Culture on Second Life

Second Life might not be as busy and crowded as the media have pretended in the last months, but sure it is a place where cultural institutions can do lot of activities and connect with a new audience. La Casa Encendida, a multidisciplinary centre in Madrid and one of the most active cultural venues in Spain, presented yesterday its own “island” on this second world. At the island, which includes a 3D model  of the actual centre, users can virtually follow the activities scheduled at La Casa Encendida (performances, exhibitions, workshops, lectures, etc). In a few months, the virtual centre, called La Isla Encendida, will have a specfic room of pictures, short films and any other creations generated by users. 

In order to promote the initiative, La Casa Encendida has started a contest, consisting of several test about this particular island. The five finalists should develope a project for another island in Second Life. The one that presents the project which most acurately represents the centres values (sustainability, interculturality, access to contemporary culture, etc.) gets to own the “land.”  This piece of the virtual world is worth more than 5,000 dollars.

Contributed by Cristina Diaz