SL19B is not gone yet! Which is just as well for me as June has been an insanely busy month in RL and I haven’t been able to see half of what I’ve wanted to here yet. If I recall right, the event officially runs until Sunday the 3rd. But what with the holiday in the US on the 4th, it maybe the 5th before the regions go away. Onward!
Astonish
Happy Art Factory by Yoko Ayukawa – Yobe Gallery
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/48/224/23
Immersive art installation by what appears to be a radical colourist. A busy installation, but worth the wander. (See the banner image at the top of this post.)
Magical Respite ❤
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/99/223/23
A wonderful, peaceful little oasis where you can stop and relax during your SL19B wanderings. I parked here for about half an hour while I consolidated my notes!
Casterly Rock – Beekeeping in Medieval Times
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/140/236/23
A diorama of a medieval farmstead with bee hives, naturally. Another nice quite spot brought to us by Roleplay Games & Events Alliance
RacerX Gullwing and His Giant Snail Racing
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/205/222/23
The giant snail racers have gone steampunk!
Moya Patrick – the Moya Land Encyclopedia
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/233/172/23
A really big library.
Save the Birthday Party! – A Game by Second Escape
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/153/201/23
An inworld escape room style game?
Sponsored by Luxa Home & Garden Magazine
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/116/188/23
Lots of information about Luxa inside the pavilion.
FionaFei
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/46/172/23
Another beautiful piece of 3D ink wash art from FionaFei. These have become sort of a tradition in SLB. Remember to look from both sides!
The Me of Today, The You of Tomorrow
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/66/154/23
Interesting little automat cafe, pool hall, library.
Elicio Ember
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/157/149/23
Centerpiece build, largely composed of elements from Fantasy Faire 2022’s Mythspire Ridge. Brought to us by Cerridwens Cauldron
sgudeman and Nephilim Ventris
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/179/164/23
A dark castle full of information about medieval gaming groups.
Beyond the Timberline
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/224/115/23
A steampunk themed area of uncertain purpose.
Firestorm Gateway – Two Paths Exhibit
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/186/118/23
A garden with two paths: One for people new to SL. Another for experienced residents. Information cards answer questions such as what is the FS gateway? Why is the FS gateway? Why do FS recommend LL viewer?
New residents (under 90 days) check the south end of the exhibit for a nice collection of freebies!
Auryn Beorn & Eithne Blaylock – SL19B Exhibit Parcel
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/79/106/23
An outdoor classroom for Blender Benders, Blender classes in SL. Information about the group. Click the sign for your own copy of the head spinning Blender UI infographic!
Society for Preservation and Archeology of the Metaverse (SPAM)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/21/86/23
Much like it sounds. A museum yard with examples of how models in SL have evolved over time.
In My World by Trouble Dethly
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/86/54/23
A garden build presenting Eclipse magazine. Pictorial and text content is displayed around the edge including a photo essay.
Novus Ascending
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/175/56/23
A fantasy build by the Novus Ascending medieval role play community. Look for the centrally located board for information and a Flickr link.
Premier Wrestling – SLB19
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/202/35/23
Premier Wrestling is here in strength this year. They’ve set up a large display area with information, a ring, video, pictures of many of their wrestlers and a create a wrestler workshop. If this community, which seems very devoted, has ever interested you, here’s your chance!
Team Wildfire: SES Exhibition Stage – EDGE
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/137/20/23
More wrestling? There appears to be a foreign object in the ring. Certainly, it’s a very flashy stage for something.
Hayatihabek Resident and malibu3311
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/113/29/23
Archives for Mental Health (?) A presentation of period material about the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. Kind of nice fit with SL19B actually.
Skin Tower Island — Mind Carlberg & Catori Mistwalker
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astonish/82/18/23
An interesting display with a unique look. There’s nothing quite like its tower. See the sign at the entry area for a pictorial history of the island.
Astound
Now crossing east to Astound, the fourth of the exhibit area regions I’ve explored.
A side note, I’ve noticed a lot less traffic on the exhibitor regions this year. I’m not certain why. Competition from Shop n’ Hop? I don’t think it’s the live events drawing off attendees as those have been over for almost a week now.
It’s a bit sad really because, to me, the exhibits are the heart of SLB. They show what is important to residents, what they’re getting up to, what inspires them. When I’m asked what people do in Second Life, this is the sort of thing I wish I could send them to year ‘round.
Tempest Rosca
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/16/236/23
FLIGHT OF FANTASTEAM: A sizable art installation involving a sad giant robot. Cute build!
Steam Voyage by Johannes Huntsman
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/54/247/23
Another installation, around a small airship. This one has benches! Some other examples of the artist’s work are presented around the perimeter.
Steam Living – Caro Fayray
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/109/224/25
A classic, old prim build with some equally classic furniture freebies. Sort of a stairway to an airship.
Nonprofit Commons
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/139/222/23
Nonprofit Commons are reliable exhibitors at SLB. This year they’ve set out another gather spot to sit and talk. Notice panels tell you about their meetings and there’s an information giver that will provide a notecard and landmark.
Weltenville RP Lands and BikerParties SL19B
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/187/223/23
Take a look inside the building on all the kinds of RP the Weltenville RP Lands host. Medieval, Biker, Railroad, Vampire, Victorian, Pirate, Mermaid
Babbage Memories Gallery by Chic Aeon
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/233/237/23
Step into the little building to see one residents memories of life in one of the longest running steampunk estates in SL.
Heartbreak Warfare by Enigma Greer and Dita Actor
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/210/202/21
An impressive giant sculpture built around rock ’em sock ’em robots.
Pinocchio Steampunk by Vita Theas
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/143/192/23
A steampunk reimagining of the Pinocchio tale. In this version, Pinocchio is a robot instead of a puppet. A number of scenes from the story are set using this updated character. Panels provide relevant background from the original story along with illustrations from it. Like most fairy tales we learn from Disney these days, the source story is much grimmer than we might have thought. Really fun exhibit!
Burn2 Camp @ SL19B * Cuga & Hallix
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/102/188/23
Burn 2, Second Life’s inworld answer to Burning Man, is about the only major SL event that I have never made it to. I’m not sure why, probably it occurs at an extra busy time of year for me. Whatever, I’ll try to make the next one. See the big board at the back of the build for information, website, calendar, photos, and a group joiner.
Malibu Dolphinarium – Scuba, Surf and Sail Community Group
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/44/170/23
More underwater stuffs! This exhibit is all about the dolphin family and it’s really well done. Take the elevator down from the surface to the observation room below. Relax and read through the panels.
Han Held #S-136: Han Held W.I.P.: The Bishop Tower
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/68/142/24
A display going through the process behind a specific build from inspiration to re-thinking, design and construction. Good if you are interested in the creative process.
What88 Zond
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/105/136/26
Centerpiece build. A very large sculpture, a bust with an arm holding an air/sea ship.
Sitearms’s 3D in Music Interactive Orchestra Kits
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/188/138/23
Mathematics of music presented in 3D, interactive displays with lots of information panels. So much to click here!
“Detachment from Dichotomies” Kerupa Flow
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/237/90/22
A large, busy sculpture centered around a shattered earth with grasping hands, serious waves, and no few disembodied eyeballs. I think this one is going to take some time to interpret.
Krystali Rabeni – Moonborne
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/173/120/23
Another large sculpture, really interesting one though. Be sure to step into the parcel to get the correct EEP settings.
Peter Locke – Steam Life
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/81/103/23
A bug’s eye view of steampunk! Installation build around giante insects and plants, or did we just get smaller?
Fantasy Faire LitFest & FilmFest
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/33/70/24
A retrospective display of the recent Fantasy Faire 2022 with description and photos of all the fair’s regions as well as a theater where you can take in a brief machinima that shows off many of the locations.
Once and Future Airships by National Space Society in SL
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/96/54/23
Featuring a good sized model of one of the subject, this parcel provides information display and videos showing that the airship is not just a thing of the past and steampunk fiction. There is, of course, also information available on the NSS in SL.
Dr. Marinea’s Fintastic Time Flipper Machine
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/142/67/23
Look past the garden and conservatory on the surface! There’s an underwater world down the well and a maze to be explored beneath the spiral staircase.
American Cancer Society in Second Life
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/228/32/23
A very steampunky display from ACS. There’s an information giver for more.
London City @ SL19B
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/185/30/23
A quiet, respectable residence in of the more upstanding London neighbourhoods… where it looks like somebody is about to do something very rash with a home brew time machine.
Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWEC)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/156/30/23
Videos and displays centered on education in virtual worlds including some from Northern Virginia Community Colege and The Virtual Worlds Consortium Eduverse.
Visit East Eterocera
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/115/30/23
A monorail station filled with photos and history of the themed area of East Heterocera.
Take a breath, sit a moment…
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/58/17/23
“This prideful parcel has been set up with the intention of being a relaxing space where you can take a moment and just breath.” And this is a good place to do just that. A seriously overgrown garden with a water feature. Very relaxing. Click the steam powered rabbit for more information. But don’t stress about it 😉
Rachel Corleone
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLB%20Astound/26/27/23
The International Spaceflight Museum (ISM)’s build is fairly sparce this year. You can find out about types of orbits and get information about the ISM itself.
All that in just two regions! And there’s so much more to explore. But first, I’m off to make myself something to eat. I tend to rush things when exploring on an empty stomach.
Thinking Outside the Plywood Box 