Vacancy and Preservation: the architecture of the post-industrial community

Vacancy and Preservation is a Symposium held at the National Wool Museum in Geelong on 22nd September 2017. The basis of this symposium is the #VacantGeelong team’s documentation of vacant industrial sites and exploration of vacancy. This Symposium extends the role and capacity of this work and the event is structured into two main panel discussions. The first part reviews the artworks of the Iconic Industry exhibition, artworks that have responded directly to vacant industrial sites and to community participants past workers. A panel of critical art reviewers, major figures directing the artistic cultures in Geelong, and local artist commentators review the artistic works, focusing on both individual artist’s philosophy, medium, agenda, and practice, and the collective diversity of the artistic visions. This session explores, articulates and discusses what the works have raised about Geelong’s industrial legacy. The second panel discussion includes town planners, architects, economists, property developers, community organisations, businesses, in the local and trans-regional community. These key stakeholders articulate how the artistic works are understood and how their visionary and reflective knowledge capital can be a platform for re-imagining of Geelong’s futures. This panel discussion presents and debates positions on how the inspired visions and the creative and interactive processes of art/architecture/community can frame the societal challenge that Geelong faces, and orient its economic, urban and architectural futures.