360 GRADI MAGAZINE // March-April 2021

360 GRADI 

Magazine 

ARTIST 

CIOTTOLINA XUE 

Art 

Ciottolina Xue’s 3D art is known 

and appreciated for her strong 

communication ability. 

LA “DOLCE 

VITA” 

OF ARNOO 

CONSCIOUSNESS 

AS CONTROLLED 

HALLUCINATION 

Psychology 

What enables us to distinguish 

ourselves from the world around 

us? Let’s explore the concept of 

consciousness. 

Photography 

SOUL OF DREAMS 

Dream destination, perfect for 

Destinations 

photographers since it allows rez by 

joining the group. 


MARCH/APRIL 2021 - N. 4 

1

CONTENT 

16 

Creating 

TIP & TRICKS: 

HOW TO CREATE 

DRESSES IN SL 

clothes seems 

to be more complicated 

than it actually is because 

of unclear, rushed 

tutorials that take some 

steps for granted. My first 

two tutorials. 

20 

What 

CONSCIOUSNESS 

AS CONTROLLED 

HALLUCINATION 

is 

consciousness 

and what function 

does it play in our 

existence? 

46 

The 

SOUL OF 

DREAMS 

magic of a dream 

land. Let’s explore it 

through Pino’s eyes. 

74 

A 

LOST LAGOON 

land that takes 

us back to the past, 

to a way of living 

on a human scale 

that we risk losing. 

Let’s explore it with 

Serena Domenici. 

98 

3D 

CIOTTOLINA 

XUE 

artist appreciated 

and known for 

her ability to 

communicate her 

emotions and 

thoughts through 

a skillful use of 

modeling. 

126 

Vocalist 

ASAHRA 

LANNOK 

and vocal 

teacher, she founded 

a major academy for 

learning the singing 

profession. 

142 Spartan 

TMD EVENT 

introduces 

us to the world of 

men’s fashion and 

recommends TMD 

events for the best 

buys. 

154 

He 

ARNOO 

PLANER 

likes to playfully 

call himself 

“paparazzo”. He is a 

photographer who 

is especially skilled 

in portraiture that 

catches the eye of 

the beholder. 

174 

CAMP 

ITALIA 

Camp Italia is an 

educational land, 

which aims to train 

new users of SL. It 

proposes different 

cultural contents. 

360 GRADI MAGAZINE is the magazine that covers Second Life at 360°. Destinations, Art, Music, Fashion, Photography, Furniture and Decoration 

all in one bimonthly magazine. You can read the magazine on the web, visiting our YUMPU page. 

2 360 GRADI

Welcome to issue #4 of 360 GRADI MAGAZINE. 

74 126 142 

LOST LAGOON 

ASAHRA 

LANNOK 

TMD EVENT 

A land that takes us back 

in time, to a way of life 

more on a human scale. 

Professional vocalist who 

founded a major vocal 

school in SL. 

In the men’s fashion 

industry, Spartan 

introduces us to what’s 

trending. 

WELCOME 

Welcome to issue #4 of the magazine. 

In this fourth issue 360GRADI introduces 

several new contributors that you can get 

to know in the editor’s notes and explore 

while reading. 

I am very pleased with their entrance, 

their presence enriches the magazine 

and allows us to propose better and richer 

content. Each one brings his experience 

and professionalism in his specific 

area of expertise. 

Enjoy reading! 


3

TEAM 

LADMILLA VAN FRANK 

PINO 

JARLA 

ART 

MUSIC 

DESTINATIONS 

DESTINATIONS 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Artist and Owner of THE 

EDGE Gallery. 

Dj , Designer and Architect 

Planning. 

Art and destination blogger at 

Art Korner Blog. 

Art critic, journalist and editor. 

Photographer. 

OEMA 

EDITOR 

Founder of VIRTUALITY blog 

and 360GRADI Magazine. 


VIOLET 

DEGOYA 

SPARTAN 

ASHLEY 

MARKETING 

PSYCHOLOGY 

MALE 

FASHION 

FEMALE 

FASHION 

Social Media Marketing 

Expert. 

Psychiatrist. 

Photographer, former blogger 

and expert in the fashion 

industry. 

Fashion Blogger. 


5

EDITORS’ NOTES 

We have reached the fourth issue of 360GRADI Magazine. 

This issue is full of exciting news, mainly thanks to the entry in the 

360GRADI Team of four new collaborators that I am sure you will 

appreciate very much. 

This issue is full of 

interesting news, 

especially thanks 

to the entry in 

the 360GRADI 

team of three new 

contributors that 

I am sure you will 

appreciate very much. 

In the MALE FASHION sector, we welcome Spartan, who illustrates 

the world of male fashion. This is, as we know, a niche sector, 

little explored and, for this very reason, much appreciated. I’m 

convinced that Spartan can direct men’s fashion, helping the 

men of the virtual world find their own style. Spartan is also a 

photographer, so he offers his images. In the area of FEMALE 

FASHION, I am pleased to have Ashley Yexil with us, an established 

fashion blogger with a wealth of experience in the fashion 

industry. Her delicate and impactful images are an added asset to 

our Magazine. 

In the DESTINATIONS section, Pino and Frank are joining us. 

Pino has a past as an art and literary critic: he took the opportunity 

to resume writing and decided to collaborate with 360GRADI. His 

writing style quickly grasps his professionalism. 

Frank is an art and destination blogger at the Art Korner blog 

that he created. I appreciate the work Frank is doing and his 

contribution to the fashion industry, so his willingness to 

collaborate with 360GRADI is greatly appreciated. 

Four people are joining, and two are leaving us, namely 

Serena Domenici and Misoindite Romano. We thank them for 

their collaboration with the Magazine and wish them a good 

continuation in their most passionate activities. 

Finally, I wanted to introduce the section “Tips and Tricks,” with 

some tutorials divided by theme. 

See you at the next issue. 

WELCOME 

360GRADI is an interactive magazine 

available on YUMPU. Pick up your 

copy of the kiosk at the newsroom. 


Contributing to a magazine is 

not easy: it requires passion, 

commitment and a lot of 

perseverance. 

- Oema 


7

ART PROMOTION ON FACEBOOK 



9

VIOLET BOA 

My responsibilities include planning, implementing, and managing PR 

strategies and organizing and managing various PR activities. 

I use different channels to optimize the outreach and success of a 

campaign, with a customer-oriented focus and assured delivery that I 

represent unequivocally. I carry out the interests, wishes, needs, and 

expectations of my clients. 

Violet Boa, 

MARKETING 

Head Column 

A natural part of my work involves arranging interviews and 

coordination, researching and collecting opportunities for 

partnerships, establishing and maintaining relationships with 

journalists, influencers, and bloggers, and supporting the team 

members of my client in communicating and running a campaign. 

Through years of experience with social media management, which 

always requires excellent communication, presentation, leadership 

skills, and excellent organizational and time management skills, I 

have become self-critical and am still interested in new impulses. 

Learning, be it self-directed or through knowledge of apt sources, is 

part of the daily process. 

Observations and reflections (self-reflection) of the external and 

internal situations give me the chance to recognize problems and 

change them positively. 

I am a positive but also critical thinker and analytical problem solver 

who - with a lot of empathy - accepts conflicting interests, personal 

(in) tolerance, and others’ opinions. I am very adaptable and willing 

to compromise to get positive alternatives that make everyone happy 

and lead to the desired success. 

My top ten topics of interest are fine art, photography, design, digital 

art, music, performing arts, literature, science, mindfulness, and a 

positive attitude. 

I feel very honored and proud of the trust that Oema has placed in 

me and invited me in my role as PR to act for magazines from the first 

publication of their classy, stylish and elegant 360 GRADI Magazine. 

We have an exciting and excellent task ahead of us, and I am looking 

forward to it! 

Violet 



11

LUNDY ART GALLERY 

LUNDY ART GALLERY IS A CREATION OF LEE1 OLSEN AND PERIODICALLY 

FEATURES NEW ARTISTS. 

THE GALLERY BOASTS A VERY LARGE EXHIBITION SPACE, ALLOWING THE 

VISITOR TO APPRECIATE NUMEROUS WORKS OF ART. 


EXHIBITING ARTISTS 

Deyanira Yalin, Moya 

Patrick, Etamae, 

Ilyra Chardin, Adwehe, 

ZackHermann, Sandi 

Benelli, Jessamine2108, 

Steele Wilder, Adelina 

Lawrence, 

Magda Schmidtzau , 

Jos (mojosb5c) , JudiLynn 

India, Antonio Camba, and 

Mrs. Kamille Kamala 

TELEPORT TO LUNDY ART GALLERY 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Brussel/12/130/2003 


13

CAMP ITALIA 

CAMP ITALIA, EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT IN ONE DESTINATION. 

COME VISIT US! 

Camp Italia is an educational sim in Italian language with an international vocation, where 

you can find a warm welcome, artistic and musical events, many lessons to learn how to use 

Second Life and breathtaking landscapes for a wonderful experience of your SL. 

Visit Camp Italia & Enjoy! 

Slurl 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Camp%20Italia/127/64/23 

Official Website 

https://campitaliasecondlife.org 



15

TIPS & TRICKS 

HOW TO CREATE CLOTHES 

For all those who are passionate about creating mesh clothes in SL, I have created (for now 

only two) tutorials that illustrate (I hope) in a simple way how to create their own clothes using 

Marvelous Designer. 

I propose in this space these two videos taken from my Youtube channel. 


OUR SPONSOR: HC INCORPORATED 


17

DEGOYA GALTHIE 

Since the beginning of his appearance in the world, man has tried to 

represent and tell his experience with different tools such as drawing, 

photography, and cinema; at the base of this incessant search is 

the desire to describe one’s inner world with ever greater levels of 

fidelity. In our post-modern society, the most advanced frontier of 

this research is represented by virtual reality. This technology allows 

us to “immerse ourselves” in a computer-generated environment, in 

which it is possible to move and interact as in reality. 

Degoya Galthie, 

Head Column 

BRAIN, MIND AND 

VIRTUAL REALITY 

Virtual reality has numerous applications ranging in different fields 

and represents an advanced communication interface that allows 

people to interact naturally at a distance. It is now a technology 

growing in popularity in the entertainment industry, where it finds 

applications and the video game sector, cinematography, theme parks, 

and museums. Social networks, e-commerce, education, sport are just 

some of the many areas that virtual worlds promise to revolutionize. 

In the medical field, virtual reality is demonstrating excellent 

potential with applications in neuroscience and psychotherapy. 

In light of these premises, the goal I set myself in this section of the 

magazine is to tell the “virtual revolution” through a perspective 

that highlights the transformative impact of this technology on 

the brain and human experience. In particular, I will investigate the 

effects of virtual experiences on one’s real-world and highlight the 

opportunities that virtual technologies can offer, and highlight the 

potential risks they imply through a survey of the most advanced 

research in psychology and neuroscientific field. Finally, I will try 

to explain how simulation technologies are changing how people 

communicate and interact, analyzing the opportunities and challenges 

implied by the emergence of virtual worlds. 

Degoya 



19

LA COSCIEN 

CONSCIOUS 

COME ALLUCINAZIONE C 

AS A CONTROLLED HALL 

SOGNO MODULATO DAI 

MODULATED BY THE SE 

Written by DEGOYA GALTHIE. 

Images Scritto by JARLA da DEGOYA CAPALINI. GALTHIE. 

Immagini di JARLA CAPALINI. 


ZA 

NESS 

ONTROLLATA: UN 

UCINATION: A DREAM 

SENSI 

NSES 

Let’s explore the notion of consciousness, so much 

exploited in different contexts. Let’s clarify. 


21

CONSCIOUSNESS 

AS A CONTROLLED 

HALLUCINATION: A DREAM 

MODULATED BY THE SENSES 

In this article I will discuss the brain as a cognitive organ: the term cognitive 

means that it is connected with the functions of knowledge and consciousness. 

When I speak of 

Neuroscience, I am 

referring to that body 

of knowledge that 

studies the brain not 

from a clinical point 

of view, because this 

is already in the field 

of neurology, psychiatry 

and neurosurgery, 

but they deal with it 

to understand how it produces images 

of the world. in the normal daily life of 

every human being. So how does the 

brain construct and represent a world, 

including ourselves, when we are studying 

it. In this article I will talk about 

the brain as a cognitive organ: the term 

cognitive means that it is connected 

with the functions of knowledge and 

with consciousness. 

Therefore, I will enter the field of discussion 

of this article starting from 

neuro-philosophy because I believe it 

is the best approach to talk about consciousness. 

Consciousness is the awareness 

of existing, of one’s individuality 

and unity; through consciousness we 

distinguish the self from the other from 

the self and the internal world from the 

external one. 

To some it may seem obvious that consciousness 

serves to distinguish the 

self from the other from the self, yet 

there are diseases such as those that 

affect the prefrontal lobe and make the 

subject lose what Aristotle had framed 

as the principle of identity: that is, I 

know to be me. In these diseases it occurs 

that the subject has the impression 

and the conviction that someone from 

the outside imposes on him some wills 

that are not his own and, consequently, 

passively carries out these orders. As a 

result, he feels invaded and pervaded 

as if he were a demon, losing control of 


What is 

Consciousness? 

his own existence. This 

occurs in that syndrome 

called influencing delirium 

which is a frontal 

lobe pathology during a 

schizophrenic syndrome. 

You see how an apparently 

obvious fact that 

should not be explained 

is something that, on the 

other hand, in certain 

clinical contexts, cracks 

and jams; therefore the 

prefrontal lobe contributes 

to constituting that 

aspect of consciousness 

that some philosophers 

such as Aristotle, in his 

Principles of Logic, put in 

the first place: the principle 

of identity, that is, 

everyone is equal to himself. 

Going deeper into the discourse 

of consciousness 

as maximum cognitive 

function, linked to higher 

cortical functions, when 

I use the term higher cortical 

functions I am referring 

to what, in the common 

sense, we often use 

with the expression “that 

person has a lot of gray 

matter”. With this expression 

I refer to an area 

of the brain that lies on 

the outside, a bit like the 

peel of an orange, which 

allows us to do the best 

things and perform the 

best performances from 

a cognitive point of view. 

To clarify some neuro-philosophical 

issues 

connected with consciousness, 

I will examine a 

hyperbole that circulates 

in the world of experts in 


23

this matter and argues that consciousness 

is a controlled hallucination, a 

dream modulated by the senses. 

It is obvious that a 

description of this 

kind immediately poses 

problems for us. 

When someone asks 

me: “but does this 

thing exist?” I answer 

him: “yes I have seen 

it, I have seen it myself 

with my own eyes”. 

This happens because we are convinced 

that everything that our senses 

and our cognitive system processes 

and collects is certainly safe, but it is 

not. Here then appears the concept of 

consciousness as a controlled hallucination. 

To better explain this idea, I refer to 

the comic by Milo Manara, where he 

is inspired by the script of a Fellini film 

that the director has not been able to 

make, not having had the time since 

he died before. The screenplay, named 

G. Mastorna’s Journey, has this plot: a 

gentleman arrives by plane in a strange 

city in an unidentified Asian country; 

he lands, checks out, calls a taxi, goes 

to the hotel, takes a shower and then 

turns on the television. On television 

they show images of the plane, with 

which he arrived, which explodes and 

crashes to the ground; the reporter 

says they are all dead. Here is a gap in 

the reality examination that oscillates 

between the pole of reality and the 

pole of fantasy, dream or unreality but 

is usually compensated and harmonized 

by the function of consciousness. 

However, there are limit states in which 

this capacity for harmonization gets 

stuck or states of creative and artistic 

inspiration, where there is space for a 

fascinating narrative and screenplay 

like the one described by Fellini in this 

film, which unfortunately we have not 

been able to see. 

The assumption that consciousness is a 

controlled hallucination 

suggests 

to us that what 

we see, in large 

part, are things 

that we believe 

we see and are convinced that we have 

seen; this is so true to the point that 

man since antiquity and the thought of 

the history of philosophy have posed 

this problem as primary. Plato wondered 

and was convinced of the fallacy of 

the senses; he believed that our beliefs 

were credibly true when based on abstract 

ideas. The Latin etymology of the 

abstract term tells us that a belief is true 

insofar as it is independent of the senses 

that are fallacious. In other words, 

if I say: “the triangle has three sides”, this 

sentence, which belongs to the world 

of abstract ideas, is very likely true because 

I do not need with the senses to 

count the three sides. The three sides 

are already in the concept of a triangle, 

everything else is fallacious. Descartes 

also moved with his methodical approach 

to doubt and asked himself: “How 

can I be sure that my senses tell me the 

truth?” To this end, he introduced the 

concept of the deception of an evil genius: 

“I see things and this evil genius cheats 

me and 

makes me 

believe these 

things are 

true”. It follows 

that the 

relationship 



25

I have through the senses with the world 

is certainly an altered relationship; he 

will later solve the problem of knowledge 

in other ways, but Descartes is not 

the main topic of this article. 

If we observe the 

image of a rainbow, 

intended 

as a perceptual 

experience of 

color, this forces 

us to declare that reality is not as it 

appears to us for the good reason that 

colors do not exist in the physical world. 

For example, the 

green of a plant is 

not a physical property 

of the plant, 

as is the weight 

and chemical nature 

based on the 

cellulose or the 

shape of its leaves; 

the green color of 

the plant is not in 

the plant, but is in the posterior part of 

the brain which is called the occipital 

lobe where the visual area is located. In 

humans, vision is the most developed 

sense, in fact most of the brain areas are 

involved in the recognition and coding 

of visual stimuli. Visual stimuli are collected 

from areas of the occipital cortex 

based on different characteristics. The 

visual stimuli come from the retinas of 

the two eyes, where the visual receptors 

are located, and are transmitted 

by each optic nerve to the brain, where 

they are transformed into moving 

images, multicolored, recognizable and 

recalled by memory. The visual area is 

organized in such a way that there are 

five layers of neurons, one superimposed 

on the other and these sheets 

perform different functions of visual 

perception. All the information coming 

from the retina arrives upside down in 

the V1 area, the image is broken down 

according to its characteristics and these 

parts are processed in the relevant 

areas of the visual cortex. Subsequently, 

the image is reconstructed in the prefrontal 

cortex, which will allow us to 

see it straightened and in color. come 

The V1 area is highly specialized in the 

processing of information regarding 

the shape and placement of static or 

moving objects in the visual field. Cells 

in V2 also respond to various complex 

characteristics, such as the orientation 

of illusory contours and binocular disparity. 

The V3 is responsible for the 

perception of the shape of moving 

objects. Area V5 is essential for processing 

information relating to movement. 

What interests us is the fourth of 

these overlapping sheets which is the 

one that processes the colors. In other 

words, the color phenomenon does not 

reside in nature but appears in this plate, 

which we have said to be the fourth 

and which we call V4; so, this is where 

the color phenomenon is born but not 

the color experience that we will examine 

later. We realize that, when we 

talk about the fact that colors are not a 

reality of the world but a production 

of our brain, the repercussions in the 

artistic field and especially in that of 

the visual arts are obviously important. 

If you look at the 

left image for the 

first time, most of 

you will not be able 

to understand what 

it is, but if you later look at the image 

on the right almost everyone will be 



27

able to give those disorganized bits a 

unique process. 

of conceptualization. 

For example, 

when you look at 

the second image 

you will say that 

it is a beard who 

could be a revolutionary from South 

America. If you try again to look at the 

previous image in the light of what you 

have experienced through the vision of 

the South American barbudo, you will 

be able to see what you had not seen 

before. This happens because the brain 

works like this from the point of view 

of visual perception. 

The anterior part 

of our brain, called 

the prefrontal 

lobe, is the part 

of the brain that 

evolved, in the 

phylogenetic sense 

of the term, at the 

end of the evolution 

of mankind; it appears in its anatomical 

and functional fullness only in 

homo sapiens, therefore about 300,000 

years ago. It is at this level that all the 

higher cortical functions are carried 

out: reason, criticism and judgment, the 

functions of anticipation, projection 

into the future and reality testing. So 

it underlies all the functions that are 

connected with the reasonable ego and, 

when the frontal lobe gets sick, we enter 

the chapter where the mind is lost 

and where the symptoms are constituted 

by a loss of fundamental data. In 

fact, we call these conditions “dementia”. 

When I sit quietly, perhaps in a circus, 

and see a horse with the retina of my 

eye, the image of this horse through the 

retina arrives, as I said before, in the visual 

area that is posterior to the brain; 

this area, also called the calcarine area, 

corrects all distortions of the visual input 

connected with the eye. The eye 

basically analyzes the data in a very 

crude way because it performs a function 

similar to that of an antenna; then 

the input arrives in the posterior region 

where it is corrected. All the distortions, 

due to the fact that the retina is a crumpled 

organ and the images arrive upside 

down, are improved and therefore the 

processing of the visual area makes 

me see a horse. But if things were only 

like this (I see the horse in the occipital 

area) they would support the theory 

of knowledge based on the tabula rasa: 

whatever enters my brain through the 

eye I reproduce it faithfully, instead 

it is not so. At this point a much more 

important function comes into play 

where visual input is projected onto the 

prefrontal lobe. On the basis of perceptual 

data and considering that we are 

talking about an equine, a mammal and 

an animal that neighs, the prefrontal 

lobe, which is capable of extracting a 

process of conceptualization from all 

the data of sensory experience, comes 

to say that it’s a horse. In practice, the 

process of symbolic thought and concept 

as a universal value occurs only 

in the frontal lobe. The speech at this 

point becomes even more fascinating 

because the frontal lobe in addition 

to giving a name, as the repository of 

symbolic thought, is able to symbolize 

the object I see through language and 

linguistic functions, it does one more 

thing. most extraordinary. He is able to 

imagine things apart from the data of 

factual experience. For example, at this 

moment I can focus on the Colosseum, 

I can see it in detail because the pre- 


frontal lobe has this ability to represent 

a representation of a certain thing and 

actually see it. Of course, I can distinguish 

if I see something with my imagination or 

if I see it through the senses, but what is 

even more extraordinary, is that this thing 

that I see because I produce it with my 

imagination at the pre-frontal level, then 

it appears in the occipital cortex, that is, 

in the same place where the image of the 

horse had arrived. 

Numerous neurophysiological studies 

have shown us that if I produce a visualization 

through the prefrontal lobe or 

passively undergo a perception, which 

through the retina reaches the prefrontal 

lobe, both these stimuli arrive at the 

visual area in the occipital lobe. From an 

electrophysiological point of view, we are 

witnessing the same phenomenon, that is, 

the image connected with a factual perception 

is identical from the point of view 

of the electrophysiological organization of 

these areas of the brain to one produced 

by our own brain. This is why, referring to 

the images above, we are able to transform 

a shapeless percept, where our brain is 

unable to reconstruct this influx of discordant 

data, into a single conceptualization 

process; this happens after we have seen 

the figure of the South American revolutionary 

beard easily identified because 

here the outlines of the image are sharper. 

A complex 

problem is 

that reality 

produces 

ambiguous 

perceptions 

much more 

often than 

we believe it does. For example, let’s take 

this image, which is one of the most classic 

forms of ambiguous percepts, and observe 

it with a moment’s attention; you 

will find that you can decide to see 

the white part and then you will see a 

glass, or to see the black part and then 

you will see the profile of two girls 

looking at each other at a very close 

distance. The surprising thing is that 

I, as with a kind of switch, can decide 

to switch from one type of vision to 

another type of vision; I do this with 

an act of the will resulting from it that 

perception is not a blackboard where 

what I write then I see written. This 

happens through the prefrontal lobe 

which, when faced with an ambiguous 

percept, makes us see what this 

brain area decides to see or not to see. 

The motivational mechanisms that 

trigger one choice rather than another 

and all these functions from a technical 

point of view are called executive 

functions, although this is an interesting 

topic I will not deal with in the 

article. 

Regarding 

the cognition 

of color, 

I mentioned 

earlier that in 

area V4 color 

comes to life 

and becomes a visual phenomenon; 

I remind you of a diatribe which, 

however, did not take place in terms 

of direct exchange of ideas because 

Newton died shortly before Goethe 

was born. But there was a strong 

contrast in the two points of view, 

opening a debate that still today is debated. 

Goethe did not share Newton’s 

approach to vision as for the latter, 

vision was a pure fact of optical physics: 

there are the rays of light parallel 

to each other, then there is a lens that 


29


makes them converge, and so on. Goethe 

did not like this thing and I will tell 

you that neuroscience does not like it either, 

so much so that Vittorio Gallese, a 

great figure of Italian neurology, tells us 

this, giving Goethe fully right: “... color 

cannot be considered and studied exclusively 

as physical attribute of the visible, 

but it is always also an affective quality 

of the experience of the image …” (2017). 

The emotional component, past experiences 

and autobiographical memory 

connected with that phenomenon play 

a preponderant role on the aspect of 

pure optical physics. Why does this 

happen? The speech I made earlier on 

area V4 clarifies the mechanism as it 

is here that a light radiation becomes 

color because this area is designed to 

build, on that raw datum of electromagnetic 

radiation, the experience of color. 

Going deeper into the subject, things become 

even more interesting, our brain 

is increasingly fascinating and demonstrates 

that it can do things that are incredibly 

relevant. Area V4 is connected 

with various other regions of the brain, 

for example with the hippocampus 

which is the nucleus that processes memory, 

especially in the sense of fixing 

the data by storing them in the memory 

store. Another connection is with the 

amygdala, another important subcortical 

nucleus of our brain, which in itself 

would not be a nucleus connected with 

memory even if it plays a certain very 

characteristic role at the beginning of 

our life, but we will see this later. However, 

the amygdala gives a powerful affective 

and emotional connotation to 

the event we are witnessing, for example 

the color red. Another connection 

is that between this lamina V4 and the 

nucleus accumbens which is located in 

the lower part of the frontal lobe and 

is quite indented with respect to the 

prefrontal lobe itself. The nucleus accumbens 

is the nucleus of gratifications, 

pleasure, enjoyment and motivation; 

everything that seems beautiful and 

interesting to us, that tastes us and that 

gives us pleasure, finds in the nucleus 

accumbens the manager of all these 

electrophysiological activities. To understand 

the nucleus accumbens all the 

stimuli of cocaine go. Always connected 

with the V4 area is the limbic lobe which 

is the biological basis of emotional 

phenomena. 

So you see that all this set of neural 

networks 

make vision 

and color 

make a leap 

from pure 

perception 

to a big and 

very important 

transformation 

of this phenomenal experience 

into something that deeply involves all 

of our subjectivity. This image could represent 

the synthesis of what has been 

said so far; it seems obvious that this 

boy in front of an exhibition of paintings 

would see them empty if the brain 

did not have this stratification and if it 

did not have all this organization that 

transforms a pure optical physics datum 

into something that on the level of the 

phenomenology of creative experience 

it involves him. Without all this neurophysiological 

organization he would 

see all the canvases empty or at most 

with some black and white spots. This 

other image expresses a strongly sensual 

content where the red color is important 

and refers to an aspect of sen- 


31

suality, without 

which it would 

be a banal and 

black and white 

photograph. 

This is roughly 

the process 

of how the 

neurophysiology of vision is organized. 

Although it is my intention to describe 

some aspects of Neuroesthetics more 

generally, in this article I have focused 

on the neurophysiology of vision, referring 

mainly to painting and visual arts. 

However, the general mechanism could 

be extended to all fields of art and to the 

Neuroesthetics of formal experience. 

I mentioned earlier that the prefrontal 

lobe plays an important role in the 

production of mental images and I will 

now try to deepen the subject. I gave the 

example of the Colosseum and pointed 

out that the posterior visual areas react 

substantially, from an electrophysiological 

point of view, in the same way 

whether we imagine it or actually see 

it. I make this premise because most 

ordinary people, but also many neurologists 

until a few years ago, believed 

that cognitive function was connected 

with the capacity of symbolic thinking. 

Ability, therefore, to produce concepts of 

universal value and, as we read in every 

philosophy manual, a concept is a web of 

fixed relationships derived from sensitive 

experience; therefore, the operations 

that the prefrontal lobe does are all in 

the sphere of verbal thought, of thought 

that can be spoken in some way. This is 

partly true but not entirely, our ability to 

produce mental images means that we 

can also think with images; that is, the 

thought product of the reasonable self is 

not limited to verbal language and words 

but we can also think through images. 

A musician, a painter and even a poet 

cannot ignore mental images; this was 

also supported by Karl Jaspers, the father 

of non-biological psychopathology, 

giving a very important contribution 

to the knowledge of this phenomenal: 

“it is possible to think instead of concepts 

... in images, figures, notes, myths, gods, 

landscapes, colors, actions. All the primitive 

images of the world are constructed 

in this way and the language of words is 

based on them”. 

The importance of what Jaspers argued 

makes us understand 

how, in 

reality, we very 

often use mental 

images to reason; 

this happens 

above all in particular 

emotional situations or when we 

let ourselves go and relax deeply, for 

example in meditation, in a yoga exercise 

and when we abandon ourselves 

to daydreams. In all these situations we 

are no longer the rational being who 

puts words together to form a thought, 

according to the principles of Aristotelian 

logic. There are circumstances in 

which the images also form thoughts 

based on the figurative function, but 

following a different syntax which is 

not the one we learn with language, although 

symbolic thought has evolved. 

The importance of mental images leads 

us to a consideration 

that is of 

considerable importance: 

how 

does the human 

brain, therefore 

man, read, take 

curls and headbands and give them the 



33

meaning of a word. For example, in this 

image at a certain point in the text, the 

protagonist says: “the forest of Dean!!! … I 

used to go there once to go camping with 

my parents”. When we read the word forest 

they form in the reader’s mind like 

drawings of trees and flying birds, so 

when we read, thanks to this ability, we 

produce mental images relating to what 

we are reading. When I read the word 

forest, not from the ophthalmologist who 

puts a few letters in front of me to read, 

but in the context of a novel, I produce 

visualizations evoked by the word forest. 

That’s why we love reading novels so 

much, because we visually experience 

what is not actually visual. 

How can all this happen? In seeing this 

image, we all say this is 

a letter “f” and a written 

word is made up of signs 

that become circles, rods, 

dots, thank you (typographic 

fonts). At this 

point you may be wondering 

what is the use of 

talking about something 

so immediate and so 

obvious about which 

there seems to be nothing to say. What 

seems so obvious to us actually required 

a job on the part of our brain that lasted 

about 300,000 years, since homo sapiens 

acquired symbolic thought, therefore the 

thought formed by concepts of universal 

value that apply to everyone. . From this 

first phase, from this conquest, 295 thousand 

years have passed, at least, to get to 

write this conquered symbolic thought; 

the evolutionary work, which our brain 

did to get to conquer the use of writing 

and with this enter into history, lasted a 

very long period. This not only because 

of the importance of thinking in a universal 

way that would bring everyone together 

(for which the one who is a dog 

for me is also a dog for one who is on 

the other side of the world) but also because 

it was essential that I could write 

my thoughts and then pass it on to future 

generations. Evolution has done 

its best and only after a suitable period 

of time has it succeeded; the cuneiform 

characters which are the first forms of 

writing that appeared in human culture 

appeared about 5000 years ago. 

In this drawing, which shows the human 

brain seen from its lower part and 

from the back, those areas are highlighted 

that took 295,000 years to organize 

themselves functionally and preside 

over the recognition of the shape 

of the letters. Only when this skill was 

developed was our brain able to read 

and write, that is, the curls and circles 

that form the words began to make sense 

and, with the advent of writing, man 

entered history. 

Let’s review another aspect of considerable 

interest which is that of mirror 

neurons, a topic I wrote about in previous 

articles of the journal but which 

deserves to be analyzed for the countless 

and important functions of these 

nerve cells. Mirror neurons are a set 

of structures, among which the most 

studied is that relating to the prefrontal 

lobe, which first of all constitute the 

neurobiological basis of empathy; empathy 

is that psychic function, but with 

a strong neurobiological basis, which 

allows us to enter the mind of others, 

to formulate a theory of what the other 

thinks and what the other intends to 

do. This function allows us, for example, 

to play as a team and to hunt in 

groups; it allows us in the fraction of a 

moment to understand, playing soccer, 


which of my teammates is the most suitable, 

for what he is doing and what he is 

thinking at that moment, to receive my 

ball pass. Without empathy we would not 

be able to do teamwork; not only this but 

we would not even be able to fall in love 

or establish a relationship of friendship 

that presupposes the ability to enter the 

mind and make us a theory of what the 

other is thinking or feeling. 

This discovery, extremely important, moreover, 

explains to us 

why in many forms 

of autism, however, 

the individual lives 

in his solitude and is 

unable to establish a 

relationship of empathic 

relationship with the world. Thanks 

to this discovery, the work of a group of 

Italian scientists headed by prof. Giacomo 

Rizzolatti, and thanks to the understanding 

of the brain mechanisms underlying 

empathy, we have passed from the vision 

of the brain as a purely neurological organ 

capable of making us move and / or 

feel, therefore from a pure sensory-motor 

organ to a cognitive and affective. An organ 

capable of producing not only knowledge, 

but also subjectivity and intersubjectivity 

and therefore relationships 

with others. 

I can look at these images and 

describe them as a gentleman 

drinking milk and, to do this, 

I have to put myself in the 

other’s shoes by means of a mechanism 

that Vittorio Gallese 

called embodied simulation. 

If there were no mirror neurons, 

for example, this image 

would be described as three 

women on a chair. This is in 

fact the answer 

given by patients 

with a degenerative 

disease of the 

prefrontal lobe and 

of the connections 

with which this 

anatomical part is 

connected; therefore, 

schizophrenic 

patients, patients 

suffering from 

frontotemporal 

dementia or Pick’s disease and also Alzheimer’s 

patients who in the mid-terminal 

phase of the disease also undergo 

an invasion of the prefrontal lobe. 

If I ask those who have the availability 

of an efficient 

prefrontal lobe 

and mirror neurons 

that are 

also functioning, 

instead, 

describing this 

picture they tell 

it this way: “these are three girls scared 

to death because they have seen a mouse 

or something similar; this fright led 

them to climb onto a chair for fear of 

coming into direct contact with the mouse. 

Luckily there was his little brother in 

the house, they called him and told him 

take that stick, go and look under that 

piece of furniture because it is nearby 

that we saw the mouse. So, you try to kill 

him because that’s how the fear passes 

away”. See what difference there is 

between a brain structure capable of 

giving a narrative of facts and another 

brain structure impoverished by a 

disease, which can only express what 

visual perception allows us to observe: 

three women on a chair. 


35


Without empathy, art could also exist 

but no one would know that it exists, 

everything that cannot be shared is placed 

outside common sense. It seems obvious 

that mirror neurons enter the phenomenology 

of art in an overwhelming 

way, because they allow us to put ourselves 

in the shoes and mind of the poet 

who wrote that text, of the painter who 

painted that picture. Without this function, 

someone could also do something 

beautiful that we could call art, but no 

one would appreciate it; this is because 

there would be no inter-subjectivity that 

links in a network the emotions, beliefs, 

concepts and ideas of the people who 

participate in this common artistic experience. 

This network explains how, even 

in abstract art, beauty is expressed by the 

artist and shared by the viewer. 

Vittorio Gallese (2014) explained to us 

that neuroscience research in recent decades 

has shown that perception is a multimodal 

process that involves the activation 

not only of the corresponding areas 

of the brain (therefore the sensory ones, 

for example) but also of brain circuits. 

sensor-motor, viscero-motor and affective 

So it is all our brain that is recruited to 

perform these functions which from the 

point of view of emotions and cognition 

represent the maximum performance 

that our brain is able to give, and it is not 

little. 

Let us now observe 

the tenth table of the 

Rorschach test and 

also here we discover 

how nothing is as it 

appears to us, because 

we believe we see it in 

a certain way and instead the neurophysiology 

studies show us other things. Rorschach 

was a psychiatrist who lived in 

the early years of the last century, also 

a painter. The fact is, if the Rorschach 

test were not so, which would not 

work so marvelously from the point 

of view of psychodiagnosis, we see the 

color in the V4 area before we see the 

movement (V5) and the movement 

we see it before. see form (V3-V4). In 

other words, color, shape and movement 

reach the brain at different times 

and in different areas; we are convinced 

of the simultaneity of perception, 

but in reality, this is not the case. 

This fact explains why in front of table 

10 of the Rorschach someone, working 

with rational Aristotelian thought, 

will say: “they are two mice that are 

both attached to an axis”; this is an indication 

of ordered, regular and linear 

thinking in which the emotional and 

affective component does not play a 

decisive role. Another person, instead 

of facing this same image, may say: “Oh 

my God, what a fear! But this is blood; 

oh my god I can’t tolerate seeing all this 

blood”. It is obvious that, in this case 

for the cerebral organization of this 

individual, the visual component that 

reaches the brain first plays a prominent 

role; this considered the cyto-architectural 

organization of the brain 

and therefore circuit in the brain of 

that subject. The color responses (C) are 

more involved with the overall value 

(unconscious mechanisms) than those 

of form (F) (index of ordered and linear 

thinking). So, this test, considering the 

neurophysiological characteristics that 

we have just said, that is that the color 

arrives before the movement and before 

the form, allows us to understand 

which is the unconscious organization 

and the thigh of an individual. It is obvious 

that this distancing of times is a 


37

distancing of a few milliseconds not of 

hours, so much so that we do not even 

notice it. 

Another fascinating 

field is 

that of the two 

memories: one 

controlled by 

the amygdala 

and the other 

by the hippocampus. 

I have to make a premise: when 

we are born and in the first three years 

of life, the hippocampus is there but it is 

not functioning. In the following years 

it begins to mature and until its full maturity, 

the mind and the higher cortical 

functions are predominantly governed 

by the amygdala. This organ during 

the individual life cycle will almost 

completely stop being connected with 

memory but will be connected with 

fears, strong emotions, aggression and 

violence and, on a pathological level, for 

example, with post disorder. -traumatic 

from stress. But at this early stage of life, 

however, it is the only point of reference 

where data relating to personal experiences 

can be stored. 

The amygdaloid memorization processes 

are different from the subsequent 

ones in the hippocampus, as the latter is 

connected with the linguistic areas; therefore 

if I cross the street and meet Giovanni, 

then when I cross the street and 

meet another person I can tell him that 

I have met Giovanni. Since the hippocampus 

is connected with the language 

centers, my experience is verbally utterable 

and transmissible so I can share it 

with all the others through language. 

What the amygdala does and does it in 

the first three years of life and continues 

to do it in a minor way until the 

age of 6-7, however, is a completely different 

job; makes sure that all the sensory 

experiences that involve us in that 

age phase are absorbed by our brain. 

The brain in that phase of life is just 

like a sponge that holds everything, but 

there is no hippocampus ready to store 

the material in the memory warehouse 

and give it a linguistic appearance, this 

because the amygdala unfortunately 

has no connection with the centers that 

oversee language. So, the emotions, the 

traumas but also the beautiful things, 

the smile of the mother, all these things 

remain imprinted in our brain and then 

they will affect us, for better or for worse, 

even as adults. The case of little Hans 

narrated by Freud is anecdotal, where 

the child at the age of three had a strong 

fright triggered by the vision of a runaway 

horse; later around the age of 10 

he developed a phobia of horses. If the 

problem had happened at the age of 10, 

thanks to the indirect linguistic abilities 

of the hippocampus, Hans would have 

been able to say: “… mom, what a fear! 

Console me because that horse scared me 

too much”. He would have verbalized 

and it could have ended there. Instead, 

this traumatic episode happened 

around the age of 2-3, so everything 

that happened, all the confiscation of 

anxiety, fear, anguish and terror remained 

in a part of the brain. Furthermore, 

this is an area that we share with reptiles 

and is located in the back of our 

brain, an ancestral area that is much 

older than the one generated with the 

evolution towards homo sapiens. So, the 

emotions and both the negative and positive 

aspects of the emotions are localized 

there and cannot be verbalized; the 

negative aspects can then take the form 

of psychopathological conditions such 



39

as phobia. 

Any of our cognitive, social, loving, religious, 

political, artistic experiences go 

through the activation of specific brain 

areas. Today, thanks to neuroimaging 

technologies, it is possible to visualize 

which areas of the brain are activated 

or deactivated when a subject is exposed 

to any of the activities described 

above. Even the aesthetic experience is 

subject to the laws that regulate brain 

activities and the nervous structures 

involved, so art can be considered as 

an extension of the brain function. To 

conclude, beyond the commercial phenomena 

related to the art market that 

determine the value of artistic artefacts, 

Neuroaesthetics is allowing us to better 

understand the effects that an artistic 

experience, perceived as beautiful, has 

on our brain. Semir Zeki, a neurobiologist 

at University College London and 

father of Neuroaesthetics, argued that 

looking at a painting by Caravaggio (if 

we like Caravaggio) is, for the brain, like 

receiving a kiss; admiring a work of art 

stimulates the same brain areas sensitive 

to falling in love. His classic research 

involved a large group of subjects whose 

brain activity was detected through 

functional magnetic resonance imaging 

(fMRI) while viewing 28 paintings by 

artists including Botticelli, Leonardo 

Da Vinci, Cezanne and Monet. The study 

found that the visualization of the 

works of art had stimulated an increase 

in dopamine, one of the hormones of 

well-being, in the orbito-frontal cortex, 

and that there was a greater activity 

of the brain areas generally related to 

falling in love and pleasure. deep (this 

substance is associated with the use of 

drugs as well as the feeling of love). In 

subsequent studies he has shown that 

our brain reacts in a very similar way 

both when we are in love and when 

we admire a work of art that we like, 

the same areas are activated in the 

two different situations. This is one of 

the many proofs of how much art can 

be useful within therapies for dealing 

with serious psychopathologies such as 

anxiety and depression. Zeki emphasized: 

“... there have been great advances 

in our understanding of what happens 

inside our brains when we look at works 

of art. We have recently discovered that 

when we observe things that we consider 

beautiful, there is an increase in activity 

in the pleasure recognition centers of the 

brain. There is a large supply of dopamine 

in this area, also known as the “feel-good” 

transmitter. Essentially the feel-good centers 

are stimulated, similar to the states of 

love and desire. The reaction was immediate”. 

Traditionally, art has 

always been associated 

with beauty but 

ever since, in 1917, 

Marcel Duchamp presented 

a urinal, which 

he called La Fontana, 

at an art exhibition, everyone admits 

that, for something to be considered a 

work of art, it need not be perceived as 

beautiful. One of the most debated questions 

in aesthetics is whether beauty 

can be defined by objective parameters 

or whether it depends entirely on 

subjective factors. Although subjective 

criteria play an essential role in everyone’s 

aesthetic experiences, today we 

can hypothesize that there are specific 

principles with a biological basis that 

can facilitate the perception of beauty. 

In a study by the Parma group, directed 

by Giacomo Rizzolatti, the presence of 


a specific parameter, that is the golden 

proportion, in the stimuli presented, determined 

brain activations different from 

those evoked by the stimuli in which this 

parameter was violated. 

When we look at a face that we find beautiful, 

the Reward dopaminergic circuit 

is activated (the main centers of which 

are located in the ventral mesencephalic 

tegmental area, in the ventral striatum 

and in the orbitofrontal cortex). It is a circuit 

that is triggered for all hedonically 

relevant stimuli, generating pleasant sensations. 

Seeing an attractive face makes 

us feel like we’ve just won some money, 

seeing an unattractive one like we’ve 

just lost it. The brain therefore responds 

quickly and automatically to beauty (understood 

as what we experience as beautiful). 

Aesthetic attraction is also the basis 

of a cognitive bias such as that of judging 

intelligent, at first glance, a good-looking 

individual. Therefore beauty is associated 

with a moral idea of overall goodness, 

with all the practical (and unconscious) 

implications that this entails (even on 

judicial decisions). There is a subjective 

experience of beauty, determined by 

personal life experiences and, often, by 

cultural coordinates that lead to the reception 

of information deemed reliable on 

age, fertility, health and our brain is well 

trained to recognize them. In a recent 

editorial in Nature (2015) Karl Grammer, 

a Viennese anthropologist, an important 

pioneer of studies on attraction, says: “Human 

beings are obsessed with beauty. And 

when you find an obsession like this, there 

must be something deeper than a simple 

cultural norm”. Aesthetic judgment is then 

a complex blend of genetic, cultural and 

subjective factors, which took millions of 

years to evolve. In this aesthetic dimension, 

art, one of the highest expressions of 

human complexity and of the most refined 

ways of representing sensations 

and emotions, provides one of the most 

precious documents on the functioning 

of our brain because, as Paul Klee 

wrote, “the art does not reproduce the 

visible, it makes invisible things visible”. 


41



43



45

SOUL OF D 

IN S 

La magia di una land da sogno. 

The magic of a dream land. 

Scritto da PINO VITI. 

Immagini di JARLA CAPALINI e 

Written by 

DAVI 

PINO 

SPERBER. 

VITI. 

Images by JARLA CAPALINI and 

DAVI SPERBER. 


REAMS 

SECOND LIFE 


47

SOUL OF 

DREAMS 

“Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but footprints.” So 

reads a sign at the landpoint of this magnificent sim, born of the 

commitment and visionary creativity of owner Xana Newall. 

This is a land full 

of aesthetic and 

cultural “citations”, 

suspended between 

present and past and 

characterized by a 

refined retro taste. 

“Take nothing but photos, leave nothing 

but footprints.” So says a sign at the 

land point of this magnificent sim, born 

from the commitment and visionary 

creativity of the owner Xana Newall, 

and the poetic epigraph sounds like a 

sort of invitation to explore it without 

violating its untouched beauty with 

invasive superficiality. And we would 

like to follow the enchanting paths 

It is possible at the door to sign up for the Soul Of 

Dreams group. 


Everything is 

represented with 

meticulous attention 

to detail. 

on tiptoe, not to break 

the magical atmosphere 

of the places with our 

presence or disturb the 

precious balance between 

art and nature. 

At the entrance, it is 

possible to enroll in the 

Soul Of Dreams group, 

and the registration 

fee of 250 L$ entitles 

you to stay in the land, 

to the great joy of the 

photographers who will 

find an abundant source 

of inspiration for their 

work. Testimony of their 

interest is the existence of 

a group of the same name 

on Flickr (https://www. 

flickr.com/groups/souls_ 

of_dreams) reserved 

for photos taken in this 

magical place. 

It’s a land, this one, full 

of aesthetic and cultural 

“citations,” suspended 

between present and 

past and characterized 

by a refined retro taste. 

Everything is represented 

with meticulous attention 

to detail, and every 

piece seems to demand 

attention and respect, 

as well as admiration 

for the great work that 

is perceived beyond 

appearances. But it comes 

naturally to think that 

“Soul of Dreams” was 

not a simple open-air 

museum exhibition in the 

intentions of those who 


49

I recommend accepting the region’s light settings 

for the best experience. 

In different points of the region we can find 

signs indicating the main attractions. 

created it: it does not perform 

but lets you discover it slowly; 

it does not show but suggests; 

it does not say everything and 

immediately but guides us 

with discretion without ever 

giving up the intriguing aura of 

mystery that surrounds us as 

soon as we arrive. The default 

setting is nocturnal, teasing our 

imagination and concealing 

signs and signals at first reading. 

Soon, however, we begin to 

understand the arcane language 

of the places. Immediately, halfhidden 

by the lush vegetation, 

we discover a stone pavilion 

overlooking the sea by way 

of veranda: many columns of 

the building have collapsed or 

broken, almost as if to testify, 

with a “romantic” taste in the 

literary sense, the inevitable 

passage of time, while a table 

set for two at the center of the 

veranda seems to be waiting for 

who knows how long, and for 

how long, a mysterious couple 

that toasts to love without 

beginning and end. 

And time seems to have left its 

indelible patina everywhere, but 

without altering any meaning 

or function. An old ticket office 

with its sign was torn down but 

with a rotating lamp that still 

turns, a vintage Ape-car with its 

load of flowers that never wilted, 

a gas stove peeling and rusty but 

still working, an old fountain 



51

with the basin full of weeds but with 

water still flowing: everything seems to 

tell us, under the banner of captivating 

contradictions and melancholic 

nostalgia. 

Going further in, we will cross a bridge 

that will lead us to a dock with a pier 

where old fishing boats and a sailing 

boat are moored; it is a small city built 

on canals: it could be a miniature 

Amsterdam, but the austere buildings 

with a decidedly Victorian imprint, the 

signs of the typically “British” stores, 

a wonderful Irish Pub and the red 

telephone booths certainly take us back 

to a London of times gone by. There 

is no shortage of vintage cars, oldfashioned 

bicycles, old-style billboards, 

and even the cart with steaming roast 

chestnuts: all of a delightfully “vintage” 

taste that leads us to browse inside the 

meticulously reconstructed stores. 

But there’s more: once out of the city, 

we can go into dense woods and climb 

steep paths immersed in unspoiled 

nature, and one of them will take us to a 

beautiful rustic farmhouse where every 

detail is a work of art. 

Spectator of our wanderings is a sea 

near and far as only it can be when the 

summer is over. Illuminated by the sun 

of an autumn sunset or by the silvery 

spring moon, it will accompany us on 

our journey with the murmur of its 

tireless waves. 

Leaving this magnificent land, we will 

realize that we have partly disregarded 

the indications of the sign at the 

entrance: we have taken photos and 

captured emotions and memories; we 

have not only left footprints but also 

a piece of our heart. “Soul” as in soul, 

“Dreams” as in dreams. 

Nomen omen... 

References 

Soul of Dreams 

Teleport: 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ 

Glanmire/78/16/21 



53



55



57



59



61



63



65



67



69



71

MEDITERRANEO-OC 

TELEPORT: 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Mediterraneo%20OC/114/190/21 



73

LOST LAGO 

Lost Lagoon ci permette un salto indietro nel 

tempo, facendoci gustare un tempo e uno stile 

di vita che rischiamo di dimenticare. 

IN IN SES 

Lost Lagoon allows us to step back in time, 

giving us a taste of a time and lifestyle that we 

are in danger of forgetting. 

Scritto da SERENA DOMENICI. 

Written Immagini by di SERENA JARLA CAPALINI. 

DOMENICI. 

Images by JARLA CAPALINI. 


OON ON 

ECOND LIFE LIFE 


75

The creator is Jana Guyot who has realized an 

atmospheric setting that takes us back in time. 

LOST LAGOON 

IN SECOND LIFE 

Spring 


DEDICATED TO PHOTOGRAPHERS 

LOST LAGOON allows rez to anyone who joins the group the 

region is joined to. The cost to join the group is L$150. 

Here time seems to stand still, reminding 

us of landscapes of uncontaminated 

beauty. 

I look at the sea from 

this wooden terrace 

impregnated with 

saltiness and life, 

and I feel as if I were 

transported back in 

time to fifty years ago 

and maybe more when 

certain beautiful 

natural landscapes 

existed, but above all 

resisted the boorish 

and merciless attack of 

building speculation 

and commercial 

massification in the 

name of money. 

Here, time seems 

to have stopped, 

reminding us 

of landscapes of 

uncontaminated 

beauty like certain 

places in the south of 

Italy or the Maremma 

coast, or even like the 

French Camargue: in 

fact, it seems that from 

one moment to the 

next, a young Brigitte 

Bardot can be seen 

walking on the beach. 

In short, a mixture of 

beauties was skilfully 

mixed and masterfully 

reproduced in Second 

Life by someone who 

had very clear ideas 

because nothing was 

left to chance. Every 

detail, refined in its 

simplicity, has its 

precise reason for 

being. 


77

I won’t hide from you 

that I often take refuge 

on that terrace, resting 

on stilts almost at sea 

level, to write and think. 

Now and then, I lift my 

eyes to look around me, 

placid and at the same 

time waiting for I don’t 

even know what, for I 

don’t even know who. 

I breathe. I imagine. I 

question myself. I reflect. 

As you well know, 

the world has been 

devastated by an 

unexpected pandemic, 

and not all of us live in 

such beautiful places 

and close contact with 

nature. Many of us are 

forced by the continuous 

lockdowns to stay in 

apartments far from 

the sea, the mountains, 

and unspoiled nature, 

surrounded only by 

concrete. So this is the 

right place to find that 

world that seems to no 

longer belong to us and 

find the strength to react 

and fight so that all this 

does not remain only 

virtual but returns to be 

part of our lives. 

It’s lovely that the owner 

of this charming place: 

http://maps.secondlife. 

com/secondlife/Sea%20 

Starr/248/94/22 , has 

given us this gift: a 

refuge of body and soul 

in which to venture 

along beautiful 

trails up to the top of 

rolling hills, where 

dwellings and gazebos, 

cleverly furnished 

with a delightful 

retro taste, make 

the scenery change, 

without disrupting 

the harmony of the 

place but reminding 

us of a past of discreet 

elegance but refined. 

Everything blends 

wonderfully with 

the landscape below, 

more ‘wild’ but 

treated harmoniously 

in a crescendo of 

details that can not 

certainly escape to 

eyes that love the 

beauty of details. Soft 

and shaded colors 

delicately turned to 

amber and sepia tones 

as in old photographs 

yellowed by time, 

lazy flights of seagulls, 

placid seafoam on 

sand and cliffs, clouds 

that chase each other 

unhurriedly in the sky 

of an eternal sunset: 

everything tells with 

the silence of ancient 

wisdom, coagulating 

dreams and memories 

in a nostalgic inner 

experience, while 

the deja-vu rises to a 

category of the spirit. 

I love this place 

because it makes me feel 

free and melancholy, of 

that melancholy that does 

not tear but cradles and 

caresses the heart as the 

sea wind caresses the skin. 

Yes, this is my enchanted 

place, where time seems to 

have stopped forever. 

References 

Lost Lagoon (Teleport) 


com/secondlife/Sea%20 

Starr/249/14/24 

Lost Lagoon Flickr 

https://www.flickr.com/ 

groups/4505438@N21/ 

pool/ 



79



81



83



85



87



89



91



93



95

LADMILLA MEDIER 

Ladmilla Medier, 

ART 

Head Column 

“Art does not reflect what is seen, rather it makes the 

hidden visible.” 

(Paul Klee) 

I don’t think that there is an absolute definition of 

Art. Still, this short, famous quote represents the 

path that I will propose in this section dedicated 

to Art: together we will know the artists active 

in Second Life and their works, we will discover 

the study, the conceptual elaboration, and the 

artistic technique that gave rise to the creations; 

each of us will be able to listen to the whispering 

stories, awaken dormant memories and provide our 

interpretation, find the essence that goes beyond 

the visible. 

I am sure it will be a fascinating journey! 

Ladmilla 



97

CIOTTOLIN 

Artista Well known conosciuta and appreciated e apprezzata artist che who trasforma transforms i suoi 

sentimenti her feelings ed and emozioni emotions in arte into 3D. 

art. 

AR A 

Written by LADMILLA MEDIER 

Scritto da LADMILLA MEDIER 

Images by LADMILLA MEDIER 

Immagini di LADMILLA MEDIER 


NA A XUE 

RTISTA 


99


WORDLESS STORIES 

Ciottolina Xue is an Italian 

artist, a Second Life 

resident from fourteen 

years. Her creations 

hit the feelings of the 

observer and tell stories 

with spontaneity and 

wonder, as only a child 

could do. 

The origin of her virtual 

name is very sweet and 

she tells it in a very 

descriptive way, so it 

seems that we can see 

her… 

2. PROPAGANDA 

Ciottolina (Peebles) is 

the daughter of Fred 

and Wilma Flintstones, 

characters from the 

animated series “The 

Ancestors”. 


“I don’t know if I create 

art, I certainly don’t 

consider myself an 

artist.” 

The first time they called 

me by this name I was 

fourteen years old, I was 

a little girl with long, 

auburn and curly hair. 

In May of that year I 

was at school for having 

an oral question. I was 

overheated because of the 

outside temperature and 

the agitation for the test, 

so I put my hair up in a 

bun and secured it with a 

pen I took from my pencil 

case, it was bone-shaped 

and soon a kid from my 

class exclaimed: “There! 

We have Ciottolina 

(Peebles)!” 

From that moment on, 

they never stopped to call 

me that. 

The artist kindly provided 

us with info about her 

real life, her personality 

and her way of living 

Second Life, allowing us 

so to know her better, 

to feel her closer and to 

share her interest in the 

environment, to appreciate 

her confidentiality and 

spontaneity, her great 

ability to give affection… 


In real life I am a Doctor 

of Veterinary Medicine, I 

have a master’s degree in 

Biology and one in Natural 

Sciences, I run a veterinary 

laboratory and I am 

employed in the research 

center “Biodiversity, 

flora and fauna” near the 

“Abruzzo National Park” 

(Abruzzo is a region of 

Central Italy). 

I live the current pandemic 

with determination, with 


101

the belief that everything 

is going to be all right; my 

profession makes me move 

often also in this time but, 

respecting the necessary 

security measures, I come 

home every night healthy. 

I do not have much time 

to devote to the virtual 

world so my connections to 

Second Life are few, if there 

are no important events to 

follow in the metaverse I am 

online a couple of nights a 

week only. 

I am a very shy girl, I hardly 

organize the exhibitions 

of my works, indeed many 

of those realized were 

almost extorted by those 

who asked me (laughs). I 

like to decorate the land 

“SOLODONNA” with my 

works, it is owned by my 

two Second Life moms: 

Sniper Siemens and Elettra 

Beardmore; I love them 

so much and they are 

probably the reason why 

I am still hanging in this 

virtual world after fourteen 

years;”SOLODONNA” is 

the land where I like to be 

when I am online, It is very 

rare for me to move from 

it or from the land where I 

have my Gallery. 

Ciottolina is a friendly 

and spontaneous person, 

I was pleasantly surprised 

by her modesty: she does 

not need to feed her ego; 

what I admire about her 

is the ability to appreciate 

others and their skills, 

while following her path 

and creating amazing 

artworks in my opinion, 

even if she does not think 

so… 

I do not know if what I 

create is art, I definitely do 

not think I am an artist; 

there are so many good 

artists in the metaverse 

that create really 

wonderful artworks, this 

is why I was surprised 

when I was asked for an 

interview. 

I try to express feelings 

with my artworks, to tell 

stories that cannot be 

told in words, to capture 

an intense gaze or an 

important gesture as we 

often can see in photos, I 

try to do so in 3D, whether 

it is a statue, a flower 

or a robot, everything 

expresses a feeling. 

I use Art as a 

communication medium, 

so there are no creations 

in my repertoire made just 

for creating something, I 

feel happy and rewarded 

for the work I have done 

when people coming to 

visit my exhibition tell me 

in private the emotions felt 

looking at my artworks, 

the emotions that I wished 

people could feel when 

I created them. Every 

work of mine talks about 

me, reveals a side of my 

being, shows my feelings, 

thoughts and interests; 

I am probably the sum 

of the sensations told by 

what I create: in each one 

of my creations there is a 

piece of my soul. 

The human and artistic 

sensitivity that gleams 

through Ciottolina’s 

works therefore fully 

represents her way of 

perceiving reality, the 

great importance she 

gives to affections, her 

thoughts about society 

and the new habits that 

some of us acquired 

with the development 

of technology (I must 

say that I fully share her 

point of view)… 

In this time period people 

are no longer used to 

search for the news they 

are interested in, using 

reliable sources, I think 

they even forgot how to 

search for them: many 

settle for reading them 


on Facebook rather than 

inquire from authoritative 

and recognized websites or, as 

I think is safer, at a traditional 

library. The world of 

information offers countless 

journalism sites, or supposed 

ones, which spread news on 

purpose distorting them as 

they please, at the expense of 

the user who will never know 

the truth of the facts. 

My creation 

“PROPAGANDA” (Photo 2) is 

an invite to do it yourself, to 

find personally infos, to study 

for having better ideas and 

to not accept passively other 

people’s opinions: the robot 

putting the face back on the 

man, now covered with all 

kinds of newspapers, is trying 

to help him to recover his lost 

identity. 

I love all my robots cause they 

represent the characteristic 

innocence, wonder and 

curiosity of children, cause 

they show in every expression 

the inherent childhood 

spontaneity. 

One of my robots is looking at 

an earthworm resting on its 

finger, the expression on the 

face of the robot observing 

the little being is the essence 

of the childhood wonder I try 

so hard to find in people’s eyes 

(Photo 3). 

There are also some robots 

3. ROBOT LOMBRICO - 

Earthworm robot 

in my collection that 

represent a dear friend of 

mine, sadly a heart attack 

took him away six months 

ago; he was a wonderful 

man and artist, his avatar 

is named Oblomov (jos 

bookmite) but in real 

life his name was Mario 

Emanuele Degni. 

In fourteen years of 

Second Life I never 

reached a level of 

intimacy with a man as 

with Jos, and I do not 

mean sex: he was the only 

one I allowed to see right 

through me, the only one 

I felt true and honest; I 

cried a lot when he left us 

and I realized that Mario 

was a friend even in real 

life. 

The artist is also 

sensitive to social issues, 

in fact her commitment 

to Second Life for a 


103

charity project that she 

wanted to describe here, is 

noteworthy ... 

I collaborated during the 

last week of February 

to organize the Harvey 

Memorial Festival, a 

charity event that aims to 

raise funds for helping the 

research for the treatment of 

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral 

Sclerosis) and to promote the 

knowledge of this disease; 

the event is dedicated to 

the memory of the friend 

Harvey22 Albatros who died 

a few years ago precisely 

because of the ALS. 

Ciottolina’s creations are 

therefore inspired by her 

sensitivity and personal 

experience, but it is also 

interesting to know the 

digital resources she uses 

for creating her artworks 

and the realization 

process… 

For creating the mesh 

shapes I use the Cinema 4D 

program and for processing 

the textures I work with 

Photoshop. The most 

important aspect of my 

creation is the expression 

of the subject: each of my 

work is a heap of shapes 

around an expression. 

All that remains now is 

to visit [C8] Creazioni, 

her Gallery where it 

is possible to buy her 

artworks: it is a large 

room divided into three 

levels separated by a 

few steps. The place is 

very welcoming and full 

of atmosphere, you can 

feel the personality of 

the artist in every detail; 

we immediately meet 

her beloved robots then, 

continuing to walk among 

her beautiful creations, 

we discover a flowering of 

roses from which tender 

children blossom. The 

walls are covered with 

magnificent images of her 

works and exhibitions, it 

is a total immersion into 

Art. 

Thank you Ciottolina! 

References 

[C8] Creazioni: https:// 

maps.secondlife. 

com/secondlife/ 

Lighthouse%20 

Oasis/28/160/2772 

Galleria di Ciottolina: 

https://maps.secondlife. 


Lighthouse%20 

Oasis/28/160/2772 


4. FAMILY - Famiglia 


105

5. ROBOT TRANSENNA - 

Barrier robot 



107

6. ROBOT 1 - Painted by 

(Dipinto da) Jos Oblomov 



109

7. LA DANZA DELL’AMORE - 

The dance of love 



111

8. MATERNITA’ - 

Motherhood 



113

9. INNOCENZA - Innocence 



115

10. SFRUTTAMENTO DELLA 

DONNA - Exploitation of 

women 



117

11. SILENZIO - Silence 



119

12. L’EQUILIBRIO INTERIORE - 

Inner balance 



121

13. IL FUMO UCCIDE - Smoking 

kills 



123

VAN LOOPEN 

Van Loopen, 

MUSIC 

Head Column 

If I were not an architect in life, I would probably be a 

musician. 

I think in music. 

I live my daydreams in music. 

I see my life in terms of music. 

Since 2009 in Second Life, I try to share this emotion 

with others. 

As editor and music consultant for 360 GRADI, I would 

like to shed light on an often underestimated world, but 

which is instead one of the main activities in the “second 

life.” 

The message in music arrives more efficiently at its 

destination, touching the most intimate and personal 

chords, without the need for other intermediaries in 

communication. 

In the variegated musical world of Second Life, I will 

deal with emerging artists and those who are now well 

established and often do not know each other well 

enough. 

I take advantage of this space to give some point of 

reference in the music scene of Second Life because 

“people consume music as if it were a handkerchief for 

the nose.” 

(Zucchero) 

Van 



125

ASAHRA LA 

LIVE 

Asahra is a highly 

regarded vocalist who 

offers private lessons 

inworld. 

Written by VAN LOOPEN. 

Images by JARLA CAPALINI 


NNOK 

SINGER 


127

ASAHRA LANNOK 

SINGER 

Immediately I heard a completely 

different voice, even from the 

most talented and impeccable 

singers of SL, really particular and 

recognizable, without any stylistic 

frills but naturally and innately, 

in a well-defined musical field: R 

& B, soul, funky, and groove (old 

style), are the musical extremes in 

which ranges in SL showing off 

her passionate voice, that only a 

particular black culture, moreover 

Jamaican, can have in her DNA. 

Dear friends of 350GRADI, 

from this magazine issue, 

I will deal with singers socalled 

“characterizing,” that 

is, those artists who, for their 

stylistic peculiarities and musical 

preparation, have chosen 

precisely to characterize in a 

well-defined and recognizable 

musical style. 

My experience in Secondlife 

(12 years) has made me know 

a multitude of live singers and 

are now recognizable those who 

have a varied repertoire from 

those who prefer a thematic 

repertoire, perhaps more 

appropriate to their singing 

characteristics. 

However, I can safely say that 

this rule does not always apply 

to all singers. Often it is a natural 

choice of taste, for affinity, 

culture, and personal history, 

rather than a ploy to brilliantly 

carry out specific performances 

and interpretations. 

In this issue, I have the pleasure 

of introducing you to a vocal 

coach working in RL for 20 years 


Asahra is a voice 

teacher as well as an 

accomplished vocalist. 

She founded Meraki 

Vocal Academy in 

January 2021. 


129

and who has chosen to 

interpret a well-defined 

musical style in SL for her 

own taste and pleasure. 

This doesn’t mean that 

by teaching singing and 

improving its problems, 

she couldn’t easily 

interpret other musical 

styles with the same skill 

and success. 

I’m talking about the 

young Londoner Asahra 

Lannock. 

The meeting with Asahra 

was entirely accidental 

because I met her during 

an evening dedicated to 

Valentine’s Day in an 

American land (I think). 

It was a real surprise for 

me, so much so that I was 

utterly mesmerized. 

Right away, I heard a 

completely different 

voice, even from the 

most talented and 

impeccable singers of 

SL, really particular and 

recognizable, without 

any stylistic frills but 

naturally and innately, 

in a well-defined 

musical field: R & B, soul, 

funky, and groove (old 

style), are the musical 

extremes in which 

ranges in SL showing 

off her passionate voice, 

that only a particular 

black culture, moreover 

Jamaican, can have in her 

DNA. So really, for this 

occasion, our Asahra goes 

well beyond her margins 

of musical choice, ranging 

in a valuable way from 

blues, reggae, jazz, pop, 

rock, up to the Opera, as 

you would expect from a 

singing teacher. 

Speaking of teaching, 

Asahra is really 

passionate about music 

and passing it on to those 

who want to learn. She 

cares about reminding 

us of her school, Meraki 

Vocal Academy, a family 

before being a workplace. 

I’m glad I knew her better 

since SL needs people 

committed, as she is, 

to pursue a particular 

discourse in the musical 

field, which is not only 

aimed at the evening musical 

performance. 

And indeed, in one way 

or another, with different 

commitments but then 

aimed at the same end goal, 

so far every artist I’ve had 

the pleasure to interview is 

committed with her passion 

to “give” something of herself 

and the “musical art,” to the 

listener. 

Maybe this is why the music 

sector in Secondlife is one of 

the most thriving and active. 

That’s why it transmits and 

brings to light with easy 

empathy what is already 

inside our life experience. 

I give you some official social 

media/web links of Asahra: 

SL: secondlife:///app/ 

group/5be75540-1e58-a18ba571-7408345a9dd5/about 

Soundcloud: https:// 

soundcloud.com/asahralannock 

Facebook: https://www. 

facebook.com/asahra. 

lannock 

The Meraki Vocal Academy 


Facebook page: https:// 

www.facebook.com/ 

merakivocalacademysl 

The Meraki Vocal 

Academy Website: 

https://asahralannock. 

wixsite.com/ 

merakivocalacademysl 

Schedule events: 

https://teamup.com/ 

ksffsankqnjnvrsm6o 

Van: Asahra, before 

entering into the musical 

discourse and as per our 

practice, can you give us 

a description of yourself? 

Personal origins, where 

you live, hobbies, work 

etc. What do you think 

about yourself? 

Asahra: I’m from London, 

UK and have traveled 

quite a lot. I’ve always 

known what I wanted 

to do from a young age, 

and that was singing. I 

livestream bi-weekly 

at Vibe Live Music on 

Thursdays @4pm slt and 

Can be found through 

out SL booked privately 

for events, concerts, 

birthdays, weddings, and 

engagements. I also teach 

vocal lessons weekly at 

my Vocal Academy. 

Van: Let’s go directly into 

the musical discourse 

now: you founded and 

manage in SL a school 

for vocalists, the Meraki 

Vocal Academy. Please 

explain to us when it 

was born and what the 

goals are. 

Asahra: Yes! I created 

the academy in January 

2021 and launched the 

first term February 28th 

2021. Each term is for 

6 weeks and completes 

with an “end of term” 

Graduation event. 

It is open to people 

with little to no vocal 

experience as well 

as the well practiced 

vocalist... our classes 

include both and with 

full participation, we 

have seen great results 

and improvement in as 

little as 3 weeks! There 

are Private Lessons and 

Group Lessons available 

depending on your 

desire and can do 1 term 

only or make it your 

regular class as we really 

become a family. 

Van: You are a vocalist 

in RL; what was the 

motivation that led you 

to be one in SL as well? 

Asahra: yes, I’ve been in 

the music industry for 

over 20 years, having 

started at 6years old and 

began taking bookings 

at 10years old. I have 

been a player of SL since 

2009 as a teenager and 

straight away would join 

the karaoke events lol 

so it was natural for me 

to take it more seriously 

within time. I actually 

enjoy music and singing 

^^ 

Van: Asahra, your 

musical interpretations 

are well defined and 

circumscribed in 

an undeniable and 

definitive musical style. 

R&B, soul, and funky 

seem to be in your 

blood. Where does your 

knowledge come from, 

and what is your musical 

history? 

Asahra: Thank you :) my 

parents are collectors of 

music and being from 

the Caribbean (Jamaica), 

music and poetry is a 

big part of our culture. 

Where kids would watch 

tv for entertainment I 

was digging through my 

parents music collections 

and learning the songs 

from their parents age. 

I’m also a little history 

buff so I have a thirst to 

learn the craft I enjoy as 

deeply as possible and 

that included learning 


131

it’s origins... blues, reggae, 

jazz, pop, rock, Opera, and 

classical instrumentals... 

listening to the music 

allowed me to write and 

sing in various styles and 

jam with the music as an 

instrumentalist would. 

Van: Do you remember 

when you first got into 

SL? On your own, or did 

someone tell you about it? 

Asahra: lol yes it was 

in 2008 after hearing 

a news report about a 

couple divorcing due to a 

game that was compared 

to Sims. As lover of sims 

I wanted to know what 

this Game was... once 

I joined I realised the 

platform of SL is so much 

more than a mere “game” 

but a social platform and 

really world of it’s own. 

Van: What message 

would you like your 

interpretations to convey 

to your listeners? 

Asahra: I tend to seek to 

relate to my audience in 

some way... drawing their 

memories to attach to 

whatever i sing to really 

convey the story. Singing 

is really a vulnerable 

experience for a vocalist... 

we really open ourselves 

up during that time, so 

I always seek to create 

a memorable, fun and 

emotional experience. It’s 

an opportunity to share 

and represent something 

that I love and almost 

give others a chance to 

love it to or see it from 

my perspective. I do 

the same with Meraki 

Vocal Academy, it’s a hub 

for lovers of music and 

singing that’s why the 

glorified bathroom singer 

is more than welcome 

hehe. 

Van: I have heard you 

sing several times in SL, 

but it was enough for 

me to dare to compare 

you to Bruno Mars or 

Donny Hathaway on 

the male side, with vocal 

influences from the best 

female R&B and gospel 

singers of the 70s. But 

which singers are you 

really inspired by? 

Asahra: aww thank you I 

love Bruno Mars haha...I 

was born in the 90’s and I 

have to say for me it was 

the best time for music 

in all genre’s so finding 

one influence was really 

hard... my parents played 

Whitney, Celine Dionne, 

Michael Bolton, Berres 

Hammond (reggae), the 

one and only Michael 

Jackson and the Jackson 

5... then I grew up and 

would listen to Destiny’s 

Child, Pink, Faith Evans, 

Toni Braxton and Mary 

J Blidge... really the list is 

too long to say haha. 

Van: Would you like to 

sing along with other 

singers in SL? If so, with 

whom? 

Asahra: Yes I love to go 

to live events in SL when 

I am not singing myself 

and have managed to 

make many friends 

within the SL Music by us 

supporting one another. 

I have shared the stage 

with Samm Quendra and 

Tony Slade, Taboo Reign, 

Mahogany, Scorpio Aeon 

and Ambrosia Kamala.. 

Singing along with any of 

these amazing vocalists 

would be a pleasure as 

well as TJ Joubert. 

Van: What is your 

favorite song that you 

feel is yours? 

Asahra: wow, that’s a 

very interesting question 

and would be really hard 

to answer... How Could 

An Angel break my Heart 

by Toni Braxton would 

have to be given that title 

as it was the first cover 



133

song I ever performed live 

as a child and won me my 

first competition at 14. it 

also was the first song to 

ever make my audience 

cry so I would say it is 

with me forever. 

Van: Finally, in thanking 

you for giving some of 

your time to 360GRADI 

Magazine, I would like to 

ask you what you think 

about the music business 

in SL? What would you 

change or improve? 

Asahra: I would say 

that the music industry 

is fun and diverse and 

welcoming from my 

experience... there has 

been separation within 

the vocalists of SL when 

first getting into it... 

knowing what’s what 

was really a one-man 

mission for the most 

part however I feel 

with creating places/ 

HUBS like Meraki 

Vocal Academy that it’ll 

hopefully bring us all 

closer and more unified, 

creating a safe space for 

vocalists to come and 

master their craft but also 

learn how to get into livestreaming 

in SL in a much 

simpler way. 



135



137



139



141

SPARTAN 

Spartan, 

MALE FASHION 

I am experienced in the men’s fashion industry as a former 

blogger. I am also close to fashion houses, so the fashion 

and photography industry is definitely my passion 

in Second Life. 

On 360GRADI I would like to present some of my suggestions 

for men’s looks, hoping they can be of support to 

male avatars struggling to choose how to dress and find 

their own style. 

I enjoy collaboration and am open to suggestions. 

Spartan 



143

TM 

SHOPPIN 

Written by SPARTAN. 

Images by SPARTAN. 


D 

G EVENT 


145

TMD 

SHOPPING 

Formal or informal? Lace-up or 

loafer? Polo or shirt? Dress in 

size, tailored or tailored? From 

head to toe, the choice of how to 

dress is made of rules, exceptions, 

confirmations and innovations. 

In the Virtual World of Second 

Life, men’s fashion has ample 

and vital space even for 

designers. 

Formal or informal? Lace-up or 

loafer? Polo or shirt? Tailored 

or tailored suit? From head to 

toe, dressing is made up of rules, 

exceptions, confirmations, and 

innovations. 

It depends only partly on general 

trends and much more on 

personal style, circumstance, and 

roles. 

A quick focus on the excellences 

in the men’s fashion sector on 

Second Life that little by little is 

becoming commercially strong 

as the women’s fashion sector 

that is now the most commercial 

and sought after in various 

aspects since the creation of the 

Mesh. 

Men’s fashion is gaining strength 

from similar industries such as 

modeling schools and catwalk 


TMD brings together the 

most interesting and quality 

stores in the men’s fashion 

industry. 


147

and styling agencies. 

Many recognized male 

models and designers 

have chosen this genre 

thanks to their creativity 

and skill with Mesh. 

Let’s not forget all the 

EVENTS dedicated to 

men’s fashion. 

I’m not going to talk 

specifically about events 

because there are so 

many, and I don’t want 

to advertise any of them 

in this article but, one of 

them that I particularly 

like is “TMD.” 

References 

TMD 



TMD/125/101/22 

At TMD, gather the most 

exciting and quality 

stores according to my 

criterion in “bad fashion, 

“ which has led to the 

revelation of many 

excellent and creative bad 

bloggers whose photos 

speak for themselves. 

Personally speaking, a 

blogger and photographer 

who has a passion 

for men’s design and 

photography. 

“A Picture Says a 

Thousand Words.” 



149



151

JARLA CAPALINI 

Jarla Capalini, 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

Head Column 

Writing with light, from the Greek φῶς, φωτός, “light” and 

γραϕία, “writing”, this is “photography”. 

Now I know that talking about photography in Second 

Life will surely make purists curl their noses or smile at 

the most benevolent professionals and enthusiasts. Still, 

once there were film and exposure meter, then came 

digital cameras and files today. We also use phones to take 

pictures, and thanks (maybe) to them, photography is now 

within everyone’s reach. 

Here then is that a “viewer,” with all its peculiarities 

techniques can become a perfect means to “write” with the 

virtual “light” the encounter between the subject and the 

eye of the photographer, from which a new possible vision 

is born. 

The imagination of reality, albeit virtual. 

This one we will do in our journey among the 

photographers of Second Life: we will talk about 

technique, composition, inspiration and 

passion, hoping to convince skeptics that our images, 

although depicting a world of pixels, 

can rightly be considered “photography.” 

Jarla 



153

ARNOO 

PLANER 

Arnoo began creating stolen photos and called 

himself a “paparazzo” for fun. Today he is a 

respected photographer in the Esselian community 

on Flickr. 

Writen by JARLA CAPALINI. 

Images by ARNOO PLANER. 



155

PHOTOGRAPHER 

ARNNO 

Arnno, who began by photographing 

“famous” people including 

artists, bloggers, models, and 

even other photographers, met by 

chance here and there, has returned 

over the years his shots “stolen” 

in the form of images full of 

life, feeling, and depth, managing 

to capture unique aspects of each 

subject photographed that have 

made his style unique and imitated 

by many. 

The definition “paparazzo” given 

to certain photographers, specialized 

in capturing famous people 

in particular, rare, perhaps 

compromising public or private 

situations, is an author definition 

that has spread thanks to the 

reporter’s character in “La Dolce 

Vita” movie, which is called Paparazzo. 

There are several theories 

on the origin of the name: 

it seems that the character of a 

George Gissing book, that Fellini 

was reading at the time, inspired 

Fellini and Flaiano: Coriolano 

Paparazzo, but there are several 

others and it seems that Fellini 

enjoyed playing tell a different 

version in each interview. 

The term was certainly not a 

compliment; on the contrary, it 

was used in a vaguely derogatory 

way, as the reporter was 

hunting for scoops for money at 

any cost and by any means, until 

Rino Barillari valued the figure 

of the “paparazzo” in Italian photojournalism. 

The proper preamble on the origin 

of the “paparazzo” was necessary 

to frame the photographer 


His portraits are unedited and 

extremely expressive. 


157

we are interviewing in 

this issue, who is not just 

a “paparazzo” as he likes 

to define himself, but a 

portraitist of great sensitivity: 

Arnno Planer 

Arnno, who started photographing 

“famous” 

people including artists, 

bloggers, models and even 

other photographers, met 

by chance here and there, 

has given us back his “stolen” 

shots over the years 

in the form of images full 

of life, feeling and intensity, 

managing to capture 

peculiar aspects of each 

subject that have made 

his style unique and imitated 

by many. Now his 

stream is the historical 

memory of Second Life 

and by scrolling through 

his numerous albums, 

we can navigate through 

over 10 years of SL. 

Jarla: When, how and 

why did you start taking 

pictures on Second Life? 

Arnno: I have been on SL 

since 2007. Very quickly, 

I took pictures for my profile, 

to have memories too. 

Images of my avatar or 

my friends. Little by little, 

friends, friends of my 

friends, started asking me 

for portraits… and I got 

caught up in the game. 

This occasional hobby has 

“ I take pictures of 

people and things 

that attract me” 

Arnoo 

become almost daily from 

the moment I opened a 

Flickr account, in 2011. 

The introduction of 

meshes in the mid-2010s 

made this activity even 

more exciting, with increasingly 

realistic and 

photogenic avatars, objects 

and landscapes. 

Jarla: How did you become 

the most famous 

paparazzo in the virtual 

world? 

Arnno: Haha! It has not 

been thought through. 

So, I opened this Flickr account 

and I loved it very 

quickly. I discovered the 

SL community on Flickr. 

It was awesome! My 

Flickr nourished my second 

life and my second 

life nourished my Flickr. 

I naturally took to photograph 

these new friends 

from the Flickr community. 

It pleased me do it 

without their knowledge 

and surprise them by 

posting very quickly on 

Flickr. I think it came like 

that. However, I’m not a 

real paparazzo: these are 

stolen photos, but never 

compromising (smile). My 

idea is only to make a surprise, 

a cool wink. 

Jarla: What makes you 

decide whom to photograph? 

What inspires 

you? 

Arnno: I take pictures of 

people and things that 

appeal to me. Today, I 

am much less present 

on Second Life. Nevertheless, 

I still enjoy this 

creative hobby and the 

interactions it generates 

on Flickr or Facebook. 

There are things that also 

helped rekindle my enjoyment, 

like the Black 

Dragon viewer since 

one year and its built-in 

poser that allows me to 

play with my avatar a 

lot more. I have a lot of 

fun developing a sort of 

ego trip with him. He is a 

character a little narcissistic, 

megalo, seducer, ridiculous 

too, to whom I like 

to give a lot of freedom. 

Jarla: Since you have decided 

who to photograph, 

how long does it take you 

to shoot the picture in 


Second Life? 

Arnno: I do not control 

anything! For “paparazzo” 

pics, it often happens that 

I had time to take only 

one or two photos. In 10 

seconds... It’s luck, if it’s 

exploitable. However, I 

am also able to take 100 

or 150 photos of a subject, 

to test different angles, 

windlights, adjust the 

depth of field, shadows 

etc. I don’t look at the photos 

I take. I shoot, I shoot, 

and I see afterwards! And 

sometimes, I throw it all. 

Jarla: Do you edit your 

photos, what do you base 

your choices on in post 

processing? 

Arnno: Uh ... I had developed 

an agility on 

the small software that 

I use for editing (ippicy. 

com). But this agility has 

been completely called 

into question since the 

discontinuation of flash 

player at the start of the 

year. Therefore, that’s my 

current challenge. Master 

again this software, 

which has changed a 

lot. I’m not very good in 

editing, so I do the minimum. 

I often use texturing 

background images, 

to change the mood, to 

accentuate shadows, etc. 

I try to make it rather realistic, 

especially with a 

natural attitude. 

Jarla: How much do your 

mood and feelings affect 

you while shooting? 

Arnno: If my mood and 

feelings are affecting me, I 

am not aware of it. It is really 

the image, what it inspires 

in me, that decides. 

Jarla: You are also a 

fashion blogger and a 

landscape and interior 

photographer, you have 

also done exhibitions, you 

have one right now at 

Diamonds in the Sky Gallery, 

are these different 

genres of photography all 

facets of your personality 

or is there one that reflects 

you more? 

Arnno: Of course, I have 

tried everything i could, 

yes. But today I focus on 


159

photos of avatars, those 

I meet or mine. It’s what 

I do better or less badly. I 

never thought of myself 

as a blogger. It was an experience, 

a discipline with 

its own requirements, 

very interesting. But I 

don’t have time anymore. 

I am continuing for a few 

designer friends only. 

Jarla: I know that you 

don’t consider yourself an 

artist, but what is an artist 

for you? 

Arnno: Neither artist, nor 

even photographer! I’m 

a guy who takes screenshots 

on Second Life, like 

a tourist who tries to take 

the best pictures possible 

of his vacation. I have a 

fairly restrictive, classic 

definition of the word 

artist. An artist, it’s a lot 

of talent but also a lot of 

work, to create works 

that have meaning, things 

that will move us, make 

us think, Help us to live 

and become less stupid! 

Second life allows and 

generates many expressions, 

especially artistic 

ones. That’s great! But 

any artists? Maybe a few 

... But mostly I see many 

people on Second Life 

who live a little artist life. 

It is often very annoying 

for me! 

“I don’t know if I have 

a secret. I’m inspired 

by others and I 

experience a lot” 

Arnoo 

Jarla: What is your relationship 

with Arnno the 

“Paparazzo” today? 

Arnno: I have already 

answered a little, I think. 

First, I want to say that in 

15 years of Second Life, 

Arnno has managed to 

become more mature ... 

and also less present on 

Second Life. I have a lot 

of affection for Arnno, 

to bring it to life through 

images, a bit like the 

hero of my comic book. 

Through my images but 

also through those of others, 

because Arnno says 

always yes to be photographed. 

Ask Tatiana Easterwood! 

Jarla: What’s your best 

“flaw”? 

Arnno: If I’m talking 

about Arnno: being quite 

narcissistic, egocentric, 

exhibitionist… that gives 

me material for a lot of 

images! 

Jarla: Thank you for accepting 

the interview. 

Arnno: Mercì 

After hundreds of photos, 

thousands of followers 

and millions of views and 

likes, Arnno is the VIP; 

he no longer photographs 

famous people, but people 

become famous because 

Arnno photographs them 

and I do not exclude that 

now there is also someone 

who tries to meet 

him hoping to be immortalized 

by him. 

Arnno Actual exhibit: 

Diamonds in the Sky Gallery 

- March 2021 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/ 

HaStArA/22/232/3501 

Flickr -> https:// 

www.flickr.com/photos/67665515@N07/ 

Facebook -> https://www. 

facebook.com/arno.planer/ 

Twitter -> @aplaner1 

Instagram -> arnoplaner 



161



163



165



167



169



171



173

CAMP ITAL 

IN S 

Camp Italia è un punto di riferimento importante 

nel settore culturale della comunità italiana in 

Second Camp Italia Life. is an important landmark in the 

cultural sector of the Italian community 

Scritto da OEMA. 

Immagini di OEMA. 

Written by OEMA. 

Images by OEMA. 


IA 

SECOND LIFE 


175

CAMP ITALIA 

IN SECOND LIFE 

Camp Italia is an educational region that deals with various 

educational and cultural projects. Let’s explore it together with 

owner Asia Connel. 

I like Camp Italia 

because it is 

an educational 

destination, one of 

those locations whose 

sole purpose is to teach 

and promote cultural 

content. 

I like Camp Italia because it is an 

educational destination, one of those 

places whose sole purpose is teaching 

and promoting cultural content. 

I want to talk about Camp Italia in this 

issue because I believe that the Italian 

community can find (and does find) a 

significant point of reference in this 

Mediterranean-style region. This is 

especially true if the visitor is looking 

for a supportive community that speaks 

his mother tongue, Italian. 

Camp Italia, in the panorama of Second Life, is 

an educational sim dedicated to welcoming new 

users and instructing them to learn how to use the 

platform. 


Asia Connel 

introduces us to 

Camp Italia 

To get better acquainted 

with Camp Italia, I asked 

a simple question to Asia 

Connel, the founder, 

and promoter of this 

appreciable educational 

project. 

Oema: Asia, what are 

Camp Italia’s goals and 

what exactly do you do in 

Second Life? 

Asia: Hi Oema, in this 

first year, the Camp Italia 

sim has organized many 

events and participated 

in many others. In the 

Second Life panorama, 

Camp Italia is an 

educational sim dedicated 

to welcome new users 

and educate them to learn 

how to use the platform. 

Starting from this target, 

we aimed to make Camp 

Italia a sim that reflects 

an authentic link with 

RL’s Italian system (“real 

life”). 

Camp Italia participated 

last year in Fantasy Faire 

as a sponsor of Fantasy 

Faire Radio, then to 

Milano Digital Week, and 

the Italian BCorp Arkage 

with an online broadcast 

on some of the significant 

Italian presence in SL. 

This year, a support team 

has been consolidated, 

including Kirsten, Demi, 

Ughetta, Once, and some 

other avatars on an 

occasional basis. 


177

I recommend accepting the region’s light settings 

for the best experience. 

Basic and advanced courses 

were organized to learn how to 

use the platform during last year, 

from April to August, and a new 

course has just started. 

Camp Italia has organized several basic and 

advanced courses to learn how to use the 

platform. 

The lockdown has seen many 

users return, often quite 

bewildered by the changes that 

SL (“second life”) has undergone 

in recent years since the mesh. 

Many, really many, the art 

exhibitions organized, just 

as many the evenings of live 

music. Camp Italia participated 

in the memory of the fallen 

of Nassiriya with an ad hoc 

ceremony held at the sim. In 

other moments linked to Italy’s 

historical memory, such as the 

deportation of Italian Jews and 

the Foibe massacres’ victims. 

It participated in the sixteen 

days against violence against 

women as per the call of the 

United Nations. It dedicated 

the square of the welcome 

area to the magistrates Falcone 

and Borsellino with a special 

plaque. Also, General Dalla 

Chiesa was named a square on 

the waterfront of Burano. This 

indicates a strong desire to make 

virtual worlds an extension of 

so-called real life. 

Lessons, exhibitions, concerts, 

alternate with moments 

of socialization where one 

finds oneself having a chat, 

sometimes at the bar, sometimes 



179

in the camping area, often 

at the swimming pool of the 

Tuscan farmhouse are part of 

this project. Camp Italia has 

dedicated an area to Italy and 

Japan’s cultural and institutional 

relations, the nation that gave 

life to the first embassy in Italy. 

Here, too, this first embassy’s 

history has been reconstructed 

through period photos and 

historiographical material. 

The welcome area is divided 

between social and cultural 

spaces such as a small museum, 

a classroom, and a permanent 

exhibition on Futurism. There 

is also a sandbox that users use 

during practical lessons and a 

small church that re-proposes 

the Catholic Church’s Christian- 

Jewish tradition with moments 

of prayer. 

exhaustive to describe a project 

that deserves attention and 

participation from the Italian 

Community in SL. I refer the 

reader to Asia Connel (same 

name inworld). 

References 

Camp Italia: 


com/secondlife/Camp%20 

Italia/126/64/23 

These are the moments that 

Camp Italia has built-in an 

atmosphere of cordial sociality 

and respect, opening also to non- 

Italian realities, which is always 

desirable in an international 

context like Second Life. 

Camp Italia participated in 

SLB17 last June with a scale 

reconstruction of the sim’s 

main square and had space in 

an episode of Designing Worlds 

with an interview of Saffia 

Widdershins to my avatar. 

Asia’s words are the most 



181



183



185



187



189



191

Un grazie speciale a 

Un ringraziamento speciale ai nostri 

affezionati lettori che hanno messo il 

kiosk della rivista sulla loro land: 

Lee Olsen 

LUNDY ART GALLERY 

Tia Rungray 

STRUKTURO 

-Ñïéü- (nieuwenhove) 

NOIR’WEN CITY 

Dixmix source 

DixMix Art Gallery 

Anelie Abeyante 

La Maison d’Aneli 

Ilyra Chardin (ilyra.chardin) 

Emergent Gallery 

LIV (ragingbellls) 

Raging Graphix Gallery 

Michiel Bechir 

Michiel Bechir Gallery at Embrace 

Michiel Art Cafe 

Hermes Kondor 

Viktor Savior de Grataine (viktorsavior) 

SHINY (narayanraja) 

Bohemio Love 

Jaz (Jessamine2108) 

Art Promotion 

Camp Italia 

Mediterraneo-Oc 



193

SL PHOT 

SEEN ON 

“inside me ” 

MIna Arcana 


FLICKR 

OGRAPHERS 

Chosen by 

the publisher. 

Beautiful 

photographs 

seen on the 

Flickr group 

of 360 GRADI 

Magazine. 


195


Alba 

Silverfall 


197

MIna Arcana 



199


Anto Haiku 


201


Roxaane 


203


Lidiane 

Miller 


205

Ashley Yexil 


ANTO HAIKU 


207


Santra Seranno 


209


Choice 


211


Lidiane 

Miller 


213


Elaine 

Lectar 


215

Twain Orfan 



217


Simply Jana 


219


Say 


221

Kirammer 

Kingsley 



223


Jo 


225

Coqueta 

Georgia 



227

Grazie per la lettura. 

Speriamo che tu 

abbia gradito questo 

numero. 

360 GRADI Magazine 

Copyright. 

Non siamo affiliati a 

Linden Lab. 


Per la pubblicità su 360 

GRADI Magazine scrivi 

a: 

360gradi.sl@gmail.com. 


229

360 GRADI MAGAZINE // March-April 2021

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?