iGods, 2009

by Gazira Babeli
Second Life code performance
Courtesy of the artist

Like so many of Gaz's code works, iGods holds up a critical mirror to 'real life' from within Second Life.  At the outset her innocuous Greek temple perched on the ramp of Portrait Island appears as an homage to classical tropes of art history.  However, once you enter it quickly becomes apparent this work more closely resembles Pandora's Box.  The poses of the seven statues are immediately familiar; here is the Discus Thrower and there is the Venus de Milo but the cool white marble has been replaced by black leather, top hats and platform shoes; seven clones of Gaz's avatar.  Move a little closer and the clones come to life, morphing into the appearance of the observer's avatar; replicating their image back at them. Gaz's hall of mirrors reminds us that, in Second Life, DNA is code and in virtual worlds this code can be replicated or borrowed.  This unnerving experience exposes fears associated with identity theft and the often reluctant realisation of personal identification with one's avatar.