KNOWLEDGES is a non-profit curatorial initiative whose mission is to invite the public to engage with sites of historic, scientific or overlooked cultural influence through the lens of contemporary art. KNOWLEDGES at Mount Wilson Observatory took place June 23 and 24, 2012 on the grounds of a historic 100-year-old observatory located in the San Gabriel Mountains. More than thirty Los Angeles-based artists participated. Read Elleni's curatorial essay here.
Above the Inversion Layer contemplates the perceptual alchemy that is the trade of astronomers and artists alike, both seeking to reveal some heretofore unperceived knowledge through observation and photography. This single shot was recorded from the rotating catwalk of Mount Wilson Observatory's 100-year-old telescope. The video is set to Gustav Holst's The Planets, written in the same era as the telescope's construction. Here, the telescope becomes a means of observing the terrestrial landscape, while Holst's score evokes the celestial.
At left: Above the Inversion Layer, video, 2012, with with David Kerlogot
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