I went to a “Second Life Café” exhibit/installation over the weekend. I am familiar with the popular virtual world of Second Life, though I have never participated as of yet. The room had tables and chairs set up, a table with coffee, tea, wine, and some snacks. Plants and flowers were placed around adding their colorful beauty. Among a couple other multimedia installations, I watched the large main screen viewing the artist and avatar Cecil, going around various places and interacting with other avatars. In this café setting, the sound system let us hear “Cecil” as he navigated around Second Life having conversations, listening to music in different areas from museums to discos, as well as, poetry readings.
Cecil had an impromptu conversation with a female avatar, who when asked what her experience has been like, she said, “Talking with people here feels more human than real life sometimes. You cut through the chase and get to the good stuff quicker.” There is quite a creative community in there ranging from poets, painters, sculpture artists, designers, singers, filmmakers, and more.
I sat at a table with a glass of white wine and a blank page. It was an inspiring environment to do some writing. Listening to interesting and creative people interacting through their avatars, watching Cecil go through the Virtual Louvre with its beautiful paintings and sculptures inside. Hearing different languages spoken as he approached international communities, like a Brazilian crowd in a dance club. It’s also a fun and safe way to experiment and try on other styles and characteristics of our personalities. There is loads of possibility.
I glimpsed the educational value and artistic experimentation that is available here. As the Real World moves more towards the Virtual World, I can imagine how this technology will change some of our daily activities and/or interactions. It’s only going to continually improve in quality and perhaps necessity at some point. It’s just important to keep a healthy balance between both worlds.
Cecil's blog ~ http://cecilhirvi.blogspot.com/
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