The exhibition “Unified Heart” opens on Saturday, the 21st of January and is viewable in the virtual world of Second Life. The opening event begins at 6 pm PST/SLT. A second opening to accommodate time zone differences will be held on the following day, January 22nd and begins at noon PST/SLT. The exhibit will feature the work of twenty Second Life artists who art interprets the words of Leonard Cohen and will housed at the Palais Orleans Art Studioand Designs. The show is curated by Morgana Nagorski, her second at the studio since taking on the role at the studio this past November. In the invitation, Ms Nagorski tells us that; “Twenty artists got together to do twenty pieces . . . each one, his or her interpretation of the title of or a line from a Leonard Cohen song.”
I had the opportunity to preview the exhibit two days before the opening and meet with Ms Nagorski. We met just outside the gallery where we chatted briefly before entering the gallery to view the works.
Morgana: Hi! Welcome. Tell me when everything is rezzed.
Nazz: I saw in the invitation that this show was your idea, when did you come up with the concept?
Morgana: Well . . . a LONG time ago I planned to so a solo show about Leonard Cohen. But I kept putting it off . . . first until I got "better". Because it was important to me and then because I was just always busy and then in November Madison asked me to take over here. I needed to have something up almost instantly . . . so hung show of my own, “Dark Night of the Soul.” I think you saw that Nazz.
Nazz: I recall that we had talked before the prior show had opened.
Morgana: Then I thought a perfect opportunity and the original concept was, 20 artists … 20 pieces, all the title of or a line from a Leonard Cohen song.
Nazz: All photography and or original art pieces?
Morgana: They HAD to be SL and I think what we are doing is more like a painting than "photography". What I do here is more like paintings.
Nazz: So totally a Second Life connection?
Morgana: My rule was it had to be SL avatars.
Nazz: Why Leonard Cohen?
Morgana: I adore Leonard Cohen. One night in 1973 I awoke in the middle of the night, a song was playing and the next say I rang the radio station to find out who it was … he is spiritual … his lyrics are amazing … he is funny, deep, soulful . . . His words have such layered meanings. They seem to lend themselves to artistic interpretation.
Nazz: How many artists did you say ... was it 20 and 20 pieces?
Morgana: Yes, it started as 20 artists … 20 pieces but some got passionate and did more. There is a sort of an "Auxiliary" exhibition in the garden … 32 pieces out there the "Main" exhibition is 20 pieces, so 52 in all.
Nazz: Any prim pieces?
Morgana: No
Nazz Lane: By choice?
Morgana: I wanted this to be about emotion … very much by choice.
Nazz: how long will the exhibit be open?
Morgana: it is open till the 18th of March. I just bought software and today will try and set up that Leonard music plays for the 2 months. I will include covers of him I think … altogether I have about 9 hours
Nazz: Will you host any events or have SL musicians who do his stuff?
Morgana: Yes, I am looking at having events over the period more DJ’s actually.
Nazz: When we first chatted about the exhibit, you’d mentioned the remotest possibility of Mr. Cohen seeing the exhibit in SL, do you think he will show up?
Morgana: I asked, but they are touring. They’re promoting the new album and they were in Paris Monday and Tuesday, they went to London on Wednesday. I imagine they’re too busy and manipulating around SL takes some doing. I will ask again about in one month.
Nazz: I also heard that it's hit his web site about the exhibit?
Morgana: He is seeing a number of the jpegs: and the manager said "Leonard likes the work". Earlier they had said "Very interesting project”.
We walked through the main and then out into the garden where the remaining pieces of exhibit were on display. I noted the presence of several whose work I have seen previously and have admired… Cat Boccaccio, Acacia Merlin and Del May … and of course Ms Nagorski’s contribution to the show … “a copy of a record cover from 1968”.
Nazz: The exhibit is nicely done Morgana. Hopefully I’ll be able to make one of the two openings.
Morgana: Thanks, a lot of hard work. It has been like herding cats.
Here’s a list of the artists whose work is being exhibited.
Acacia Merlin
Ariel Brearly
Burk Bode
Cat Boccaccio
Corinne Helendale
Danteliicia Ethaniel
Del May
Harbor Galaxy
Johnfrancis Laville
Kato Salyut
Kira Westland
Lily Laufer
Maloe Vansant
meilo Minotaur
Morgana Nagorski
Patricie Sapphire
sanam Sewell
Skip Staheli
Tamzin Xigalia
Zebra Thursday
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