29] Jayjay Zifanwe: have visited the uwa art gallery
[09:30] Jayjay Zifanwe: and their teacher gave them the task of selecting one artwork in sl
[09:30] Jayjay Zifanwe: and writing about it in comparison to an artwork they selected from rl from the 1970's
[09:30] Jayjay Zifanwe: we have news about that here http://uwainsl.blogspot.com/2011/10/york-university-course-uwa-challenge.html
[09:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): fascinating
[09:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Okay we are at about our time with Jay Jay
[09:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): feel free to ping him directly for more info
[09:31] Jayjay Zifanwe: thanks all
[09:31] Jayjay Zifanwe: been a pleasure
[09:31] Jayjay Zifanwe: do remember to go to uwa in the month of november
[09:31] Panny Bakerly: thankyou!
[09:31] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): How do people get a hold of you and stay in touch?
[09:31] Buffy Beale: great to have you come to speak with us Jayjay thanks!
[09:31] Jayjay Zifanwe: and vote for the artworks in the grand finale
[09:31] Red (talkwithmarie): awesome work!
[09:31] Jayjay Zifanwe: one voter will win L$5k just for voting
[09:32] Jayjay Zifanwe: just friend me ot join the uwa 3d art & design challenge group
[09:32] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Its great seeing how one individual can run with an idea and make it so global!
[09:32] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): that's very inspiring
[09:32] Buffy Beale: a good idea to encourage people to vote, well done
[09:32] Secret Rage: clap, clap, clap!!
[09:32] Jayjay Zifanwe: this group secondlife:///app/group/cad9c421-8b96-f9c1-fb40-dade48c43fe4/about
[09:32] Jayjay Zifanwe: thanks again everyone
[09:32] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): as always, we publish these chatlogs to our listserv
[09:32] Buffy Beale: cheering!
[09:33] Rik Panganiban (rik.riel): Great stuff.

MachinimUWA IV: Haveit Neox's 'Exhibition'

2011-11-08T08:12:00.001+08:00

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'Exhibition', by Haveit Neox features a number of award winning artworks by the creator that have been part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artworks Featured include:
Binary Stable
History in Cream
Second Libations Preview

In Haveit's words:
"INVITATION to participate: What if all life disappeared from the Earth's surface? Could the virtual world of the bots persist? Have your idea (as a text) included in the 'Second Libations' art exhibit. I am most grateful to the LEA (Linden Endowment for the Arts) and the UWA (University of Western Australia) for having granted me the opportunity to show my exhibit in the Art Series. I have been given the month of December 2011 to install the full sim exhibit "Second Libations". I am planning to display texts contributed by residents of Second Life as part of the show. If you are interested, please submit a paragraph (or more) describing your solution to the survival of the bots and their world. You may also send me a texture if you have something illustrated to accompany your text. The story line of the exhibition is in the following paragraph. Have fun with your ideas, or be serious in your creative efforts. Please send your text as a notecard AND an IM to Haveit Neox. This way I should receive it regardless of SL's habit of discarding or capping communications.

EXHIBIT SCENE: The great cosmic storm swept up the last of Earth's water molecules. On the lifeless planet, the only remaining intelligence flickers on computer screens. In the absence of human maintenance, bot scipters, bot artists, and bot teachers scramble to rescue their resources before the impending threat of blackout. Like the sorcerer's apprentice, they begin flooding their world by rezzing buckets of virtual water, in the hope of rehydrating their users. Their strategy appears to be failing. Not having been programmed for an unforeseen event of this magnitude, the bots plea for your solution in securing their virtual world.
The Second Libations await your offering. Your participation in the ritual is eagerly anticipated.

For any questions, please contact me. Thanks for your attention,
Haveit Neox

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

DATE OF EXHIBIT: Dec 3 - Dec 31, 2011
LOCATION: LEA6 - LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES
DATE DUE: It would be helpful to get texts delivered to me by November 25, however, I will be posting texts from visitors all during the exhibition as well.
BOOK: A book covering the event is planned to be published in SL. By sending in your idea, it is possible that your text may be included.

Please send text (and illustration if you have one) to Haveit Neox"
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MachinimUWA IV: LisaAir's 'Questions - A Poem by LisaAir'

2011-11-08T08:03:00.000+08:00

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'Questions - A Poem by LisaAir', features Anley Piers 'Travel in the Shadow of Technology' an award winning artwork for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.
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MachinimUWA IV: Sophia Yates' 'The Copper Beech Tree'

2011-11-08T07:55:00.000+08:00

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'The Copper Beech Tree', by Sophia Yates features an artwork of a similar name by soror Nishi, that was an award winning artwork for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

MachinimUWA IV: Braclo Eber's 'Vito'

2011-11-07T20:20:00.002+08:00

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'Vito', by Braclo Eber features the artwork of Cherry Manga, 'Aerie' that was part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

In Braclo's words:
With a planet destroyed and covered in dust and rubble, humanity thought that the worse has come. That was, until any unsheltered person disappear, never to be seen again.
CREDIT LINKS - MUSIC
Used with permission.
---------------------------------
Apocalypse [Suspense] - MrMusicalLionhttp://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/383117
A Real Action Scene - Tetfimahttp://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/111171

SOUNDS - http://www.freesound.org
-------------------------------------------------
AKManipulation - Mittelmorderhttp://www.freesound.org/people/Mittelmorder/sounds/122690/
Body Hitting Mat - MAJ061785http://www.freesound.org/people/MAJ061785/sounds/85532/
Crash - Sagetyrtlehttp://www.freesound.org/people/sagetyrtle/sounds/40158/
Crash & Glass - Rock Savagehttp://www.freesound.org/people/Rock%20Savage/sounds/59263/
Crows outdoors - Northern87http://www.freesound.org/people/northern87/sounds/88530/
Desertwind1FINAL - Nageorhttp://www.freesound.org/people/nageor/sounds/112296/
Digging - Prozaciswackhttp://www.freesound.org/people/prozaciswack/sounds/82722/
Demonbeeyotch - NoiseCollectorhttp://www.freesound.org/people/NoiseCollector/sounds/82915/
Fire crackling - Dobroidehttp://www.freesound.org/people/dobroide/sounds/4211/
Gunshot and reload - Gcmaxhttp://www.freesound.org/people/gcmax/sounds/86808/
HugeSlidingDoorSlamECM800 - UATaudiohttp://www.freesound.org/people/UATaudio/sounds/31154/
Spotlight-stereo - Reidmanganhttp://www.freesound.org/people/reidmangan/sounds/49023/

The Wasteland is a great post-apocalyptic role playing area with several regions! Worth a look at!http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Wastelands/135/151/66

WATCH THE VITO BLOOPER REEL

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MachinimUWA IV: Spiral Silverstar's 'Rhythm of Mood' (Torley Linden Lends a Hand)

2011-11-07T20:06:00.000+08:00

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'Rhythm of Mood', by Spiral Silverstar features an artwork of the same name by Lea Supermarine & Jarapanda Snook, that was part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.
Music in this Machinima is by Torley Linden of legend.
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Victoria Lenoirre's Perspective on Tyrehl Byk's Catharsis

2011-11-06T22:37:00.000+08:00

The week before, I messaged Tyrehl Byk about his upcoming ~Not a Knot submission for the LEA Full Sim for this month. I sent him a notecard with questions, thinking (wrongly) that his gallery would be a 3d gallery. After I sent it and realized he was online (rarely happens for me!), he responded and told me I should see a live performance of his and rewrite my interview questions. Of course, I was a bit embarassed. Lol. But he was pretty gracious about it and he said he'd send me an invite soon. So days before the private viewing of Catharsis, Tyrehl kindly sent me an invitation to his "out-freaking-standing" particle performance. One of the audience called it "hyperparticlism". Nice characterization!

It was a great 24 minute performance. After you sit, Tyrehl takes the helm and controls your camera. So if you follow his directions that he put on the notecard you get upon arrival, your camera should be aimed up about a hundred meters or so into the night sky. Then, the show begins!

The particles are absolutely stunning and awesome (in the original sense of the word). Make sure you set your particles to the maximum in your viewer to get the full effect. All my pics were taken with low graphics, but if you can...set it at high or ultra. It is spectacular! And don't forget to turn on your music stream!

The concept of catharsis is a wonderful subject for a work of art. Catharsis means "cleansing" in Greek. Watching, I felt like the artist was cleansing his mind of some of the messages that popular culture must've given him. After all the cleansing, you feel like he reaches a place of contentment and tranquility at the end. His final scenes were quite serene.

I love the images he used. His presentation combines religious symbols with more earthly images and symbols. I shan't tell you what they are and spoil the surprise, but I'm sure you'll enjoy it immensely. I sure did! I was blown away by it. So I dubbed him "The Maestro."

The artist himself, after the show.

This is one show you don't want to miss out on! Tyrehl Byk is masterful as he is kind. Excellent, excellent performance, Tyrehl! I give it 5 stars!

LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (NOVEMBER): Tyrehl Byk's CATHARSIS & quadrapop Lane's RETROSPECTIVE

2011-11-06T11:35:00.010+08:00

TYREHL BYK'S CATHARSIS

The stunning opening to the LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES, Rebeca Bashly's Inferno was a hard act to follow. Tyrehl Byk's Catharsis however has already proven to be a more than stunning follow-up for the November month. Long term champion of the arts in Second Life, and the original curator of the UWA 3D Art Challenges, quadrapop Lane shares the ground of the SIM with "Retrospective Highlights of 4 Years of SL" which will evolve as the month progresses.

Tyrehl Byk Premiere Public performance: November 4th, 2011 6-PM SLT
START LOCATION FOR TYREHL BYK


QUADRAPOP'S RETROSPECTIVE

quadrapop Lane's Retrospective Open throughout NovemberSTART LOCATION FOR QUADRAPOP LANE

Quadrapop's retrospective includes works such as: Ultra Violet, a Grand Finale work for the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge, and which is a collaboration between quadrapop (prims & textures) & Corto Vieria (sculpt maps) from August 2010, also Sea Grass Fronds and the Rainbow Metallic Sea both from 2008 originally made in one of quad's building alts.

Quadrapop's Retrospective Highlights are drawn from a solid 4 years of making art in SL - starting with humble beginnings in 2007 showing in a small mall gallery to running a successful mainland Gallery at which the likes of Glyph Graves, Gracie Kendall and Manx Wharton had shows, to a full private sim in 2008-09 (where art and music met in The Rooftop venue) and on to a solo Gallery once more on mainland showing fully immersive environments featuring the collaborative work of quadrapop's texturing and Corto's sculpties.

The Rainbow Sea and Fronds have rarely been seen as they require many prims and space to be fully appreciated, they were last displayed on UWA Winthrop in 2010.

FreeWee Ling photo Gallery of Tyrehl's Catharsis
Quans Travelogues on Tyrehl
Kara's Korner on Catharsis
Secret Rage's Photo Gallery
Virtual Real Blog
Real Art from Virtual Worlds
Living in a Modem World
Honour McMillan's Blog
Victoria Lennoire on Tyrehl
Cait's World on Catharsis
Landa Crystal - Metaverse Tribune
Temi Sirbu (Japanese) Blog
More from Quans Travelogue
More from Modemworld
Leanna's Quest
New World Notes
Gridjumper's Blog
Catharsis by Moana @ Koinup
Catharsis by Moana @ Koinup Part II

Tyrehl Byk's "Catharsis" is an immersive, 24 minute adventure ride into the curious, the irreverent, through the sublime, and back out the other side.

Using a specially scripted theater, Byk takes control of the audience's cameras and, (if Second Life is behaving well), synchronizes a sequence of scenes that rely heavily, but not exclusively on the use of particle effects to interpret a musical track including compositions in a variety of styles from contemporary to classical.

While it would be easier to simply create a machinima of the sequences, Byk has chosen to offer this process as performance art, in order to remove the idea of an unchanging linear experience that may be captured, commodified, and assimilated alone, and replace it with a shared, group experience that is never the same twice.

The nature of the Second Life construct informs the performance with its own curious continuity, supplemented by the qualities of the each audience member's viewing platform, viewer settings, and bandwidth connection to the internet. All of these combine to make each performance of the work unique, not just from an overall perspective, but for each and every participant.

Audience members are encouraged to arrive early and please, please, *PLEASE* remove all heavily scripted items before the program begins to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for everyone.

Those lucky enough to be invited to a special private screening before the public launch were astounded:

"Tyrehl Byk as the great PuppetMaster takes the control of our view to let us literrally fall in his great travel, a travel guided by lights, colors, music. I never saw a show in Second Life so impressive, it's very clever, we are really watching an animation movie with its moment of tension, joy, sadness and pure beauty. This show is simply what Second Life has the best: creativity at its paroxysm. I am sorry to make a comparaison, but this one comes to me: Fantasia by Disney..... emotions made of images and sounds, it's Art." Cherry Manga

"Amazing, astounded at the work involved. this masterfully shows what is possible when you control the viewpoint of your audience. Expertly done particles and editing of the music and visuals. Tyrehl is surely pushing the limitsand setting new bars for others to aim for." quadrapop Lane

"I was privileged to witness a landmark in SL art. Tyrehl created a masterpiece of live performance creating an immersive machinima experience with astounding visual effects. My jaw dropped, took a limo downtown and went dancing..." FreeWee Ling

"Breathtakingly spectacular and a Must-see-to-believe adventure!" Galea Yates

"This is by far one fo the coolest things I have *ever* seen in SL... and I've seen a lot!" Sasun Steinbeck

"This is just brilliant, i have never seen such thing here! it was super! that camera control thing is awesome!" Rebeca Bashly

"This is the most beautiful and amazing things I have ever seen in SL. I'm speechless" Ponchituti
Boucher

"Most incredible Particle Show i ever seen in sl .. a must see for all !!! :)" claudia 222 Jewell

"Once Tyrehl takes the controls you are plunged into an immersive blend of color and sound that relax and stimulate the senses in amazing ways." Taralyn Gravois

Ongoing performance calendar may be found here: http://bit.ly/rOaEJb

PREVIEW IMAGES

Transport Station to the Event Horizon Theater SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/LEA6/173/192/501

MachinimUWA IV: Penumbra Carter's 'A Discreet Infiltration of Thought'

2011-11-06T05:58:00.000+08:00

A Discreet Infiltration of Thought from Penumbra Carter on Vimeo.

'A Discreet Infiltration of Thought', by Penumbra Carter features the artworks by the creator that were part of various rounds of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.

Artworks Featured:
Heroic Egg
UFO-Control-07
Deep Down Kepler
Cosmic Lighthouse

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MachinimUWA IV: Urban Steampunk's 'Sad Robot'

2011-11-06T05:51:00.000+08:00

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'Sad Robot', by Urban Steampunk features the artwork of Yabusaka Loon, 'Bloody Love' that was part of the October Round of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge. This machinima is now part of MachinimUWA IV: Art of the Artists, which unites the powerhouses of virtual worlds, Artists and Machinimatographers!

Entries to the L$300,000 MachinimUWA IV close on the 10th of November and looks for the creation of machinima featuring artworks that are part of the UWA 3D Open Art Challenge.
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