CONCRETE: art design architecture

CONCRETE: art design architecture is a major exhibition exploring innovative ways that concrete is being used by artists, designers and architects in Australia in the 21st century. Curated by JamFactory’s Margaret Hancock Davis (Senior Curator) and Brian Parkes (CEO), the exhibition includes 21 artists, designers and architects from across Australia and brings together products, projects and works of art that reflect many of the current preoccupations with concrete within contemporary art, design and architecture in Australia.

Having a history spanning over 3000 years, concrete was first used by Egyptians in the building of the pyramids before the Romans produced what today we call hydraulic cement based concrete, used most dramatically in the Pantheon (completed 128AD). With the fall of the Roman Empire the secrets of concrete were lost, and it was not until the early nineteenth century that, through the development of Portland Cement, modern concrete was born.

It is hard to imagine a world without concrete. A material so ubiquitous we rarely take the opportunity to consider its impact on our lives and its role in the development of modern societies. This exhibition aims to question our preconceptions of concrete and to consider its functional as well as its expressive, poetic and aesthetic dimensions.

The exhibitors represent a broad range of approaches to working with concrete, and the range of work in the exhibition is extensive – from fine, hand-crafted jewellery to spectacular buildings. Some of the exhibitors include: the Pritzker award winning architect Glenn Murcutt and the multiple award winning architectural firm Candalepas Associates, who have both used concrete to create beautiful places of worship; celebrated designers Adam Goodrum and Alexander Lotersztain who have separately designed striking concrete outdoor furniture; leading visual artists Jamie North, Abdul-Rahman Abdullah and Megan Cope who have each produced thought-provoking sculptural works, and jeweller Inari Kiuru who draws the eye to the intricate detail of concrete’s infinitely varied surface.

CONCRETE is the fourth and final exhibition in JamFactory’s acclaimed art design architecture series and will conclude a significant 10-year project which began with the research for WOOD: art design architecture in 2011 (and opened in 2013 followed by GLASS in 2015 and STEEL in 2017) and will end with the completion of the tour of CONCRETE in 2021. This series of exhibitions, publications and public programs has received more than $1 million in funding from the Commonwealth Government in addition to the support of sponsors and project partners. By the end of the CONCRETE tour, the series will have presented the works of 101 exhibitors to 54 venues nationally. (Publications have featured the work of over 30 writers). CONCRETE art design architecture will tour 14 venues nationally and is accompanied by a 264-page catalogue.

FULL LIST OF EXHIBITORS:
Abdul-Rahman Abdullah (WA)
Adam Goodrum (NSW)
Alex Lotersztain (Qld)
Anna Horne (SA)
Baldasso Cortese Architects (Vic)
Candalepas Associates (NSW)
CHEB – Deb Jones and Christine Cholewa (SA)
Convic (Vic)
Durbach Block Jaggers Architects (NSW)
Edition Office (Vic)
Elvis Richardson (Vic)
Glenn Murcutt (NSW)
Kyoko Hashimoto and Guy Keulemans (NSW)
Inari Kiuru (Vic)
Jamie North (NSW),
Megan Cope (Vic)
Rhiannon Slatter (Vic)
Tom Borgas (SA)
Sanne Mestrom (Vic)
SMART Design Studio (NSW)
WOOD Melbourne (Vic)

NATIONAL TOUR DATES:
JamFactory, Adelaide, SA: 1 March – 28 April 2019
JamFactory, Seppeltsfield, SA: 8 May – 7 July 2019
Perc Tucker Regional Art Gallery, Townsville, QLD: 20 July – 8 September 2019
Cairns Regional Art Gallery, Cairns, QLD: 22 November 2019 – 12 January 2020
Australian Design Centre, Sydney, NSW: 24 January – 15 March 2020
Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Bathurst, NSW: 27 March – 10 May 2020
Lake Macquarie Regional Art Gallery, Booragul, NSW: 12 June – 9 August 2020
Griffith Regional Art Gallery, Griffith, NSW: 29 August – 24 November 2020
Western Plains Cultural Centre, Dubbo, NSW: 4 December 2020 – 24 January 2021
Cowra Regional Gallery, Cowra, NSW: 13 February – 21 March 2021
Mornington Peninsular Regional Art Gallery, Mornington, VIC:  30 April – 20 June 2021
Design Centre Tasmania, Launceston, TAS: 2 July – 5 September 2021
Murray Bridge Regional Gallery, Murray Bridge, SA: 18 September – 14 November 2021
Signal Point Gallery, Goolwa, SA: 3 December 2021 – 6 February 2022