Category: Art & Creativity

A Cat, Two Mice, and a Very Ordinary Day

It is not every day that you arrive in Second Life and find a giant cat quietly watching two mice roll across a chequered landscape.

On 6th March, Cica Ghost opened her newest installation, titled Ordinary Day. Cica has long been one of the most distinctive artists working in Second Life, and each new build she creates quickly becomes a destination. Visitors familiar with her work will know at once that they are in the right place.

Unlike many of her previous installations, this one arrives without the quotation that often accompanies her work. Instead, visitors are greeted with a small joke:

Q: What do you say to your cat when you go out?
A: Have a mice day!

It is a simple joke, yet it sets the tone perfectly for what follows.

The Landscape: Greens, Greys, and Periwinkle Blue

Before exploring, it is worth switching to the shared environment. Cica has often said that her Windlight forms part of the artwork itself, and she is quite right. Change the light and the character of the place shifts immediately.

Under her setting the island takes on soft greys and muted greens, while flowers scattered across the landscape introduce gentle pops of periwinkle blue beneath a leaden sky.

Arriving on the eastern side, the first thing I noticed was how open it all feels. Compared with many of Cica’s earlier builds the terrain is relatively flat, though steep grey hills run along the southern edge.

The ground itself quickly draws attention. Patches of mossy vegetation appear here and there, yet much of the surface is covered with a green and white chequered pattern. Looking more closely reveals an intricate design inspired by traditional Moroccan mosaic tilework — Zellige — which dates back as far as the tenth century. Hand-crafted, each tile carries natural irregularities in shape, size, and colour that no machine can replicate. The repeating pattern adds an unexpected sense of detail to what at first seems a simple surface.

Flora and Curiosities: Flowers, a Giant Cat, and Two Mice

Scattered across the island are circular planting beds containing either palm-like trees or tall grasses, and both support the same strikingly beautiful flowers.

At first glance they appear simply blue, but a closer look reveals something more delicate. Each petal shifts gradually from periwinkle toward soft lavender as it spreads outward from the centre. I will admit some bias here; blue is by a long way my favourite colour.

To the south sits the character that immediately captures attention: a very large cat, crouched low to the ground, with two small wheeled mice resting in front of it. Visitors can actually ride the mice, which is a pleasing touch.

The cat appears cheerful rather than threatening, watching the mice with what looks like friendly curiosity. Still, when it comes to cats, one can never be entirely certain.

The Buildings — A Playful Piece of Flintstonespunk

Beyond the open landscape stands a pale stone building complex that could fairly be described as Flintstonespunk architecture. The structure appears to be formed from irregular blocks of stone stacked one upon another into a slightly uneven, organic composition. Openings throughout — small circles, rectangles, and rounded arches — give the building an interesting expressive character. Nothing is strictly symmetrical. The whole thing has a gently improvised look, as though it has grown over time rather than been planned.

The scale feels slightly exaggerated too. Doorways and recesses appear larger than expected, which adds to the dreamlike quality so typical of Cica’s work. Grass grows on some of the roofs and around the base, and the soft grey tones of the stone sit naturally within the surrounding landscape

Exploring the Structure

Viewed from the front, two sweeping flights of stone steps curve inward from left and right toward a central section containing two recessed alcoves, both backed with the familiar green and white tiles.

In the left recess stands a small table with a plant in a heart-decorated pot, a chair on either side. The right recess holds a bench for two, beside a larger plant in a red-hearted pot. Both offer sitting animations for visitors who want to pause.

The Southern Side

On the southern side, a stone ramp rises toward another tiled alcove. Here a large, shaggy white creature sits with its hands resting on its knees. With its long ears drooping,the monster gazes outward with a slightly mournful expression. It does not look threatening. It looks, if anything, a little sorry for itself. When a human avatar sits nearby, the scale becomes apparent; the creature towers above them considerably.

The Western Side

At the rear of the building, stone steps lead to a central alcove with another table and chairs, the tiled wall behind them painted with three daisy-like flowers.

At ground level nearby, a small black monster with sharp white teeth waits quietly beside a whimsical cartoon of Cica herself — just her head and neck visible, with the hint of a smile.

Finally, on the northern side, another short flight of stone steps leads to a central alcove where sits a rather large and comical snail holds court. Unlike the mournful creature on the southern side, this one looks relatively cheerful, Twigs sticking out of his shell here and there do not seem to give him discomfort.

Climbing to the upper level reveals a small courtyard tiled in the same green and white mosaic. In one wall, a two-dimensional animated Cica plays a violin while three tiny black spiders dance around her. It is exactly the sort of small, tucked-away detail that makes wandering slowly through her installations so worthwhile.

Visiting and Supporting the Work

There is no charge to visit. Tier is not cheap, however, and if you enjoy what you find a small contribution to one of the tip jars is always appreciated.

Alternatively, there is a small shop within the base of the structure. The rideable mice, the giant cat, and the sad monster are all available to take home — a little piece of Ordinary Day to keep.

Useful Links

Cica’s Inworld Shop
Cica Ghost on Marketplace
Cica’s personal Flickr stream
Cica Ghost Flickr Group
All my older posts about Cica Ghost here and the latest ones here

Exploring Second Life

If you’d like to see more places like this, follow my blog, Exploring Second Life, where I share both the grand builds and the smaller “quick stops” that make the grid so rewarding.

Join us in the Second Life Destinations Facebook Group, where bloggers share new finds.
Photographers: post your snapshots in the Second Life Destinations Flickr Group.