On 12 July, the Australia Council for the Arts, in partnership with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), will host its first ever artist in-world forum in Second Life . The event will be moderated by ABC’s Sunday Arts reporter/producer Fenella Kernebone and takes place at 7pm (EST) on ABC Island. You need to register to attend. To register email slrsvp@ozco.gov.au with your Second Life in-world name.
Paris-based artist and architect Brad Kligerman will present his work, discuss ideas and answer participants’ questions. Brad, is an architect and teacher, who is one of the first artists in Second Life to complete an in-world 11-week residency with US-based Ars Virtua, where he questioned the idea of materiality in the rendered environment and the nature of image.
A vodcast of the event will also be available on the ABC Sunday Arts website.
The Australia Council has also set up an artist’s forum in Second Life for artists looking for other artists with whom to collaborate. The moderated artists forum can be found at ABC Island and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Island.
The Australian Council for the Arts is offering an artistic residency and grant of up to $20,000 to collaborative artists to create a project in Second Life . It is open to Australian artists who are interested in developing their ideas in this virtual world. Applications close on 27 July 2007. Details are on the Australian Council for the Arts in the Inter-Arts: Grants: Second Life Artist Residency section of the site.
The Second Life artist residency is an initiative of the Literature Board, Music Board and Inter-Arts Office of the Australia Council.
The residency is ‘in-world’ and requires artists and writers to explore the possibilities of inter-disciplinary literary, music/sound art and digital visual media practices.
The successful team will develop new artistic in-world practices and comment on the social and cultural layers that have evolved in Second Life.
Key requirements of the project are a clear strategy for harnessing both in-world and ‘real life’ audiences and developing public exhibition opportunities for the artwork in Australia.
