Notes from the opening of Goh Mishima exhibition

As I announced in an earlier post, yesterday at Refugium instead of our regular silent movie night, we had a special event. It was a combination of a (slightly belated) New Year celebration, an exhibition opening and a movie night – all on the theme of Japan.

As people started gathering inside Refugium castle, we first had a little chat, meeting friends old and new. The food cart was (and remains) filled with nice Japanese food…

The exhibition displays works of Japanese homo-erotic artist Goh Mishima, sometimes described as yakuza porn – consisting of masculine characters wearing tattoos typical of Japanese mobsters. We’ve all noticed certain resemblance to the art of Tom of Finland, but with distinctly Japanese features.

After touring the exhibition, we all descended to the cinema hall where we watched a short silent movie travelogue of Japan, made in the 1920s…

Once the movie finished, we had a small party, starting with the breaking of a barrel of sake.

And after nightfall, we had fun with sparklers and fireworks!

The exhibition remains open throughout January 2018. To reach Refugium, please follow this SLurl.

A special Japan event at Refugium

On Friday, 5 January 2018, there will be a special three-part event at Refugium. Starting at 1 pm SLT, there will first be the opening of an exhibition displaying works of Japanese homoerotic artist Goh Mishima. Upon teleporting, visitors will receive a notecard and a HUD accompanying the exhibition. (Note: some of the works are explicit.)

After the tour of the gallery space, we will enjoy some delicious Japanese food and sweets in the castle courtyard.

And if you’re in a more reflective mood, you can visit the small shinto shrine at the northern tip of the island.

Finally, around 1:30 pm SLT, we will have our regular Friday silent movie night – this time we’ll be watching a short silent film travelogue of Japan, made in the 1920s (the decade in which Mishima was born).

To reach Refugium, please follow this SLurl. Looking forward to having you with us!

P. S. Many thanks to Duncan Armundsen and Ciska Riverstone for helping out with the preparations for this event! ❤

With the Living

Arts lovers, here’s an exhibition you should go see: “With the Living”, the latest collaborative project of Pearl Grey and Klaus Bereznyak, has just opened.

Klaus Bereznyak

Pearl Grey

When you teleport to the gallery, there are just simple walls. However, once you walk through the gate, you will find yourself inside a narrative space created by Pearl’s photographs in combination with Klaus’ text.

I won’t include any spoilers, except for sharing the opening image which introduces the key elements: memory, remembrance, and the importance of storytelling. The story itself feels personal, intimate even, yet told in an evocative way that everyone can relate to. You can tell that the project was done with a lot of love and reflection.

Once you reach the end, there’s a wall with gifts – several images from the exhibition (with and without text) selected by the artists.

“With the Living” stays open till March 11, 2017 at this Second Life location.

Snapshots from the opening of “With the Living” exhibition in Second Life. For the full story, please see https://abinoamsjournal.blogspot.rs/2017/02/with-living.html

Love in Sepia

Last night was the opening of the Love in Sepia exhibition, the first I’m hosting at my new place in Second Norway.

The collection consists of old RL daguerreotypes and photographs showing male-male intimacy: portraits of couples, intimate friends, military buddies… from the late 19th and the early 20th century.

For some of the visitors, many of the images will be already known, as they’ve been circulating on gay history blogs and websites. Others, though, might be surprised by the sense of closeness and romance visible in these early photos.

In the current format, the exhibition will be open until the end of April and you can visit by following this SLurl. After that it will become part of a permanent and expanded exhibition I’m already working on, covering the 1940s and 50s.

P. S. Big thanks to all who’ve made a donation to the gallery. I’ll be sending a souvenir from the exhibition to everyone.

Snapshots from the opening of the Love in Sepia exhibition.

The collection consists of old RL photographs documenting male-male intimacy. To visit, please follow this SLurl: http://tinyurl.com/hoys9o6

You can read more in this blog post: http://abinoamsjournal.blogspot.rs/2016/03/love-in-sepia.html

J. C. Leyendecker at The Barn

After a well received exhibition of Gustav von Rosenheim’s SL works, The Barn is about to present something different. This week will be the opening of a small exhibition dedicated to J. C. Leyendecker (1874-1951), acclaimed illustrator and “father of modern magazine design.”

Out of hundreds and hundreds of his works, I’ve selected only a dozen or so, focusing on those with noticeable homoerotic aspect. It should be mentioned that Leyendecker was a gay man, who spent greater part of his life living with Charles Beach – who often posed as his model.

On display at The Barn are typical magazine covers designed by Leyendecker, made for Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s, advertisements for Kuppenheimer apparel and other manufacturers, dating from the early 1910s to the late 1930s. Thus the exhibition is not only about the famous illustrator, but also about men’s fashion, and media images of masculinity during that period.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

The opening will be held on Wednesday, August 20, at noon SLT. Free drinks are provided. To sober up afterwards, a night swim is also planned.

To visit, click on the following SLurl: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Triphosa/235/185/22