“The symbols of the divine initially show up at the trash stratum.” – Philip K. Dick

Garbage Tour is an ongoing experiential site-based research project. It takes place at and in the energy of Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park, centered around the Union Ship Canal that feeds into Lake Erie, on the Westernmost edge of South Buffalo—a bygone “smart growth” park and brownfield remediation site which defies any typical or idyllic park utilization, instead most often hosting littered lunch break picnics, minor vices, petty crimes, and the dumping of of household and industrial objects. One may occasionally encounter a transient dogwalker, biker, or fisher, but most often one will find oneself alone. Garbage Tour consists of guided tours of the area during which visitors can choose to collect and respond to/with the garbage that most compels them; the peak harvest season is anywhere from late February to mid-April, when the terrain is flattened from snow and refuse is made more visible/accessible. Garbage Tour intends to bring Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park into the light, including and with emphasis on all of its accumulated trash; it is a long-term, tactile study of the park’s industrial history, interminable development, and implicit mystery.

To schedule a tour, email symbolsofthedivine@gmail.com.