Installation, virtual lecture to honor R. Buckminster Fuller

An upcoming art exhibition and installation at SIU will herald the work of designer, scientist and architect R. Buckminster Fuller.

Artist and curator Benjamin Lowder will install an art exhibition at Bucky's Haven on the SIU Carbondale campus this month and present a virtual lecture and discussion Oct. 28 as part of the Michael and Nancy Glassman Lecture Series.

Prior to the lecture, Lowder will be working on the installation "Temples of Little Egypt" at Bucky's Haven, a geodesic dome near Campus Lake named after Fuller, who was also an SIU Carbondale professor.

The installation "highlights and builds on Fuller's contributions to sustainability studies and an education that breaks walls in search of finding answers and solutions to our pressing problems," said Elizabeth Donoghue, University Honors Program assistant director. The University Honors Program sponsors the Glassman lecture series.

The virtual lecture and discussion is set for 5 p.m. Oct. 28. Pre-registration is required by contacting University Honors at honors@siu.edu.

The installation will become a permanent part of the dome and commemorates Fuller's legacy at SIU as part of the university's 150th anniversary celebration. The event, initially slated for March, was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The project is supported by a 150th anniversary grant award as part of the celebration of SIU's history.

The installation is highlighting the history and importance of the structure and Fuller's legacy at SIU. The installation will include material about Fuller and images that relate to Fuller's work, according to Donoghue.

The art installation and lecture "draw together sacred geometry, ancient wisdom traditions and the legacy of Buckminster Fuller into a holistic narrative to guide our collective trajectory toward an abundant and integrated future."

Lowder serves on the board of the Bucky Fuller Dome Home historic site in Carbondale - the house that Fuller lived in while teaching at SIU. Lowder attended SIU for a year before transferring to the University of Illinois and said, "At Southern Illinois University, I discovered the legacy of Buckminster Fuller, and at the University of Illinois, I was introduced to the field of semiotics, which are two of the main ingredients in my current art practice."

SIU's Recreational Sports and Services is collaborating in the event.