Cementa Festival Returns to Kandos for Four Days and Nights of Contemporary Art and Culture

Cementa Festival is set to return to Kandos for another vibrant edition of contemporary art and culture from 19–22 September 2024. Celebrated as one of Australia’s most beloved regional art meccas, Cementa promises an exciting and unforgettable experience under the curatorial leadership of Dr Daniel Mudie Cunningham and First Nations curator Jo Albany.
Cementa24 warmly invites friends and strangers, supporters, relatives, and newcomers to join over 50 artists for four days and nights of immersive art in the post-industrial town of Kandos on Wiradjuri Country. Attendees will experience a diverse murmuration of artworks, including video, performance, installation, sound art, photography, painting, and sculpture. These works will be showcased in unique venues such as backyards, shop fronts, empty paddocks, and school halls, each piece responding to the culture, history, environment, and community of Kandos and its regional setting.
Cementa24 is thrilled to present new works by artists from across Australia, all of whom have created pieces that resonate with Kandos and its regional context. This year will highlight the fusion of work and play as a core theme, celebrating Country, community, connection, and conversation.
Performances and Events Include:
• Opening Night Extravaganza: A series of dynamic performances by regional and urban artists curated by Performance Space, culminating in a high-energy performance by the psycho-blues-a-billy band White Knuckle Fever.
• Art Scrum by Gabrielle Bates: An engaging participatory performance exploring the dynamics of collaboration and risk.
• ‘Coming Out’ Debutante Ball: Led by artist Georgia Banks, this event promises an inclusive and celebratory experience.
• Immersive Sound Evening: Regional collective Noise Xhurch will transform the local golf course into an auditory landscape.
• ‘Colour Fields’ Aura Photography with Kate Mitchell: Have your portrait created through the enchanting process of aura photography.
• A Picnic Among Friends: Victoria Spence will host this special event in honour of our loved ancestors.
• Branch Nebula’s New Work: Featuring Latai Taumoepeau, this performance explores human vulnerability, endurance, and resilience in an unstable world.
• Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation: Interactive works and performances in an empty paddock will examine our relationships with plants, the landscape, and each other.
• Closing Ceremony: Led by the Kandos Aboriginal community, bringing the festival to a meaningful close.
Cementa24 is a celebration of the unique spirit of Kandos and the vibrant creativity that defines this extraordinary festival. Join us for an unforgettable journey through contemporary art and culture in the heart of regional Australia.
Cementa24 Artists:
Tully Arnot, Laura Baker, Georgia Banks, Gabrielle Bates, Vanessa Berry, Jude Bowler, Branch Nebula, Nick Breedon, Michael Bourke, Alisa Burlington, Willowa Carter, Josie Cavallaro, Dominique Chen & Caitlin Franzmann, Jo Clancy, Kathryn Cowen & Gareth Jenkins, Kate Dorrough, Cherine Fahd, Ellen Ferrier, Maddison Gibbs, Emma Maye Gibson, June Golland, Doug Heslop, Linda Jackson, Kandos School of Cultural Adaptation, Adrienne Kenafake, David Lawrey & Jaki Middleton, Noelene Lucas, Tara Marynowsky, Catherine McGuinness & Diane Pirotta, Tommy Misa, Kate Mitchell, Danny Morse, Judy Anne Moule, Djon Mundine, Noise Xhurxh, Shani Nottingham, Jacqui O’Reilly, Venessa Possum, Damian Showyin, Victoria Spence, Lauren Swain, Peter Swain, The Useless Assembly, White Knuckle Fever, Marcus Whale, Miriam Williamson & Brad Allen-Waters.