Onwards to 2021!

It has been quite a year! Odyssey artists have been working hard during 2020, and our sims continue to provide essential work and presentation space to independent artists around the world. Artists are turning to virtual spaces during these times and we have seen an increased demand for access. During November and December we have undertaken a big restructuring project and have streamlined the Second Life sim in preparation for an eventful 2021. Here is a breakdown of who is working on Odyssey as 2020 comes to a close and a New Year dawns. We are excited about all that is to come in 2021.

Alan Sondheim Studio
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/189/57/1858
Alan Sondheim is an accomplished poet, critic, musician, artist and theorist of cyberspace. He has been a resident and presenting artist on Odyssey for many years and works on sky platforms high above his parcel.
See: http://alansondheim.org/

Avatar Orchestra Metaverse
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/196/204/22
The Avatar Orchestra Metaverse, or AOM, are one of Odyssey’s oldest user groups. They continue to produce innovative and original compositions and performances that are presented around the world. The Avatar Orchestra Metaverse, formed in March, 2007, is a globally dispersed collective of composers, musicians and media artists who meet in the online 3D environment Second Life to investigate and expose new possibilities for developing audiovisual works that challenge conventional practices of perceiving, creating, performing and listening to music. They design and play new otherworldly virtual instruments while experimenting with identity, perception, telepathy and collectivity. Within AOM, a new kind of listening is unfolded, inviting subtle yet powerful connections made audible within a rich and wildly varying audiovisual world. AOM’s ‘instruments’ are created within the Second Life environment, making it possible for each performer in the Orchestra to trigger sounds independent from one another and to play together in real time. The AOM have expanded their space on the Odyssey sim and there are exciting plans in the works for 2021.
See: https://avatarorchestra.blogspot.com/

DanCoyote Antonelli/DC Spensley
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/154/75/22
DC Spensley employs the avatar DanCoyote Antonelli to navigate and communicate within the virtual construct of Second Life. DanCoyote is one and the same as DC Spensley, and it should be understood that DanCoyote is a logo, a conceptual stand-in and a remotely operated paintbrush. Dan Coyote  has presented work on Odyssey through the years and recently became a resident artist on the sim.
See: http://www.dancoyote.com/

Exhibit A Gallery
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/30/21/22
Exhibit A is one of Odyssey’s gallery spaces. It houses installations and exhibits throughout the year. Current Exhibition is “if” by Patrick Lichty. Patrick’s installation runs in the gallery until February 28th, 2021.
Patrick is a media “reality” artist, curator, and theorist of over two decades who explores how media and mediation affect our perception of reality.
See: https://voyd.com

House of Zolo, Independent Publishers
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/35/141/21
House of Zolo is an independent Canadian publisher founded in 2019 to promote writers of speculative literature, to raise the profile of speculative literature worldwide, and to offer readers powerful, forward-thinking stories and poetry. HOZ publishes literature with a special interest in speculative fiction, short story and poetry. House of Zolo have a studio on the sim and are collaborating with Odyssey to present virtual readings and special events in 2021.
See:  houseofzolo.com

JE (Liz) Solo
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/15/191/46
Liz Solo is a long time resident of Odyssey, and the current curator for the sim. JE has presented many artworks, installations and performances on Odyssey over the years and works from an old water tower on the edge of the sim. JE (Liz) Solo is a performance artist, writer, and composer who works independently and as part of collectives and partnerships to produce art that merge the live performance stage with media, including virtual (online, game) environments. Her performances often span multiple venues and online platforms. JE’ first novel, Phreak, (House of Zolo, 2020) was published in May. See: https://www.lizsolo.com and https://www.jesolo.ca

Velvet – Music Matters
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/10/233/22
The Velvet sits on one corner of the Odyssey sim and is a wonderful place to hang out and listen to great music with cool people. A resident of Odyssey for years now, the Velvet brings a great hang out space to the sim along with with good music, regular DJs, and a welcoming, positive vibe.

The Set of “Wet Snow”
SLURLS: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/68/78/3193
“Wet Snow” is a performance piece presented on Odyssey by Roles 4 Women at the 2018 International Women’s Day Performance event on the sim. The set of the performance is still accessible to visitors. The video below documents the performance. Created by Yael Gilks/Fau Ferdinand with Liz Solo, and Bibbe Hansen. Yael Gilks, aka Fau Ferdinand, is a veteran of online 3D environments and is based between   London and Australia. Her artistic practice encompasses digital painting, makeup art, interventions, animation, and performance art. She joined the online performance art collective Second Front in 2007 and founded Rose Warrior Fluxus in 2018. Yael creates performances steeped in visual layers of personal history.

Sunflower Achi Installation
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Odyssey/189/57/1858
Click the SLURL to visit an installation by Wafa Bourkis/Sunflower Achi

We are looking forward to the new work that will come in 2021 and working also with our longtime collaborators, Yael Gilks/Fau Ferdinand, Bibbe Hansen, Nebulous Severine, Sca Shilova, Jeremy Turner, and the new partners that we will meet as we continue to explore the metaverse.