General News
3 August, 2023
Film shines new light on Avoca silo art
Ready to shine brighter in the night, Avoca’s one of a kind glow-in-the-dark silo art is getting another fixture for visitors to revel in with a wildlife video set to be projected alongside the popular Barking Owl mural. The new video addition...
Ready to shine brighter in the night, Avoca’s one of a kind glow-in-the-dark silo art is getting another fixture for visitors to revel in with a wildlife video set to be projected alongside the popular Barking Owl mural.
The new video addition, launched last week by Member for Ripon Martha Haylett, features the same owl species and was commissioned by Avoca Arts & Gardens to complement the existing artwork on the silo.
According to the group’s president Hugh Forster, the owl — native to the Pyrenees region, faces numerous environmental threats and the video, which was produced by Ararat based filmmaker Martin
Stringer, will help attract attention to some of those issues.
“A number of people who visited the silo to see the glow in the dark art would talk to me about it and they indicated that it would be nice if they knew a little bit more about the owl,” Mr Forster said.
“I found out that there was a Barking Owl in our community at Barkly in the care of a wildlife educator in his sanctuary so we went out there and filmed it.
“Chris Page, the owner of the owl, spoke about its vital signs and its habitat. Part of the film also concentrates on habitat loss and ecological impact.”
Part of a bigger package, the video is projected along with two other segments — with all three played repeatedly each night from 8 pm onwards for about 40 minutes.
“These audio and video elements will be played on the silo’s face next to the glow in the dark mural,” Mr Forster said.
“One segment is a European street art image. The second is a picture of the owl but while it is barking and the third is the video.
“It’s all complementary to the painted mural and also showcases our projection capability.”
Since its completion last year, the original mural created by Warrnambool-based artist Jimmi Buscombe, has become a major draw card for Avoca and Mr Forster said this new installation will only add to the uptick of tourists.
“Avoca’s silo is the only one that’s got a night time version in Australia’s Silo Trail and rough estimates show we’re getting up to a 100 vehicles a night,” he said.
“This projection is just an added bonus for viewers and apart from the Pyrenees Wine offerings, I would say that what we have at the silo is perhaps the second most important to tourism in the area.
“Since it’s a night time thing as well, most people decide to stay in the town overnight.”
Casting light into the future, Mr Forster said with this video, there was now increased possibility for more screenings.
“We can expect more projections of this nature,” he said.
“I’m planning on putting on more public information style videos. Things that touch upon issues of sustainability, pollution and environmental preservation.”
