Artists of Tournicoton: Philippe Chaplin

When we meet, we both know we only have an hour for the interview as shortance of time is a mutual issue. But as Philippe Chaplin is a very efficient person, and an hour is more than enough to show his art in different places in Second Life.

I introduced Philippe before, in the article about the angels-expo at Tournicoton Art Gallery. (“We will be angels”) For this article it was Philippe who helped me with translations of texts that are used in the expo and he also made some excellent photo’s for my article.

Of course, we start at Philips gallery-unit at Tournicoton. there he has both paintings and photographs on his wall, what makes clear at once that he is in these two disciplines of art: painter in Real Life and photographer in Second Life.

MD: Where did you start? As I see both Real Life paintings and Second Life photo’s?
Philippe Chaplin: I started painting in Real Life before I knew about Second Life. I came in and I thought it would be nice to have some exposure. To have people to react on my paintings. That was the start. It is easier to expose here than in Real Life.
MD: Have you exposed in Real Life too?
Philippe Chaplin: No. In Real Life you need to be a known artist to have a chance. But I am thinking about having a small exposition locally, though.
MD: Is Tournicoton your first gallery in Second Life?
Philippe Chaplin: No. I have been in Second Life for over a year. I was first at the Artloft, a small gallery owned by a New Yorker. It has closed since. Then I rented a space at the french Quarter, a mall… It has closed since. Now I have a few pictures at the Ginsberg Grand Gallery too. And I am also at SLACC and a few works are at the Jardin des artistes.
MD: Both with paintings and photo’s like here?
Philippe Chaplin: It was only Real Life work first. Now I have concentrated my paintings at the SLACC and here it will be allways a mix.
MD: And why did you start at Tournicoton?
Philippe Chaplin: Oh, interesting. I was for long only connected to the anglo-saxon community, allways speaking in english. Then I met some people from the french group, and that is why I got here. Because of the “Echelle des Anges….” And that is all your fault….LOL
MD: I am very sorry! (not :-P)
Philippe Chaplin: So I stay. And I am happy as it’s a living community.
MD: Is Tournicoton much more ‘alive’ then other galleries?
Philippe Chaplin: It looks like it, the owners seem keen to help and organize things. The collectivity is great here and that is why I will stay.

MD: And your work in Second Life. What made you start with Second Life-photography?
Philippe Chaplin: I made a decision at the beginning which was to try to live without bringing Real Life money in. And so I realized that selling art was not good enough and I started with Second Life photography. It’s like in Real Life, everybody can take snap shots, but not all are good pictures though.
MD: Who are your clients, where do you find them?
Philippe Chaplin: It depends. I sell some, I do specific work for clubs or for people who want good portraits. Lots of girls like good pictures to add in their profile. Some I have found and when I have free time I can go to a club and do a bit of public relations, but lately I don’t have time for that. And some are just asking, they come from recomendations. Some also need pictures for fashion contests.
MD: You made some pictures for me and they were excellent! How many models do you have, lets say in a month?
Philippe Chaplin: Maybe one a week. I can take 10 pictures to have one that is satisfying.
MD: So, you delete a lot?
Philippe Chaplin: It’s all kept in my pc. I can show you my private gallery and the studio if you are interested?
MD: Yes, sure!
Philippe Chaplin: Ok,let’s go. You will see more work.
It’s a residential area. You see? The place is as a gallery, but the door is normally closed. So here are works from Real Life, some you know allready, some are new, like the tulip, or the sample from the Iris serie.
MD: Yes, very bright, beautiful!

Philippe Chaplin: My paintings are done with a spatula, normally from photo’s I have taken previously. Do you see the yellow shutters here? This the photo, its in a little town in Brasil. Now come here… that’s the painting…. Same image, different media.
MD: The painting is very close to the original.
Philippe Chaplin: Yes, that is my problem. I have difficulty changing the reality… it feels like cheating, but in fact it would be creativity.
MD: It is the artistic freedom to change reality, or to show it in a different way, as your point of view is reality too.
Philippe Chaplin: True… I am slowly getting there. Well, abstract is closer to virtuality, because it does not exist.
MD: I think that is what art is about; show a different reality than usual.
Philippe Chaplin: It’s one part of the definition…yes.
MD: What does make you think that is does not exist?
Philippe Chaplin: It does not exist but only in my brain until I paint it.
MD: Some say: “It exists, because I think it“. Is that not so for you?
Philippe Chaplin: Hmm… that becomes philosophy. It exists because it is material. It’s an abstract. No photo’s, just colors and shapes, so it did not exist until I did paint it, not even in my brain.
MD: Started it to exist when you made it up? Or when the painting was done? Or somewhere on the way?
Philippe Chaplin: Exactly… it did not exist before, and it did afterwards.
MD: So, to exist it must be touchable?
Philippe Chaplin: Yes, unless we are talking about thoughts..dreams…feelings….
I am a visual person.

I will show you the next floor.

Philippe Chaplin: So here are the Second Life pictures. The third floor is where I prepare the model wall in Tournicoton. Let’s go up to the studio. So here we are. It’s a skybox at 400 meters above the house. You can try to take the pose-stand, so you will see how I work.
MD: And you controll this pose-stand?
Philippe Chaplin: Yes. Girls like to change outfits too. It can take an hour to get a good shoot.
MD: How many photo’s do you make in a shoot?
Philippe Chaplin: 30 or a bit more, it depends on what is needed. Less than half will be realy good to display. There are more than 30 poses in this stand.

Philippe Chaplin: we can go at the SLACC to finish the interview.
MD: Yes, please.

Philippe Chaplin: I have only paintings here at SLACC.
MD: Just, after all… where is your passion? In paintings or in Second Life-photography?
Philippe Chaplin: I have a period of Second Life photography now, it’s fast and I love the interaction with the people. But I have the prospect to return to painting in Real Life, probably next year…
MD: Does the Real Life-art inspire you in Second Life-photography?
Philippe Chaplin: No. They are separated, but the way I look at things is the same, I like rythme in colors and forms.
MD: Does the Second Life-work in it’s turn inspire your Real Life-work?
Philippe Chaplin: Good question, the answer is no. But I know an artist that did. She is an English artist and she came in and got the inspiration to do a serie of paintings. She did the inauguration in paralelle Second Life and Real Life, with a video link. We could see the Real Life people in Second Life and they had a screen and could see us.

A funny experience…..

Landmarks

! TOURNICOTON Art Gallery, Kuai hele (228, 143, 21)

SLACC – Second Life Art Community Centre, Lilac Island (23, 31, 27)

Pierre Musso: Philosopher of Saint-Simon

A lecture by Pierre MUSSO
Friday, April 25 2008/Tuesday April 25
21:15 french time/12: 15 pm SLT
Biblio – Ebeoplex Island
Http://slurl.com/…/…/…

Pierre Musso (1950 -) is a professor of Information Sciences and Communication at the University of Rennes II, and a senior research associate at the Center for Research and Studies on the political and administrative decision (CRÉDAP, University of Paris I ). Philosopher training who holds a doctoral thesis State in political science, devoted to telecommunications, regulatory networks and St. Simon (source Wikipedia).

Author of more than 20 books, and chairman of prospective national Cyberterritoires “Pierre Musso was signed” Saint-simon and saint-simonisme “(What do I know, PUF 1999),” The vocabulary of St. Simon “(Ellipses, 2005),” The Saint-Simonians, Europe and the Mediterranean “,” Religion in the industrial world: Analysis of the ideas of Saint-Simon, ” New Christianity: Dialogues between a conservative and an innovator” by Claude-Henri de Saint-Simon and Pierre Musso.

An unique lecture to discover the thoughts of Saint-Simon and it’s relevance in the contemporary context, with the best specialist.

Thanks to Pierre for having accepted the challenge: it will be his first immersion in Second Life!
Published by Huggy Shinbun at 06:00 0 comments
Labels: conference, Pierre Musso, saint-simon

The original post is to be found on sldirect.blogspot.com and is written in French by Hugobiwan Zolnir.

Coulaut Menges: Emperor in the Bibliothèque Francophone

Before I start with interviewing Coulaut Menges, I have to make an apologise for an huge mistake that I have made and what I deeply regret. As, when writing about “3 espaces” and “Babel Tower, Gutenberg Library Project” I have not mentioned the great part that Coulaut had in these projects, as if he had not been there, these two projects, and many others, would not have been as they are today.

How it came all as far as it is now, is what I talked about with Coulaut Menges, shortly after the release of Library 2.0 on the mainland (Second Life Library/Info Island, Info Island (148, 47, 33)) and the manual-video on the Biblio’s Blogspot.

It is almost one year ago that Coulaut has set his first steps into Second Life. As he did not see anything interesting, he soon wanted to leave Second Life for what it was. Just an advertisement by a French-speaking Library, placed in one of the info-islands for newbies, triggered his interest and that is how he entered the Bibliothèque Francophone and met als Hugobiwan Zolnir, who was till then running the place on his own.

Coulaut was very moved by the “masked poems” and he wished to add some of his own, as a present for Hugobiwan. That brought him on a slippery slope and it got him involved with the organisation of the Biblio. Some talks with Hugo made clear, that they have ideas and interest for arts, innovations and culture in common and that co-operation could be a good idea.

MD: “I already mentioned the ‘Babel Tower, Library 2.0’ that you did with Ange Zanetti and ‘3 Espaces. What other projects did you do? And of which are you proud?”
Coulaut Menges: “I have started with building books in 3D in my own design and scripts. Some of them are here in the Biblio to be seen. And I started with ‘masked poems’ of some of my own.” The greatest achievements were the new building for the Bibliothèque Francophone and the conception and realisation of the sirius gallery here at the biblio with Mariaka Nishi for the expo ‘Les Anges Revent Aussi” (The Angels Also Revent).

MD: “What is your dream?
Coulaut Menges: “My dream is to launche a true artistic vision and to maintaine the high level of innovations that the Biblio now has. I want to give the visitors the desire to return to the Biblio, to discover how we keep on developing arts and innovations in high standards. That we can show them things, that not existed before.

For me, it is my knowledge of scientific information that I want to combine with my taste of arts, and so I get the chance to create things that I could not have imagine to exist, and even beyond that.”

MD: “Googling “Bibliothèque Francophone” gives the real one in Limoges (France) as first hit. What is the relation to the real Biblio.Fr.?
Coulaut Menges: none. It is purely a coincidence of names. But at the moment, real libraries are stating to show interest in our ‘virtual library’, what will bring more opportunities to connect Second Life with Real Life.
Achievements like the Babel Tower are in many ways important. Not in the least because sponsors might get interested too. But our most important standard is, to stay independent. We do not want to be influenced by any financer or institution or company and we want to stay open and for free for everybody who is interested in arts and innovations.

MD: “What is the relation with Metalab? And what are they? An institution?
Coulaut Menges: “Officially there is no bond with the metalab. The biblio is a completely private organisation and an initiative of individuals. The metalab is a public organization that has intentions to accomodate public structures on Second Life. But one of the persons in charge of the metalab (in Real Life) is also responsible for the biblio 🙂

MD: “Since this is supposed to be an interview about you… Coulaut Menges, my final question must be: What moves you?”
Coulaut Menges: “In fact an enormous curiosity. I have allways been very, very curious about the development of new ways of communication. This has begun with ‘Minitel’, that was an ancestor of internet that was very populair in France, it worked fine for more than 10 years, but it got swept away by the launching of Internet; and after with the new technics on data-processing. Just France had sticked with ‘Minitel’ for too long and has therefor been behind on internet for a long time. But now taking over fastly, as for now French are the third in population on Second Life. And moreover as this type of structure allows us to have relations everywhere in France, in Europe and in other continents in the world.

Digital perspective in Bibliotheque Francophone

The original post is to be found on sldirect.blogspot.com and is written in French by Hugobiwan Zolnir.

The francophone library in Second Life presents, in partnership with the group “Pierre Bourdieu, a special tribute”

A lecture by Olivier AUBER

Tuesday, April 15 2008/Tuesday April 15

21:15 french time/12: 15 pm SLT

Olivier Auber is an artist, independent researcher and entrepreneur (co-founder of Cultural Laboratory A + H and Navidis). He brings over the past two decades a theoretical and experimental work on the behaviour of the collective subject to reflexive process. All of his facilities, projects and inventions fall in the category of philosophical transposed “mirror” in the digital world. He constructed during this time the beginnings of a theory known as “digital perspective,” now resumed and developed in sociology and philosophy, one of whose virtues is to show the “image” anoptique now generated by the devices in a network. (Source Anoptique.com).

“Olivier Auber offers not one but three perspectives on the city complex and familiar. His hypothesis is that we would play a major invention, the digital perspective, similar to the spatial perspective, which marked the transition from hierarchical World from the Middle Ages to the man, géométrisé, Renaissance; similar to the time perspective born two centuries ago with the invention of the telegraph, which currently dominates. ”
Source: accounts of the program from 2.0 Cities FING, publisher internetactu.

Want to know more? Come discover the theory or rather the view of this amazing character, which connects the world under the banner of Rimbaud, dresses friezes magdaléniennes augmented reality, and will give its first conference in Second Life: let us be there for you!

P.S. With Olivier considering, but there also many laughs. Come and many 😉

Biblio – Ebeoplex Island
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ebeoplex/43/200/124/

The lecture will be French spoken

We will be angels

At Tournicoton Art Galleries a very special exibition was opened last month (21st March 2008). Who are the angels? Do they really exist. Could everyone be an angel? And what does it take to be an angel. The impression at the start, on the groundfloor is one of a ordinary photo-exposition… But things are not always what they seem to be. The poetry on the walls make the imagination run.

One day you will meet what you have sown, it will be your created flower and her petals will be the light….
Let sleep and you will meet the gold of the world under your feet….

This poetry, in French, suggest that there is more between heaven and earth and invites the visitor to explore and find out. And if he will, he might even become an angel. The teleports to the second and third floors bring the visitors more ideas of how he could recognise an angel, and he will feel like getting lifted.

At this point he can either choose to follow the fluid-like stairs up in the sky, or for less-skilled flyers there is also a teleport, that brings the visitor in higher levels. Ascending the stairs, following poems, music and voices… the feeling of becoming an angel will be evident.

Mariaka Nishi, who is the great spirit of this exibition, is always looking for ways to express what is between Second Life and Real Life, what is matrialistic and what is immatrialistic. The friction of real and unreal, possible and impossible, makes new levels visible and shows dimensions that have not been seen by ordinary human beings. One will get aware of the new dimensions while walking in this Exibition of Angels. It is not just a walk, it is an adventure throught a new level of consciousness that will give a lot to think about.

While Mariaka gives all she can give to an exibition like this, she also gives room to other artists whose work she appreciates very much. Therefor, also the following artists made their contribution: Sacremeustache Beerbaum, Artistide Despres, Anathaniel Gausman, Domi Ahn, Coulaut Menges, Frao Ra, XaNaDu Watkin, Typote Beck and Philippe Kodekko.

I will help you to go up the ladder of light which lives in your heart and blossoms in your body.
Yes, that ladder exist in yourself, you create it, it is a cantic thing, traverse all your self…
And all degrees of creation, it’s a benediction…

Here starts the travel through the territories ascendent…
I only have a flower to offer you, it was born in my heart and it’s kingdom is in the earth and in the sky…
If you look in the water of the well, you might see it’s beautiful smiling at you in a dizzying hug.
Because her perfume was kept secret from the beginning of times.

Come and vist these new countries.
Come closer to the divine….
Let the forces go through you and irrigate the earth….
Let the chains behind…..
Come higher on the way which opens up to meet who you really are….
and allways were.

We are far away yet close at the same time….
we work together in different dimensions…
my identity is similar to a room opening on a big garden…
and here on the bottom….

The “L’échelle de l’Ange” will stay at Tournicoton Art Gallery, Kual Hele, till June 2008. So, don’t miss this experience.

My special thanks are for Philippe Chaplin who made the first two fantastic photographs for this article and even more because he was so generous as to go all the way up with me to translate a great part of the poems. Thank you, Philippe!

Weblog of Mariaka Nishi (French): http://tournicoton-art-gallery.blogspot.com
More photo’s by Philippe Chaplin: http://www.flickr.com

Published before: 9 April 2008 in secondlifestories.web-log.nl, Exibition

Tags: angel, art, dimensions, exibition, photography, poems, second life

Ticket for Tibet / Race for Tibet

While Second Life is down, due to complicated issues, real life happens:

Source: http://www.racefortibet.org/index.php

Published before: 5 April 2008 in secondlifestories.web-log.nl, Real Life | Permanente link

Tags: China, Dalai Lama, Olympics, Real Life, Tibet

How architects could use Second Life to create new architecture

Here I would like to introduce XaNaDu Watkin, an architect of the newest generation and the one who build the incredible building of the Bibliotheque Francophone in Second Life. As an architecture student in real life in Paris, France, he will graduate this year. In short, the thesis that he wrote for graduation, is about the question how architects can use Second Life for creating and designing a new way to build.

But that is not all that is new. The other reason that we talk is, that on 19th March, XaNaDu has held his lecture in the Bibliotheque Francophone, both wit voice and stream. A very innovative way to inform people and possible the new way of sharing information.

XaNaDu Watkin: Architects work with autocad and other programs, all design work is done on computer now. You have a modelisation, but with the same program you can draw plans, move or create walls, doors … And work in real life is a switch between 2D and 3D modelisation. There is a big difference between real life architects working on 3D modelisations and Second Life works. In real life we are using 3D-programs to imagine the reality. But in Second Life we work directly into 3D. The design in real life is only a “document” you cannot visit it or interact with it, only the architect who is working on it, can. But in Second Life it’s different. Here a slide of a Zaha Hadid project.

There are some famous architects who affirm that it is the program who really creates the project. Architect imagine, but programs can do a lot of work by itself.

MD: Still, the execution of the modellisation is human, isn’t it?

XaNaDu Watkin: That is true, but not always :p
Here I ‘m talking about virtual architects. Markos Novak is an architect who is skilled in virtual architecture. In real life he doesn’t build, but He has made a lot of researchs. He also has not build in Second Life yet, but only in other 3D-programs. His work is very interesting.
But as you have noticed, nobody can visit or use his architecture. And that is the problem.

MD: Markus Novak, who is he?
XaNaDu Watkin: People like Markus Novak create new theories about architecture but this architecture has no existence. It’s more than art, because his work is not only a picture, but the only thing for us that we can see is a picture.

Markos Novak designed an organic building, without concrete nor wood. He called it echinoderme, sea star. And this sort of architecture could be build in places like Second Life. It is the kind of thing that I would wish to build in the future. Not that I want to copy his work, but he sure is a source of my inspiration, and he was the first architect skilled on virtuality who I have met.

Another innovative architect is Kas Oosterhuis, from the Netherlands. Oosterhuis works about links between people and the building, and moreover: he imagines an evolutive and living architecture. He considers a building like an entity who can do more, or breathe, something very living. I like this architect, as it was the first who surprised me on his reflexions and his work. In French schools we have a problem I think, as a lot of teachers give a great consideration about the work by Le Corbusier. But damn It so old, he’s dead! We must give the place to other architectural orders. And Rem Koolhaas -also Dutch- has given a new order.

MD: What is the role of Second Life in the future of architecture?
XaNaDu Watkin: Second Life architecture could interact too on our world, as it ‘s a great program to diffuse and peer architecture visions.
MD: Yes it can, as long as it can be done technically…
XaNaDu Watkin: With domotic links you could interact on your own place directly on Second Life. Domotique is a science about home AI, Artificial Intelligence. For example the nabaztag, do you know it?
A nabaztag is a little object who can search informations on the web and can give some too, throught internet. For example: You are at your desk, but not online. The nabaztag can have a program on Second Life, that detects if somebody enters your shop. The nabaztag will speak to you or in a way inform you about who is waiting for you in your shop in Second Life.
MD: And this is really working? or in beta stage?
XaNaDu Watkin: This link already exist, you can buy a virtual Second Life nabaztag that makes the link between Second Life and real life.
MD: So if this is reallity now, what will be next?
XaNaDu Watkin: Maybe tomorow “domotic” could create a specific atmosphere in your room, like change the color of the light to create a “extended reality”. A “domotic” can read RFID. RFID are these little metal processors which are hidden in objects so that they won’t be stolen. Like in books, shoes… etcetera.
RFID processors can do much more tah be used as an alarm. They can inform about your shopping, for example. When you buy a book with an RFID, it informs the company that you have bought it.
And a nabaztag is using this link in the other way. You can buy some specifics books with RFID and when the nabaztag detect it. It could make a device reading the book, for a child for example. And these links could exist in Second Life too! Why not?

XaNaDu Watkin: Do you know Louis Khan? He has said: “If you can think it, you can build it.”

Markos Novak: http://www.artstechsymposium.utah.edu/novak.html
Kas Oosterhuis: http://www.oosterhuis.nl/quickstart/index.php

Published before: 31 March 2008 om 14:14 in Architecture, Innovation, SL – RL events | Permanente link

Tags: AI, architecture, innovation

Art by Alberto Salomon

To meet Alberto Salomon is to be impressed by his appearance, as his silver-grey strands give a certain flair to his Mediterranean looks.

But that is not why we meet at his gallery in Soho (SoHo Island*, SoHo (209, 148, 25)), his art is. Before entering the gallery, six ‘free gift’ posters carry the name of ‘Gallery Maeght’, which is the Real Life gallery that is owned and run by his mother in Saint Paul de Vence, France. This gallery shows and sells paintings by artists like Kandinsky, Miró and Chagall. Each poster is illustrated and provided with a historical quote.

Inside the gallery the visitor is treated to a good overview of the works by Kandinsky and Miró and also a poem on Miró (Miró Mirror) is to be enjoyed. If you visit Alberto’s gallery, don’t forget to take a look upstairs as well, it is really worth the effort.

The best should come last and Alberto knows that. In the back of the gallery is a small room. One wall in this room is all the way filled with drawings of fish, shells and also sculptured shells, really realistic in colored pencil and watercolors.

While Alberto shows me his first album with sea drawings he tells me his story of how the artist in him woke up. Being a physicist and working as such, it had never been into his mind to explore his talent in arts. By now 11 years ago he travelled to the Seychellen to spend a vacation of two weeks. Only just after arrival it turned out that his luggage had ‘travelled’ to Paris instead. So for two weeks his only possessions were the clothes he wore and a pencil and an empty album. That’s where it all started. He started drawing everything he saw and added stories to the drawings, like a diary. Beautiful, tropical fish, shells, corals… anything. He called it “Aldebra” (1997). Inspired by the discovery of his talent, this book had a follow up seven years later, with the title “Irian Jaya” (2004). Both books are still to be purchased (Real Life) in Alberto’s SoHo gallery.

At the moment, Alberto is working on a new book. This book is about the animals that are shown in the Egyptian Museum in Turin (Torino). The text will be in Italian first, but Alberto is working on a English version as well. This book should be ready about May this year. If it will ever be available in shops, still depends on finding a publisher.

Publishe before: 28 March 2008 in Art – Drawings

Babel Tower, Gutenberg Library Project

Finally we meet. I must say ‘finally’ as Ange Zanetti is a very busy man and even more a very brilliant script writer. With twinklings in his eyes, he tells me all about the huge tower, that is surrounded by all characters in alphabetical order. The tower reminds a lot of the legendary Tower of Babel.

Ange Zanetti: So one of the three versions of Project Gutenberg Library is here, but actually only this one is completly done. This is the Babel Tower. I don’t know the exact number of books that are in this one, to be honest, but something like 10,000 at least and in six languages till now. But the plan is to have 18 languages. At the moment you can choose between French, Spanish, English, German, Dutch and Finnish. The script can do it allready, we just have to modify the language selector.

All books in this library here link to the library in Project Gutenberg and with this new release, you’ll have your browser directly into Second Life, so it is really user friendly. This way the user will get an integral copy of the book on pdf-format, directly from the Gutemburg Library.
Ofcourse these are books that don’t carry copyrights anymore.

MD: I think it can be revolutionary as everyone can read all books, no restrictions from any government, no censorship. Was that your intention?
Ange Zanetti: Anyway that’s a good way to expand free culture yes! Hugo (Hugobiwan Zolnir) and I are thinking about a way to download the books directly on cell phones. There are allready cell phones with a storage of 1 gigabite, so it could be done. Well, thats all geek stuff but that’s the future.

MD: How is this project organised in Real Life, I mean in the Real Life library where these texts come from? Or isn’t there any actually?
Ange Zanetti: There is no Real Life physical structure of Project Gutenberg, only a web site: http://www.gutenberg.org This webside and database run only on volunteers and donations of users. It is an no-profit organisation.

Publishe before: 28 March 2008 in secondlifestories.web-log.nl, SL – RL events

Tags: event, Innovation, Second Life

3 Espaces / 3 Spaces

An interesting and very innovative project of arts is now taking place in both Second Life and in Real Life, in Paris, France. The event started on the 12^th of March and will continue until the 18^th of March.

At this time when I write this, it’s not that far yet. A visit in the Bibliotheque Francophone, located in Second Life on the land of Ebeoplex feels like visiting a hive, where everyone is very excited to make all preparations for the event. Still, the man behind this project and in Second Life the manager of the Bibliotheque Francophone – Hugobiwan Zolnir – finds time to tell a lot about the project. Though the project in Second Life is developped by La Bibliothèque Francophone, the whole event is developped by Adreva and created by Carole Lipsyc. So are the texts used for both the exhibition in Paris and in Second Life.

This project of arts is a constellation called ‘3 Espaces’ (3 Spaces). The project concerns a new vision, a new way of telling stories. The “Story of the 3 Spaces” is an interactive story which is broadcast for one week on all media, such as poetic journey, projections, flashcodes, interactive terminals, Bluetooth terminals, audio messages, street theatre, film, Internet, luminous panels of the city of Paris, Second Life, sms and emails.

The new genre that these stories introduce, can be called “virtual literature”. The virtual literature does not refer to books that are read on screens, but it refers to virtual stories designed to exist in different forms. The forms can be in any sort, both traditional like printed books, but also in new forms like ebooks, installations, games and such. The texts of a virtual book can be read in any order. There is no beginning, no end, no timeline. At the same time, it can be combinated with any kind of other media, as listed above. The stories change and go depending on the point of view of the viewer or reader.

This idea is also visualized in an installation in the Bibliotheque Francophone in Second Life. As shown in the photo, there are different text lines on each screen. These lines are the products of writing by about 10 autors in a blog on the internet during 2 years, in which each author has his or her own character. Depending on the place where the viewer stands (litterally) he can read the lines in any order fom the center of the installation to the border and in any direction. The story changes in any direction.

Still any visitor (who understands and writes French) can contribute to the stories. This can be done on the website of the project: http://www.3espaces.com/accueil.htm In this way, new interactive and virtual stories can be written by anyone. The story can continu and change with every adding of lines. The number of combinations and possibilities is endless.

Anyone who is in the opportunity to visit the “Forum des Halles” in Paris and is eager to explore new media and possibilities, should not avoid the chanche. For those who are not that lucky as to be able to visit the Real Life installation, should at least visit both the Bibliotheque Francophone in Second Life and the according websites of “3 espaces”.

Sources: http://www.3espaces.org | http://www.3espaces.com | http://www.3espaces.net

Published before: 28 March 2008 in secondlifestories.web-log.nl, SL – RL events

Tags: event, Innovation, Second Life