Cementa17 cometh!

After 2 years of preparation, with over 40 artist residencies under our belt and a number of initiatives in full development, we once again return to activate our beautiful little town with 4 days and nights of performance, sound, cabaret, interactive and electronic arts, video, installation and ceramics presented in more than 20 venues across Kandos and its surrounds.

Kandos.  Photo Alex Wisser

More than 60 artists – some local and some visiting from near and far – will make, exhibit and perform work relating to this social, physical, historical or environmental context.  

To check out who we have for you this year, go to our brand spanking new website and have a bit of a wander.  Make sure that you check out our travel page to properly plan your trip.  We highly recommend booking your accomodation early as beds in Kandos and Rylstone are limited (though there is heaps of camping!)

This year we will be branching out from the footprint established by earlier festivals. Cementa17 includes three works that will take place on the land, outside the Kandos township:

Dauntless Movement Crew at Ganguddy.  Photo Alex Wisser

PYT-Fairfield will present Pagoda Parkour, a collaboration between Karen Therese, Victoria Hunt and the Dauntless Movement Crew, a Fairfield parkour, b-boy and tricking team. They will create a new work amongst the unique pagoda formations at Ganguddy (Dunns Swamp, Wollemi National Park) near Kandos.

Birds Hut.  Photo Jesse Leffley

In the Correspondence of Imaginary Places, Birds Hut (a 19th century shepherd’s hut), will host artworks by 7 artists from the New York artist-run initiative ABC NoRio, installed by 7 Australian artists. In exchange the Australian artists will have their work installed in and around Manhattan.

Futurelands2 tour of Marloo.  Photo Alex Wisser

Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation, a newly formed institution dedicated to exploring the capacity of art to engender cultural change, has facilitated Gilbert Grace’s The Hemp Initiative as part of his residency on Marloo, a 3000-acre property outside Kandos. Farmer Stuart Andrews will give a tour of Marloo, demonstrating his work restoring the property using Natural Sequence Farming techniques.

Back in downtown Kandos, the third Cementa will continue our commitment to bringing together the rich diversity of voices that compose Australia’s contemporary art culture. Cementa17 will present a strong showing of work by Indigenous artists, including installations by Tony Albert, Teena McCarthy and Paris Norton, and a portrait series by legendary photographer, Mervyn Bishop.

“Cowboy” by Mervyn Bishop

From Opening Night to Sound Night and Cabaret Night, Cementa will be loaded with our usual events, not to mention scheduled, spontaneous and roving performances during the daytime. Mark Shorter and Sach Catts will dig a hole and chop a tree in rhythmic exchange, demonstrating that artwork is actually work. Greg Pritchard will play a round of performance golf. Linda Brescia will dress up as an artist in an attempt to allay anxieties. Super Critical Mass will unleash a large-scale found-object orchestra of regional choristers.

Super Critical Mass, Blacktown.  Photo Alex Wisser

As in previous years, Cementa17 will go heavy on video and electronic art. Electronic artist Zina Kaye will work with local Indigenous historians to tell their history through immersive virtual reality (Google Goggles). Tim Burns will present a classic film relating his escape from outback Australia to run the streets of NYC as a bike messenger. John A. Douglas will remake scenes from sci-fi classic, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, adapted to the local landscape.

Devils Tower.  Photo John A Douglas

This is just a brief glimpse of what will be on offer at Cementa17. Book your accommodation early and give yourself an extra day to wind down while you visit the landscapes, lunch spots and cellar doors of nearby Rylstone and Mudgee.

See you in Kandos.