Being more architecturally inclined than otherwise, I truly must attest that Cementa 13 was one of the most memorable experiences of my ‘Art Life’ ever…. The experience of being in such close proximity, to so many talented and interesting artists was an eye opener. Yes, I will come straight out and say it, at Cementa 13, I discovered that, in general, Artists are far more engaging and intriguing than Architects. Perhaps this is because of the way that their unashamedly individualistic and experimental investigations of the built environment lead to more questions being asked, than false solutions being purported. This is not the fault of the Architect, of course, being bound by various functional requirements, government bodies and regulations, no wondered their explorations are far more fettered, and un-inspirational. At Cementa 13 Artists explored a dash of discovery, mixed in with a drop of critique, in an alchemical reveal of their unique bag of tricks, each utterly invaluable and contributory to engagement with the town.
But this is not about the art/architecture complex, and what that means for questions around township, industrial renewal and rural borders, it is about the most brilliant brain-seed that the curators of Cementa 13 had. What a long overdue idea, of transplanting the veins of the city, into the heart of a country town, of turning that country town’s own heart inside out, to share a fleshy, rich and deeply pulsating organism. The overall experience was enlightening, encouraging and most of all inspirational. I only hope that these kinds of initiatives continue to de-centralize activities of the city’s artistic community and reveal various vibrant artistic communities outside of the normative physical and metaphysical boundaries of the city.