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In real life, Evonne Heyning is an all-around creative guru. Artist, filmmaker, screenwriter, producer and humanitarian, she heads AMO Studio and Amoration, a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles that uses the creative arts in digital and real-life environments for social change. Since 2005, she has explored Second Life for her work, a virtual world created by Linden Lab with over 3 million users from all over the world. There Evonne flies as the green fairy avatar In Kenzo. Though she has changed her appearance in Second Life, the core of her work stays the same: creativity using all that tools available for social change.Evonne said she is now dedicating more of her time in Second Life and has recently collaborated with an organization called Betterworld to produce the Camp Darfur simulation. Amoration, her organization, produces the Manormeta series and machinima, movies that are filmed in Second Life in cooperation with volunteers and production experts, some even from Hollywood.
In my interview with Evonne, she talked about her latest project called NMConnect, the largest media arts symposium in Second Life, which will host works of artists of every genre in a virtual environment. She also explained the role of creativity and education as a means to have continued dialogue and conversation about the values that keep us connected as a society.
You are a modern-day renaissance woman. How did you become all these things and why do you think it is important for you to be multi-faceted?
Projects arise out of inspiration and instinct. Creativity is a gift for all of us; I love the people around me so I open up to new opportunities as they arise. My partner Brent (Common Cure in Second Life) has given me freedom to trust my vision while teaching me volumes on how to foster these practices in the circles around us. We study energy, innovation, business, art and spiritual development as experimental participants in many worlds so that we can create endless opportunities to engage with mindful play. The creative process isn't limited by medium or message when following a core passion to share love. These works we create live within us on so many levels as reflections of who we want to be. We want to engage, to be more connected and loving and whole.
What does Amoration, your organization, do? What is ManorMeta and what do you hope to achieve with this?
AMO [Studio] is the love we share and Amoration is our alliance for love in global form. Amoration started three years ago with a mission to create a culture of conscious compassion...you can visit our studio on the Web and see thousands of images, videos and comics created to help us all see the world more clearly. We create vibrant educational media projects like ManorMeta, a series in development for youth and families to come together and share amazing solutions for our common future. We speak of our studio as a Living Learning Lab, a space where ideas come to play and find roots and resources. Our work includes film and television design here in Hollywood along with wild visionary works in Second Life and on the Web. We're currently working on a new comic series and our HiDef series for big beautiful screens we can play on together!
What do you think the role of art is in social change and education? How does technology bridge this gap?
Education happens all around us -- in billboard marketing, in video games and television and classrooms. We choose how to use these tools to create a better world. The manifestations are endless: dreamlike crystalline manors and vibrant technology centers are one beautiful side of the coin but we cannot in good conscience create only the exquisite visionary places. In Second Life, we also chose to leverage the tools of an infinite virtual world to build an experience of scarcity, displacement and violence against people. We created Camp Darfur with partners in genocide prevention who wanted to reach out to people in their homes and make these stories available to more of us where we live and work. As artists, educators and activists it is our nature to use every tool at our disposal to help us share and connect.
Please tell us why you decided to join Second Life and tell us more about your avatar In Kenzo.
In Kenzo first rezzed on Dec. 1, 2005, for World AIDS Day. In premiered a video produced on living a life of art and positive love in Thailand with the Global Peace Tiles Project as part of a larger event for AIDS education. In Kenzo is a play on words: in English, we call the simple circle Zen ink brushstroke ENSO, so the Ink Enso (In Kenzo) became everything and nothing in the virtual world. Second Life came up in conversations on technology and social networking in 2005: friends with the Omidyar Network and the Future Salons encouraged me to consider the potential applications for our creative work. We quickly built a presence in Second Life as we expanded the platform to help us build bridges and develop ideas for larger real world projects; now I get to play as the green fairy In Kenzo as my full time work grows to employ a team of international production gurus. I am lucky to have a dream big enough to share.
Your organization is also involved in NMC Campus in their project NMC Connect. What is NMC Campus and NMC Connect and what do you hope to achieve in both?
The New Media Consortium (www.nmc.org) is an active group of hundreds of universities; it is a core community of educators committed to the study and practice of new media technologies. In Second Life, NMC has built a huge campus of 30 sims where groups are able to offer unique educational opportunities while sharing very collaborative workshop space. NMConnect is a media arts symposium that spotlights and joins many extraordinary works emerging from the greater Second Life community. Art is about DIALOGUE and CONVERSATION, about the key things that matter to us: we take six of those key themes and allow artists to share their vision for how their work connects to a greater whole. BEAUTY, TRUTH, WISDOM, LOVE, CHAOS, PEACE: what do these things mean to us and how do we bond through ideas? Together we create an expression more rich and layered than any of us could create on our own. We take those bonds and illuminate them to foster a greater sense of common momentum as we build these extraordinary worlds together.
When is the NMC Connect event happening?
The event takes place Feb. 11 to Feb. 13 with three days of performances, forums and events around the NMC Campus.
Art will be accepted through Feb. 5. (This was extended from Jan. 31) Visit www.nmc.org/campus/NMConnect to learn more, register your art or participate in emerging forums, discussions and performances.
What type of artists are going to get involved? What is the general attitude of artists on Second Life? Do they embrace it or are very apprehensive?
We have had many types of artists connect with us through NMConnect: established artists with experience doing group shows, experienced professors and masters who are showing art in Second Life for the first time, talented Second Life artists now promoting their work for a larger audience. We seek to create room for all of these works to express what unites us. We strive to connect artists with complimentary skills to collaborate on new projects. Many of the pieces now coming in are created by groups; this is especially helpful with scripting and interactive elements that work with more than one sense at a time. We encourage artists in all media to look for creative ways to join us for NMConnect.
Where can we find you?
Nmc.org/campus/NMConnect to get into the arts event.
Amoration.org for more on our nonprofit work.
My videoblog lives at Inkenzo.blip.tv.
E-mail me directly: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Amoration.fotki.com has thousands of the basic archive images, along with Slpics.com, for those who love the Second Life communities.
Most of all come and visit us in Second Life to experience these things for yourself.
It is never a complete story to read about an experience that happens in four dimensions and more. The Web we share will continue to be as flat as we let it be. ;-)
Article and Interview by Tuesday Gutierrez
You are a modern-day renaissance woman. How did you become all these things and why do you think it is important for you to be multi-faceted?
Projects arise out of inspiration and instinct. Creativity is a gift for all of us; I love the people around me so I open up to new opportunities as they arise. My partner Brent (Common Cure in Second Life) has given me freedom to trust my vision while teaching me volumes on how to foster these practices in the circles around us. We study energy, innovation, business, art and spiritual development as experimental participants in many worlds so that we can create endless opportunities to engage with mindful play. The creative process isn't limited by medium or message when following a core passion to share love. These works we create live within us on so many levels as reflections of who we want to be. We want to engage, to be more connected and loving and whole.
What does Amoration, your organization, do? What is ManorMeta and what do you hope to achieve with this?
AMO [Studio] is the love we share and Amoration is our alliance for love in global form. Amoration started three years ago with a mission to create a culture of conscious compassion...you can visit our studio on the Web and see thousands of images, videos and comics created to help us all see the world more clearly. We create vibrant educational media projects like ManorMeta, a series in development for youth and families to come together and share amazing solutions for our common future. We speak of our studio as a Living Learning Lab, a space where ideas come to play and find roots and resources. Our work includes film and television design here in Hollywood along with wild visionary works in Second Life and on the Web. We're currently working on a new comic series and our HiDef series for big beautiful screens we can play on together!
What do you think the role of art is in social change and education? How does technology bridge this gap?
Education happens all around us -- in billboard marketing, in video games and television and classrooms. We choose how to use these tools to create a better world. The manifestations are endless: dreamlike crystalline manors and vibrant technology centers are one beautiful side of the coin but we cannot in good conscience create only the exquisite visionary places. In Second Life, we also chose to leverage the tools of an infinite virtual world to build an experience of scarcity, displacement and violence against people. We created Camp Darfur with partners in genocide prevention who wanted to reach out to people in their homes and make these stories available to more of us where we live and work. As artists, educators and activists it is our nature to use every tool at our disposal to help us share and connect.
Please tell us why you decided to join Second Life and tell us more about your avatar In Kenzo.
In Kenzo first rezzed on Dec. 1, 2005, for World AIDS Day. In premiered a video produced on living a life of art and positive love in Thailand with the Global Peace Tiles Project as part of a larger event for AIDS education. In Kenzo is a play on words: in English, we call the simple circle Zen ink brushstroke ENSO, so the Ink Enso (In Kenzo) became everything and nothing in the virtual world. Second Life came up in conversations on technology and social networking in 2005: friends with the Omidyar Network and the Future Salons encouraged me to consider the potential applications for our creative work. We quickly built a presence in Second Life as we expanded the platform to help us build bridges and develop ideas for larger real world projects; now I get to play as the green fairy In Kenzo as my full time work grows to employ a team of international production gurus. I am lucky to have a dream big enough to share.
Your organization is also involved in NMC Campus in their project NMC Connect. What is NMC Campus and NMC Connect and what do you hope to achieve in both?
The New Media Consortium (www.nmc.org) is an active group of hundreds of universities; it is a core community of educators committed to the study and practice of new media technologies. In Second Life, NMC has built a huge campus of 30 sims where groups are able to offer unique educational opportunities while sharing very collaborative workshop space. NMConnect is a media arts symposium that spotlights and joins many extraordinary works emerging from the greater Second Life community. Art is about DIALOGUE and CONVERSATION, about the key things that matter to us: we take six of those key themes and allow artists to share their vision for how their work connects to a greater whole. BEAUTY, TRUTH, WISDOM, LOVE, CHAOS, PEACE: what do these things mean to us and how do we bond through ideas? Together we create an expression more rich and layered than any of us could create on our own. We take those bonds and illuminate them to foster a greater sense of common momentum as we build these extraordinary worlds together.
When is the NMC Connect event happening?
The event takes place Feb. 11 to Feb. 13 with three days of performances, forums and events around the NMC Campus.
Art will be accepted through Feb. 5. (This was extended from Jan. 31) Visit www.nmc.org/campus/NMConnect to learn more, register your art or participate in emerging forums, discussions and performances.
What type of artists are going to get involved? What is the general attitude of artists on Second Life? Do they embrace it or are very apprehensive?
We have had many types of artists connect with us through NMConnect: established artists with experience doing group shows, experienced professors and masters who are showing art in Second Life for the first time, talented Second Life artists now promoting their work for a larger audience. We seek to create room for all of these works to express what unites us. We strive to connect artists with complimentary skills to collaborate on new projects. Many of the pieces now coming in are created by groups; this is especially helpful with scripting and interactive elements that work with more than one sense at a time. We encourage artists in all media to look for creative ways to join us for NMConnect.
Where can we find you?
Nmc.org/campus/NMConnect to get into the arts event.
Amoration.org for more on our nonprofit work.
My videoblog lives at Inkenzo.blip.tv.
E-mail me directly: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Amoration.fotki.com has thousands of the basic archive images, along with Slpics.com, for those who love the Second Life communities.
Most of all come and visit us in Second Life to experience these things for yourself.
It is never a complete story to read about an experience that happens in four dimensions and more. The Web we share will continue to be as flat as we let it be. ;-)
Article and Interview by Tuesday Gutierrez