From Japan to SL

  

The UWA Art Challenge that lasted six years celebrated the final event this time. There were more than 100 artists from all over the world for the 3D arts and machinima. The pool for the awards is more than L$500,000 every time, which was the maximum scale I ever know in SL. The awarding ceremony was held on Dec. 13 and I was invited as a member of the judging panel according to the result of the audience participating event last year.




Until the last time, I was guessing which one will be evaluated by the judges, but this year I was free from such speculation and able to pick ones that I like, so felt comfortable. But it might be shame if I was far apart from the twenty judges, so I relieved a bit since I did not miss the top three. It is good to watch realistic landscapes or fantastic worlds in SL, but I love to walk inside and shoot pictures freely in 3D arts. This is the grand-prix, The Bridge by Alpha Auer.




This was not included in the top 10, Endless Suspended by Blue Tsuki. Many arts have pose balls or animations installed and it is joy to play around. The 3D arts and Machinima will be presented at UWA for a while.




Jayjay Zifanwe who held many events for six years. Thank you Jayjay for the considerable and excellent works. I will miss your English speech that is rapid but easy to understand for foreigners. He read out more than 50 countries of the artists at a blast, and someone (Haveit ^-^) said, “That could be a song Jayjay, the way you read the countries!” UWA activities in SL will be continued and some contests may be held by FreeWee, but the art challenge that had been held once a month before and once a year recently, now faces the end. This could be another end of another era of SL.




The UWA hall where we were waiting for the announcement while feeling excited. There are four SIMs used but I was heavy on the day and dropped several times, so unfortunately I did not take many pictures. Please see my old articles for the past events in UWA tag in Categories in tle left column.
UWA pages; http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/






  

December has come. The dead line for UWA annual events is Dec. 6. List your favorite ones from 1st to 10th on a notecard to Jayjay Zifanwe in SL, with your name on the title of the notecard with the words Pursue Impossible 3D Art Audience Event. The 5 participants whose order comes closest to the final order decided by the judging panel will win for themselves between L$12,000 - L$5,000. Each art can be reached from the URL in the page below
3D Arts: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2015/11/audience-participation-event-3d-art.html　

The same system is applied for Machinima. The note card title should be your name with the words MachinimUWA VIII Audience Event. This takes more time than the 3D arts though…
Machinima: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2015/11/audience-participation-event.html　

I participated in this program and got 4th before and top last time, and was invited to be on the panel this time, it means I cannot participate in this time ;; It might not be fair to introduce my favorite arts here, so please visit the site.




  

UWA Art Machinima Grand Finale was held on Sunday. 14th.
UWA: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2014/12/uwa-art-machinima-grand-finale-sharni.html
All works will be presented for a while. The awarded arts can be reached directly with the following links.

1: NEVER SAY NEVER - LOVE TRANSCENDS BORDERS by Sharni Azalee
2: SUNRISE SPIRIT by Shenn Coleman
3: i... IO by Mistrero Hifeng
4: THE YELLOW HOUSE by Dusty Canning
5: PRESENCE III by GLYPH GRAVES
6: OFFWORLD by Takni & Misio2
7: PRIMCHORDS by Haveit Neox
8: AUDADE by Giovanna Cerise
9: EVENT HORIZON by Blue Tsuki
10: TRANSCENDING BORDERZ by Pixels Sideways
10: TRANSCEND THE BOMB by Misprint Thursday
10: BACULUM MURDER by Jipe Loon
10: 360 DEGREES OF FREEDOM by Miso Susanowa
10: INSIDE MY CHESTS by Igor Ballyhoo




That was a great event with total prize of more than one million L$. There was an audience participation event guessing the best 10 arts. I got fourth prize last time. This year I was invited again, so I expected some award by any chance. The audience participation prizes were announced starting from the fourth. Finally the chairman said, “The 2nd with 57 points with 8 of 10 correct is…” and a small interval, and my heart raced. It was not me, 80% cheer and 20% fear. The result was close with 60 points, also I guessed 8 out of 10. Together with the prize, I will be given a spot on the official jury next time. I feel much honored but a bit sorry that I cannot participate in this audience participation event.^-^ Thank you all, the organizer and artists for such a wonderful art events!



The celemorial site. I was so exited that I forgot to shoot any picture on the day.



  

“360 Degrees Of Freedom” by Miso Susanowa. “How transcending the border of real-life limitation into the digital can free an imagination”




There are several cases where handicapped persons are enjoying SL. The first thing I was excited about when started SL was to fly to the end of the world. I am afraid that the excitement was a bit faded away recently…




“Borderless” by Luko Enoch. The blow were not included in my top 10, but I felt beautiful. When projecting the award, I am bound to pick up large and gorgeous ones.




“Union” by Silva Khandr. The blue and purple ones are sphere, and the family inside were also figure in three dimensions.




“Tango” by Daco Monday. This is also three dimensional one using many prims, but the viewing angle might be limited.



There are more beautiful and joyful exhibitions. The voting was over but they will be kept presented for a while.
UWA: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2014/11/audience-participation-event-3d-art.html


  

UWA: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2014/11/audience-participation-event-3d-art.html
“Sunrise Spirit” by Shenn Coleman. From a body lying down seemingly dead, a symbol outwells and sublimes. Passing though gates guides us to a world of swirling colors. Is this the afterworld?




Through ‘la petite mort’ or various faints, does the fading conscious know that it will come back? If dying while unconscious, does the soul feel transcending the border to death? If I were dying, I would not like to pass away while sleeping but rather notice the moment clearly since that should be a once in a lifetime experience.




The one above and two in the last article are the best three I picked up. The fourth and fifth are Escher and Gogh in the previous article. The theme of the two was not special and it might be hard to be evaluated by the judges, but I like the theme. There might be some judges who have the same taste as me. ^-^ The below is “Universal Love” by Shenn Coleman that I picked up as 6th.




“Borders exist only in our minds. They are what happens when the mind is closed and cannot see. To transcend the limitations of one’s imagination and social constraints, we need to open our minds and hearts... explore our own inner worlds. When we can cross these without fear or prejudice then we can truly evolve”. I do not understand what this shape is, but I like this kind of colorful complex. ^-^

  

Finally I finished reviewing all arts for audience participation. It was a big job to see all 67 arts with reading explanatory notes. The one I picked up for the top is “Saudade” by Giovanna Cerise.
“SAUDADE is the desire of something beautiful that by the time you realize you know that is ending. The two dancers are captured in the final moment of their tango. The couple is multiplied in its isolation to prolong indefinitely the time of pleasure and sadness. The physical and emotional tension brings them almost to crushing, but ready to begin again, in uncontrollable obsession, in trying to overcome all the physical and emotional limits”




One of the good things of 3D arts in SL is to be able to enter them or fly the camera to watch them from various angles. A slight change of angle provides completely different face.




"Never say Never" - Love Transcends Borders by Sharni Azalee, depicting a real story of a couple who started love in SL and established it in RL after transcending many borders, virtual to real world, distance across the world and national borders. The initial stage of the art is a ladder imaging unstable approach to an egg that is a symbol of the potential of life, universe and creation.




The inside of the egg is a world of Japanese Haiku, where the English gentleman is waiting for the foreign lover. Expectation, apprehension, and the couple facing each other after every borders. The cherry blossom represents fragility and beauty of life that is also tragically short. This art was presented to all couples, suggesting that no matter their situation, experience or environment, “Never say Never”. The avatar is me. This story was the one I dreamt when I started SL, but I was not able to find any partner even in SL…　

  

After a long interval I visited UWA 3D arts exhibition. The interval is not me but the event. This is “Set Yourself Free” by Roc Furse. A structure including inconsistency, a three-dimensionalization of painting by Escher. Kazumi once made similar stairs at Baba.
An article before: http://temisirbu.slmame.com/e1276126.html　




“The Yellow House” by Dusty Canning. Three dimensional painting simulating the one by Gogh. The below is a 2D picture of 3D structure of 2D painting.




There was a museum, Primitings, for three-dimensionalized famous paintings. There was also a picture by Escher. It was joy of SL to be able to walk in paintings like “Yellow Room” by Gogh.
Primtings: http://temisirbu.slmame.com/e1168151.html




I wondered how the backyard is. There was a punch line of a border between 2D and 3D.




The theme this time was “Transcending Borders”. Also there is an audience participation event. The participants will list up top 10, and five participants whose order come closest to the final order decided by the judging panel will win prizes. The deadline is December 3rd.
UWA: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2014/11/audience-participation-event-3d-art.html


  

Had a chance to talk with Jayjay from UWA about SL. He said that machinima is the way to bridge the gap between SL and RL and the way to touch them who have not experienced SL. The video is an introduction of virtual arts that was recommended by Jayjay, ‘Click’ by L1Aura Loire.
Click: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Sf3Q2VAlKE




When I visit 3D arts, I walked in the art for shooting and click or sit on everyone I can get my hands on. Now I feel relieved to know that it was a correct way.



I think SL was at the peak in 2007. There were dozens of universities, SIMs sponsored by big companies, and many books were published for SL. Also in Japan, there were SIMs by universities and companies, and some local city tried to simulate and study the cityscape around a train station. Department stores and manufacturers tried to research their new goods in SL. But most of them gave up realizing that it was not effective. Maybe because SL tends to be considered as one of video games in Japan and does not have close relation with RL.

I think Japanese SL is mainly for duplicating RL, shops, clubs, dance shows, and live performance. Recently animation and machinima became popular. In addition to various subjects that are not available in RL, the big merit is to be able to move camera freely that is not possible or difficult in RL. I hope SL will find new possibility and prosperity through machinima.
  

Visited the awarding ceremony of UWA 3D Art Challenge commemorating 100th anniversary. That was the biggest event among those held since last year. The site was as usual, four-SIM-corner event hall of UWA. It was heavy on the day and one SIM was out of service. Although I am robust normally, I dropped twice. So I kept still without swinging camera.




The results are also posted in the UWA page, but you can directly jump to them through the following links, The arts will be presented till the end of August. Good chance to see the awarded ones.
UWA: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2013/08/uwa-art-machinima-grand-finale-finnish.html　

1: I THOUGHT I HATED HIM by Glyph Graves, Australia
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/196/198/248

2: MIRROR WITH 4 VIRGINS ON THE SHORES OF DEPRAVITY by Jipe Loon, France
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/37/228/248

2: LOOKING BACK by Carmsie Melody & Struthious an Australia, USA partnership
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/37/228/248

2: SILENT REFLECTIONS by Krystali Rabeni, England
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/94/217/248

5: QUANTUM by Barry Richez, France
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/168/153/248

5: NEURON SPHERE by Shenn Coleman, France
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/147/138/248

5: ECHO'S REFLECTING POOL by Misprint Thursday, USA
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/184/137/248

8: REFLECTIONS OF WAVES by Nino Vichan, USA
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/180/66/248

8: FRUIT OF TIME by REBECCA BASHLY, Serbia
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/100/118/248

10; REFLEXTIONS OF REFLECTIONS CAROUSEL by Yepar Saez. French Carribea
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/120/60/248

10; WHO ARE YOU by Blue Tsuki, USA
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/159/139/248

10; HIDDEN by Rose Borchovski, The Netherlands
　　http://slurl.com/secondlife/UWA/159/139/248




The comment by UWA for the top-art:
"I THOUGHT I HATED HIM is a brilliant and witty exploration of human nature that utilizes the ubiquitous presence of data in our lives, feeding in from everywhere at an ever increasing speed. The two mannequins move around the dance floor driven by data feeds from the New York and Shanghai stock exchanges. In real time while they are operating the data generates the movement and the music that propels these two lovers together and drives them apart. Miss Shanghai and Mr. New York are involved in a compelling dance of attraction and repulsion generated by our avarice. It's funny and chilling in equal measure."



As I reported before, there were audience participation prizes that will be given the best-ten awarded by the judge group. Fortunately I got the fourth prize by listing 6 arts out of 10. I did not include the top one in my list. Since the results were so close, I could have got better result if I were counting that one. But it is unlikely since that art was not good for pictures.

They said that the spread was very big in the scores. Out of 30 judges, 16 of them did not include the top one in their top-ten lists. The three joint-2nd place arts also had only 12 judges who included them in their best ten. So I need not to be embarrassed that I did not include it. In other words, anyone could have a chance to win in the participation prizes. Please do not miss the prize next time!

  

UWA 3D Art Challenge is now at the final stage. The deadline for audience participation program is July 10. This is not a popularity vote but to guess the top ten awarded by the official judging panel. Win a share of L$20,000!
UWA: http://uwainsl.blogspot.jp/2013/06/reflections-uwa-centenary-3d-art.html




At the page shown above, there is a list of all arts together with LM that lead directly to each art. Anyone can participate by listing top ten arts on a note card, and on the title put your name and the words REFLECTIONS UWA Centenary 3D Audience Event, and send it to Jayjay Zifanwe. I think this has more possibility than lotto. I introduced this last month, but still you can be in time.