Virtual Suburbia

The Future's So Bright (Part I) - The Grail

Taking the ideas introduced in the previous post to their logical extreme we examine Seifert Surface's latest build, a head-spinning exorcism of the right angle. His structure, called 'The Grail,' resides in a surreal private island playground sim known simply as The Future (95,187,400 - view on map | direct teleport).

I first encountered Seifert's stunning mathematical visions at Lordfly Digeridoo's Grignano Public Art Museum, and was struck by the relationship of his abstract sculptures to the historicist context of the build in which they were contained. Head on out to his backyard, however, and its a whole different deal. As far as context goes, 'The Grail' simply hangs ambiguously in the sky amongst Seifert's menagerie of curious experiments. If you're looking for the build's function, it is also somewhat unclear. Someone might want to live there, someone else might want to fill it with slot machines and call it Biff's, a third may just want to get stoned and stare for hours (Hey, its very shiny. People with Glaucoma would be really missing out if they didn't get it treated).

The Grail is typically accessed via one of Siefert's trademark discombobulators such as those enjoyed at this past year's Burning Life Festival. Upon arrival at the elevator lobby there is the further need to launch onself upward in a seemingly precarious manner to the desired floor. But that's a bit of a misnomer - its all one floor. Weighing in at over 1000 prims, the entire build is perceived as a single manipulated plane. This expression creates a number of fascinating conditions where horizontal and vertical elements meet, each one resolved in a unique and well-articulated way. I continue to be mezmerized by the build, and not in a manner that involves lime flavored Tostitos.

The Grail is but one of a number of forward-looking structures on this sim that breaks the shackles of our assumptions about architecture as they exist in the real world. Rest assured, we'll be back.

posted by Chip Poutine @ 9:12 PM