Tyrehl Byk’s ‘Almost Flat Land’ Opening Today at LEA 13

I’ve just had a preview of this amazing new exhibit, and you mustn’t miss it! Make sure to have your media on (you do not want to do this without the sound!), and prepare to spend some time in this interactive exhibit. According to Tyrehl, ‘It could take a while to see all the unseen….one thing about this place is that you have to move to see it all….camming around will only show you a mostly empty sim.’ I’ll only give you one other hint: make sure to find the diary, and then wear it to read.

From the LEA Blog:

For those familiar with the work of Tyrehl Byk, the first thing that comes to mind are his particle performances.  His latest creation strays from the concept of performance art, and Tyrehl takes a dive into the world of immersive environments.

Almost Flat Land still relies on the use of sophisticated particle creations, but this time instead of the focus being on a display of effects, Tyrehl has created a place in which particles take on the role of living entities. In this place, humans appear to have staged an incursion into a world whose inhabitants exist in a primarily two dimensional reality.  With the diary of the last human visitor to this place in hand (take a copy when you find it), some clues are revealed that help unfold what all of this could possibly mean.

In this build, Tyrehl has enlisted the aid of Second Life ambient musical artist, Ultraviolet Alter, who created the sound design for the world. Entities you will meet as you wander the world communicate in sounds totally alien to any language structure of the three dimensional world. In many ways the creatures that Ultraviolet has “voiced” gain structure and volume in what otherwise appear to be flat and weightless entities.

What happens when three dimensional beings collide with those who possess only two?  What conflicts can arise? Are there customs and prejudices that are universal regardless of how many dimensions of reality we accept as “normal”? These and other questions are raised, but never fully answered in Almost Flat Land. How many will you see?

Meet and Greet with Tyrehl Byk and Ultraviolet Alter on June 2nd at 6:00 PM SLT at LEA 13.