Norden Art Vanishes Into Thin Air

A facebook post from Aino Barr showed up in my inbox just now: http://on.fb.me/zIPgRw Yesterday the bad news was about PiRats likely closing ... today Norden Art is gone. Poof. And Flora along with it. I went from Aino's post to Flora's blog, where I read the following epitaph:

"I have left Second Life. I have deleted my avatars and removed everything from Nordan om Jorden, including Nordan Art. The Nordan om Jorden group will be inactive as will this blog. Second Life was an incredible experience for me, it is just time to go. Goodbye, everybody.
Flora" http://nordanomjorden.wordpress.com/

I couldn't believe it, so I logged in to Second Life and looked for Flora on Search: none found. I took the landmark teleport to the Nordan Art gallery location: bare earth. Just last week I de-installed my December-January exhibit there, and the gallery was a whirlwind of activity with the next show going up. Just yesterday at PiRats (possibly) last opening, I noticed Flora's name online on my friend's list as usual. All gone now, and it is very hard to accept.

In fact, the whole trend is deeply troubling. So many galleries have closed, along with the art sims of wonderful universities like UTSA; so many artists have moved to other grids or left entirely ... it seems like the beautiful virtual art community is draining from Second Life at an alarming pace.

Flora Nordenskiold, Merlina Rokocoko, Newbab Zsigmond, constructivIST Solo are all consummate professionals. It was my very great pleasure to work with them. Pioneers, they have advanced virtual art in profound ways, and the loss of their talents is a loss for all of virtual art.

And where is Second Life itself headed? I don't believe the people at Linden Lab care a bit about the astonishing art world that grew up around them, and their lack of concern about the diminution of their product bodes ill. InWorldz anyone?

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Links:
DIGITAL ART: Martha Jane Bradford
Web Site: http://www.marthavista.com/
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/
MJB Blog: http://marthajanebradford.blogspot.com/
VIRTUAL ART: Alizarin Goldflake (Metaverse avatar of Martha Jane Bradford)
Atelier Alizarin (Second Life studio): http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lie/222/189/35
Blog: http://alizaringoldflake.blogspot.com/
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/alizaringoldflake/
YOUTUBE VIDEOS: http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake
Anza Borrego Oak:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake#p/u/1/5s_KRMi55v8
Acquarella:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake#p/a/u/0/u-lo6JosN0M
Acquarella:the Fable ( a Chantal Harvey machinima)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KX1eFMtjV6U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hhO2Rf88uM (Chinese narration)
Metemspyche's Garden:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake#p/u/2/GfQGuNXWvLo
Requiem for Fukushima Daiichi:
http://youtu.be/2H_ne2XbcNs
Studio Tour:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake#p/u/3/XDjrLmPpopA
The Maze:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake#p/u/4/OEa9rtEiINE
The Mysterious Forest:
http://www.youtube.com/user/AlizarinGoldflake#p/u/5/c6Xv_pAf0Qc
The Winter Bear:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMYSYJNkm1E&list=QL&playnext=1