24/02/2024
Today I pack and head home after my first week of residency in Kandos for the Cementa festival. I came here as a child, full of wonder and anxiety. I came here as an adult wishing to find connection and unity. I came here as an artist, eager to create and reflect.
My adventure began with a gathering, a group of fellow peers l encouraged from my hometown to gathering with twine, sticks and yarns at the old chemist store.
Then for nine days l walked, some mornings, some afternoons and early evenings. It was what my parents did to settle the nerves, especially my father. He would have loved this town. Especially the mountains and colours. For me it was the sounds.
I came here with some heavy requests for the Cementa. Having both parents migrate from Slovenia and having read on Wikipedia that Slovenian migrants were part of the populace of Kandos, I asked for the impossible task, to connect with a Slovenian.
I have the pleasure and much joy of reconnecting to Kylie Marie, a dear friend who runs The Old Chemist Shop, were many of my weekly connections started from.
Virginia and Leanne at the cultural centre, Who gave much awareness and spoke their stories, very blessed, very grateful.
To bumping into and connecting with Anne Finnegan my university lecturer, when l first dreamed l could be, and was allowed to be an artist at the good old campus in Z block of the university of Western Sydney. For a wonderful gathering of fellow arts she had organised one evening, took me back to my Campbelltown Arts Centre and ATVP gallery days, what a joyride that evening was.
A morning cuppa with uncle Peter and Jo, giving me understanding and knowledge of this Wiradjuri land and of the Babee people. With passion they spoke, and as a child l listened. Uncle Peter spoke of the magic in this land, in this town and l witness the power once before, as a child in my parents homeland
Their words gave me clarity on my direction, my story l want to reflect in Cementa24. Yet still that impossible task for connecting to a migrant strand of my parents homeland, Slovenia had yet to be fulfilled.
Throughout my week, many welcomed and guided me, Yasmin especially. Connecting me with uncle Peter and Jo, fellow artist, and hopefully the site where my body of work will be presented at the festival later this year.
Yasmin tried with all her heart to find a link to my impossible request, her solutions was to explore the Kandos museum. Perched up high on Buchanan Street, uncle Peter mentioned many ceremonies were performed under the trees there. So my adventure in finding a connection to Slovenian began.
I met with another artist Fleur and she opened up to the treasure troves the museum could offer. She pointed me in the direction, where l may find some references to this towns migrants. Why I found it fascinating, was for many things the fact that there's little over two million Slovenia's in the world, was part of it. But finding a story or connect to my parents another.
After a quick bathroom detour l headed towards the section l hoped would connect me with my parents land. As l headed back towards the desk a moment happened. Uncle Peter spoke that this land had magic and all week l spoke, l desired, l asked and this land it gave.
A man walked into the museum, when asked for his postcode he mentioned Slovenia. My heart sang and filled with joy. My body turned to the front desk towards man, and in the language of my parents l spoke. He smiled and l honestly felt a blanket of comfort and joy.
As l write this l cry for l understand more of what uncle Peter spoke of the magic and connection, and in what Virginia mentioned about the hidden generation not being able to speak or be. Speaking those few works in my parents language, l understood.
It was only by chance he walked in some would say. But honestly l know it wasn't. It was the universe, this land connecting me with my bloodline, encouraging me to search and travel to my family's land. You see l traveled there twice as a child. The last trip was around my 9th birthday and this is how l learned the magic of land.
I had never seen snow and l wished for snow to fall.
My family discouraged my wish with kindness saying that I should try to wish for something that could happen. I believed it could and for a week that lead up to my birthday l expressed my desire of snow.
The night my before birthday, l spoke with an open heart of my desire of snow, the joy it would bring, not just for me but my brother, my cousin's and in the morning l woke. I found a foot of snow lining the fields of my family's town. That was divine magic.
So when that Slovenian tourist step into the museum l knew this was something special and a lesson/gift of this magical land of the Baber people. I asked for directions from it's elders and this was the answer.
So thank you, to the people of the Wiradjuri country, to the magic of the Babee, my heart sings 💗💗💗...
Much love and light. Travel safe upon your journey always.
