Victoria Lenoirre's Review of LEA6 A Maze In Grace, Krystali Rabeni

Greetings everyone,

 Krystali Rabeni's latest work, A Maze In Grace,  in SL opened on June 6th.

I landed at her FAYWND TERRACE, the landing point, which she created under her LOVE brand. It is a lovely build you can rezz and position with the help of a rez faux. It is lovely and elegant with its arches and steps. She has so many wonderful naturistic builds for LOVE. If you weren't sure of them after viewing them on Marketplace, you will be if you teleport down to LEA6 this month.

The landing area is in the middle of her installation. It separates the 2 halves of the maze. The entire sim, except for the landing point is the maze.

Landing area and surrounding maze @ A Maze In Grace, LEA6

You should see a sign which you can click to learn about the maze. It says,

A MAZE IN GRACE.


Labyrinths are arguably mankind’s first creation borne purely of human imagination. Today, labyrinths and mazes cradle millennia of legend and folklore in their twisted articulations. 

Labyrinth and maze imagery has at different periods of time in various parts of the world been associated with all aspects of human life. It has been used as a symbol of fertility and birth, as well as one of purgatory and death. It has religious and meditative importance in Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist and Shamanic rituals. 

The maze you see has no map, just as life has no map. It is not perfect, just as life is not perfect. Take your time as you wander along the watery path through the twists and turns until you reach the center where you will find a celestial labyrinth. Some will take the long path, some will take the short path through the maze but there is no rush, no race, no time, just you and your thoughts.

Keep a watchful eye along your way for 'A maze in Grace' and a solitary koi carp. You may see them, you may not. It all depends on what you want to see.

Koi Symbolism

Many of the attributes of the koi symbolize several lessons and even trials individuals often encounter in life. The koi fish has a powerful and energetic life force, demonstrated by its ability to swim against currents and even travel upstream. Some of the characteristics associated with the koi include:

Good fortune
Success
Prosperity
Longevity
Courage
Ambition
Perseverance

I wish the above to each and every one of you.

Please enjoy

Krystali Rabeni.

The maze is made up of grass and water. The paths are of water. Before you step into the maze you see a sign that says, "KEEP OFF THE GRASS".

Were you able to find the koi? I have not found it yet. Keep looking and perhaps you will find it.

Krystali's work is a gentle masterpiece. I took the time to ask her some questions.

Besides grace, what do swans symbolize? How many swans are there?

* Symbolism of the swan is closely tied with symbolism of water based on the swan's environment. When observing swans, one finds that they closely connect with water and also nest near the water. Common symbolism of water includes fluidity, intuition, dreaming, emotions and creativity. Therefore, the swan may symbolize a person's dreamier depths, feelings and emotions. For me Second Life is also symbol of this  Along side of this idea, observe a swan and you will see that it gracefully glide through the water leaving hardly a ripple behind. Their natural, effortless beauty reminds us to move gently through the currents of life and not fight against them.

There are 220 swans. This occurred by accident which I later found out has a deep and spiritual meaning:  The number 220 is a blend of the attributes and vibrations of the numbers 2, 22 and 0. Number 2 resonates with duality and polarity, service to others, faith and trust and intuition, insight, encouragement and your life purpose. The number 2 appears twice, relating it to the Master Number 22  -  the number of philanthropy and service to humanity.  Number 22 is the number of Archangel Raphael and resonates with vision, practicality and common sense.  Number 0 vibrates with the ‘God force’ and Universal Energies and amplifies and magnifies the attributes of the numbers it appears with.  Number 0 a message to do with developing one’s spiritual aspects and is considered to represent the beginning of a spiritual journey and highlights the uncertainties that may entail.  This number and symbolism walks hand in hand with the meaning of mazes/labyrinths throughout history.

Did you create all the pieces in the maze?

*Yes

Nice play on the words amazing grace. Were you or are you a religious or spiritual person?

*I'm more spiritual than religious.

Why did you choose the name?

*Grace doesn’t mean only the ability to live a balanced life, it is also being able to be at home in many planes of reality, to see that we are more than we appear to be - we are both physical and spiritual beings. We are souls having a human experience.

What or where did you get the inspiration to build a maze in the water? I think it's an original idea.

* I like to create pieces that cause people to look at things in a different light or from an unusual angle to show that rules can be broken and don't always have to have an adverse affect. Many people avoid water i.e rain and puddles. I'd like to think anyone walking through the water in the maze progresses from being unsure to a gentle calmness to an inner peace.

You are the creator of the LOVE brand, when was it founded? Is LOVE an acronym?

*The LOVE brand was created in August of 2008 and is something I have enjoyed building and it is actually an acronym.
               L = Life's
               O = Only
               V = Valuable
               E = Emotion

Will a version of your maze be available to the public under your brand name?

* Yes I think a garden size version and possibly a quarter sim size also.

Maya Angelou passed away very recently, if you had to deliver a eulogy for her what would you say? To so many she symbolized strength, persistence, and passion in life. She will be deeply missed.

* I think all I could say for Maya Angelou would simply be' Thank You'.

Do you have any other art installations in SL or any future ones planned?

* Yes I have an installation called 'Time For Freedom' at the SL11B..Second Life Birthday celebrations and also an installation called 'We Will Still Need Water' at Burn2 Conception.

Krystali  is such a talented lady. She owns a store in SL called LOVE Skins & Shapes. You can find her builds and more  at marketplace.

Please come and wade through this watery maze and feel the grace all around you. It is now at LEA6 all of this month!

Have fun and enjoy the art!

- Victoria Lenoirre

The Freedom Project Interviews: By Taralyn Gravois & Petlove Petshop

The Freedom Project: Virtual Ability in Second Life from Petlove on Vimeo.

Art curator Taralyn Gravois embarked on a series of interviews with various artiusts involved in UWA's Freedom Project, and this was expertly crafted into a film by Petlove Petshop, and this is their creation! It carries a number of direct interviews and also shows off all the works that were submitted to the event.

The Freedom Project is a 2D/3D Art & Film Event organized jointly by the University of Western Australia, along with members of the Virtual Ability Group, and the Centre for ME/CFS and Other Invisible Illnesses Group in Second created an artwork or a film/machinima or in fact a personal story on the theme of ‘Freedom’, showing how virtual worlds have in some way helped them or those around them. 

This event is to thank all the artists, filmmakers, and writers for contributing their works and of themselves, as well as to thank the many individuals, groups and organisations who made this possible, including Eliza Wierwight, who created the poster for this event,  David Doyle & Simone Flavelle of DADAA's stARTSPEAK Project, Tom Papas & Screen My Shorts Inc. (Sydney), West Australian artist, Len Zuks,  Beverley Hill of UWA's Equity & Diversity Office, Craig MacKenzie and Deborah Bolton of UniPrint,  TheDove Rhode of Peace is A Choice Gallery, Taralyn Gravois, AviewTV and LaPiscean Liberty, Eleanor Medeir and The Sim Street Journal as well as Kit Guardian and Guardian 11:11 for their multifaceted commitment towards the event as well, also iMoogi TV (imoogi.tv) and Nu Vibez Magazine (nuvibezmag.com) led by Filipa Thespian.

A book is being produced at the moment carrying images of all the artwork and machinima stills from submissions to the Freedom project. This is an endeavour being carried by by UWA curator of virtual arts, FreeWee Ling. Stay tuned.

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SL used for Postgraduate Law Degree teaching @ UWA

A Second Life machinima has been custom made for the first time for one of the major units for a degree programme at UWA with the efforts of UWA Associate Professor Natalie Skead, former champion of the international UWA film challenges, Laurina Hawks from the town of Ulm, Germany, and UWA virtual worlds founder Jay Jay Jegathesan.

The brilliant short film (machinima) "Equity & Trusts: Estoppel Tutorial", was created by Laurina based on a script written by Professor Skead for the LAWS5103 unit, Equity & Trusts, which is a 2nd Year compulsory postgraduate unit for the Juris Doctor (law degree). It was shown to students during tutorials that were a trigger for discussions on the Estoppel principle of law.

Associate Professor Natalie Skead

Student evaluation of the film was undertaken at the end of the tutorials by way of a simple questionnaire asking:
1. Did you enjoy this exercise? If so why? If not, why not?
2. Did you find this exercise worthwhile? If so, why? If not, why not?
3. Would you suggest I use second-life videos to present fact scenarios in the other problem-solving tutorials in this unit?

The student responses to the questions were unanimously ‘yes’. 

Reasons given for students enjoying the exercise and finding it useful included:

• It showed how many small aspects of situations are important
• Facts were gradually exposed over time
• Couldn’t refer back to fact sheet – more challenging
• I’m a fan. It was something different, excellent to be able to examine the circumstances and allow for further ‘client interview questions’
• The interpretation of statement and the hunt for facts
• It allowed me to assess the situation more fully – nuanced!
• Taught me to listen exactly to what is being said

Commenting on the experience, Professor Skead observed, "From my perspective as a teacher presenting the facts visually in a movie resulted in a far more rigorous and detailed assessment of the facts. What is wonderful is that it included all the  non verbal aspects of communication while seeing the actions and hearing the words. Laurina did a brilliant job allowing for nuances in the film, even capturing things like stammering and facial expressions important in conveying the story."

Professor Skead observed that the discussion that resulted was far more sophisticated and detailed as compared to previous exercises conducted using more conventional methods, as 'Second Life' was a very valuable tool for connecting students to 'real life' experiences.

Founder and lead of UWA 3D virtual projects, Jay Jay Jegathesan, manager of the School of Physics at UWA explained, "We are absolutely thrilled at how successful this has been, and hope to continue supporting more and more areas in the targeted use of Second Life where it adds value. We have the far have had various activities and outcomes across the School of Business, School of Education, School of Physiology, Anatomy and Human Biology aside from this newest venture with the School of Law. This is an exciting development, and institutions across the globe are looking to UWA's leadership in this area, the most recent being the Digital Educaion Show Asia in Kuala Lumpur in May 2014 where a number of presentations were delivered on how UWA has used virtual worlds to support teaching, research, architecture, international community development, art & film."

Presentation at UWA eLearning Expo (Friday 6th June 2014)

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LEA FULL SIM ART SERIES (June 2014): Krystali Rabeni's 'A Maze in Grace'

The brilliant Krystali Rabeni is at the helm for the June round of the 4th cycle of the LEA Full SIM Art series at LEA 6. A full list of the LEA Full SIM offering since inception in 2011 can be found HERE.  Anyone interested in applying for any month between July 2014 and April 2015, please contact Jayjay Zifanwe with your interest and preferred month.

A MAZE IN GRACE: 

LAUNCH: 12.30AM SLT, Friday 6th June 2014

LOCATION: HERE AT LEA 6

In Krystali's words:

"Labyrinths are arguably mankind’s first creation borne purely of human imagination. Today, labyrinths and mazes cradle millennia of legend and folklore in their twisted articulations. 

Labyrinth and maze imagery has at different periods of time in various parts of the world been associated with all aspects of human life. It has been used as a symbol of fertility and birth, as well as one of purgatory and death. It has religious and meditative importance in Hindu, Christian, Islamic, Buddhist and Shamanic rituals. 

A Maze In Grace has no map, just as life has no map. It is not perfect, just as life is not perfect. Take your time as you wander along the watery path through the twists and turns until you reach the center where you will find a celestial labyrinth. Some will take the long path, some will take the short path through the maze but there is no rush, no race, no time, just you and your thoughts."

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