Working collaboratively across our different generations, locations and backgrounds, we’re excited to hold a festival across time and space.
We first started thinking together at Cementa24. On a panel at this festival, Alex Wisser spoke about FIFO socially engaged artists with shallow roots creating necessary exchange. Later that festival, at an artwork by Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation, Uncle Peter took people through a walk in Paul’s Paddock, talking about the necessity of grasses with deep roots to keep water in the land. This contrast made us wonder: what formats of socially engaged art could be most beneficial to the region in terms of its people and place?
We realised that to be able to find out that answer, we needed to experiment with the format of the festival. Searching for ways relational roots could become deeper, we developed the idea of an … e.x.t.e.n.d.e.d … C.e.m.e.n.t.a … which we’ve nicknamed The Phenomenon. The idea is to create structures and formats for artists, curators, community, and Country to have more time to be engaged together so we’re not hurtling towards a deadline, and we can slow down to get to know each other more deeply. This gives us the possibility to respond to challenges and opportunities — particularly in response to the ecology and environment — in ways that take a long time and collaboration across festivals.
Perhaps, if The Phenomenon takes off, we could all start working on art projects that evolve across 4 years, 6 years, 8 years, or even longer…
In many ways, this is the opposite direction that the world is going, as time becomes more divided and attention spans become shorter; which is why we’ve got to do it! And where else but Kandos?
A little more on the curators:
Uncle Peter Swain (born 1964) is a Dabee Wiradjuri Man, a direct Descendant of Peggy and Jimmy Lambert from the Dabee people of Rylstone. Peter was born on Country in Rylstone Hospital and moved to Cooma for school where he grew up. He has continuous Cultural Connections to Rylstone and Ganguddy (Dunns Swamp). He is an artist, poet, and has worked across many art festivals and formats. Peter has worked in all the schools in the region over many years, encouraging young people to become themselves and become the leaders of the future.
“Looking towards Cementa28, I’m feeling that funny nervous feeling in my stomach because it’s on my home ground and my mother’s Country. I was born in this region and with my longevity of working and living here comes a big responsibility. This region is my ancestral lands and where my family is from, so I’ll be leading with my connections to Country.”
Lucas Ihlein (born 1975) is an artist living on Wadi Wadi and Dharawal Country in Wollongong. His ancestors came to the Illawarra from Germany around 1850, (and also from England and Ireland). He is not a curator by trade; his usual work is as a socially-engaged artist, nearly always working in collaboration with others, including with the Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation (KSCA) and on memorable projects like Pootopia! and Sugar vs the Reef? with Kim Williams.
“I’ve been involved in all the Cementa Festivals except the infamous first one in 2013! For me, when I create an artwork (or contribute to a festival) I deem it a success when it surprises me – even though I’m its maker. I would love to be surprised by Cementa28! I get excited when art draws together lots of different groups in unusual ways, and I see that happening in Kandos. I teach creative arts at University of Wollongong, so I’m planning to get my students to help out with the festival too.”
Lana Nguyen (born 1993) is an independent curator based on Wurundjeri Country with ancestral connections to Vietnam, England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland. She has a particular focus on contemporary art projects that stem from and interact with the politics and cultures of place. Her practice has recently revolved around creating spaces and tweaking institutions to create possibilities for collaboration, long-form learning and exchange, site responsive work, and cultural responses to the climate crisis.
“I said yes to working with Cementa because I think it’s a genuine place for experimental ideas. I also think the way that the festival can hold connections and memory over time in a regional place and community makes a strong fabric for meaningful art. I feel like that is being increasingly lost in the city where I live. I grew up with connections to regional Queensland through my mum’s family, and I think there’s something very special in the regions about their difficult honesty and the space they can give for the land to speak.”