War of the Worlds inspired art on show in Buffalo.

A Buffalo arts exhibition has an unusual piece of work on display, a collapsed tower inspired by the Orson Welles War of the Worlds broadcast. Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center is hosting the installation by Sam Van Aken until June 4th. The tower is a reference to the water tower that legend says was fired upon by panicked residents of Grover's Mill. Believing Martian Tripod war machines were at large, they are said to have mistaken the water tower for a Tripod and opened fire. The tower can still be found at Grover's Mill. Aken's installation also includes a fake radio broadcast playing on a loop, rather neatly referencing the recent volcanic eruption in Iceland, and telling of panic stricken residents of Buffalo fleeing the effects. Buffalo of course is no stranger to this sort of thing, having been rocked before by a fake War of the Worlds radio broadcast. You can read more about the show at the Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center website, and there are some nice pictures to be found at the Art Voice website.