Virtual Worlds

SL8B – Through the Looking Glass

17 June 2011 /

Finally the preparations for SL8B are over and I can give you a sneak peek at the build I’ve done for it.  Well, the outside only as I don’t want to spoil the surprise. 

The theme this year is “the magic of Second Life” and that can mean whatever you want.  To some people it’s the ability to walk, fly or to do things they couldn’t in real life, to others it’s marvelling at the beauty of the creations inworld.  To me it’s about the people who inhabit the place.  It’s not really what it looks like, it’s the connections to other minds and imaginations that transports Second Life from just another game to something special. The way it can grip your imagination and emotions when you least expect it is something that you usually may experience in books, cinema and theatre but in the chaos that is Second Life it’s even more engaging for the sheer unpredicatability of when it will occur.

My build is based on the Lewis Carroll themes of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.  It’s part of the cultural landscape for us and I think it is completely appropriate.  Despite everything you think you know about Second Life, once you step through the door and enter the world anything can, and most likely will, happen and it has to be organic because it simply won’t appear if you try to force it. 

The exhibit is nothing like my original idea, the technical limitations (everything I wanted to do ended up either being impossible or far more difficult than it should have been – ahhh the compromises) of the platform and the restrictions on what can be used in the build (no large textures, no sculpts, no overt script use and severe prim number and size restrictions) means that what I first saw in my mind’s eye ended up nothing like what finally grew from the idea of stepping behind the mirror.  As usual, just never know how things will turn out when you set out to do something in SL.

Click here if you want to read more about the exhibit,

or come and see the exhibit for yourself during the birthday celebrations.  Here are the dates to put in your diary.

  • June 20—10:00 a.m. SLT: Gates open to the public!
  • June 23—The Birthday! Special ceremonies included!
  • June 26—Last day of entertainment.
  • July 2—Gates close at 11:59 p.m. SLT

http://slurl.com/secondlife/SL8B%20Astonish/24/217/22

and there’s a goodie bag stashed there too with my latest attempt to fill this world of ours with snow globes and a gift from [SDA] Satiated Desires Animations.  Couldbe Yue, the owner of SDA graciously provided the animations for the build.

and finally, a huge thank you to all the exhibition support staff for working under extremely busy and trying conditions to make the set up progress as smoothly as possible.  Without those hard working and gracious people SL8B would not have happened.

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