Siloscope

Siloscope is a site responsive installation that transforms a 100ft antique grain silo into a metaphorical telescope/microscope and viewing portal of an alternate universe. 

Siloscope is a site responsive installation of a constructed celestial body inside a grain silo of Buffalo RiverWorks that intends to evoke a sense of wonder and mystery in audience members. In our installation the silo functions as a metaphorical telescope/microscope and viewing portal to an alternate universe. Our intention is to invoke the feeling of stumbling upon a magical phenomenon. 

We hang a lightweight, circular and concave frame from the top of the silo that have a collection of reflective and transparent fabric material hanging down the 100ft length of the silo and attached along the bottom rim. These materials mentioned include aluminized polyester also known as emergency blankets. A constellation of fiber optic lights and sunset lamps are installed in the cavity above and behind the draped material. From the viewing area at the bottom, the configuration of materials give the sense of peering up into a galaxy that is subtly moving. On the ground below the opening of the silo there is an area with seating arranged as a viewing station and space to pause along an imaginary journey. 

Reflecting back on the earlier part of the pandemic where we spent a lot of time isolated indoors, this new work is meant to zoom in and expand the microcosm of the silo’s interior. Siloscope gives the sense of simultaneously looking inward and out, and considers how we see past time in a telescope and present time in a microscope. The silos are a historical fixture of the city’s industrial past and this installation presents Buffalonions with a new perspective of them through a lens of magical realism. Audience are engage with the work by sitting together and experiencing a shared viewing of Siloscope.