There’s moments, points in time that you recognise as defining points. Those iconic moments when you recognise what came before has now gone and what will come will soon be beginning. Photography does a fantastic job of illustrating these moments, conveying a sense of those moments passing and becoming defined. That iconic photograph of a flag standing proudly on the surface of the moon, indicating that mankind was no longer bound to one terrestrial home but was now reaching out into space. Or that iconic image of Marilyn Monroe with her white dress flying. Or Berliners standing on a wall which had until quite recently separated their city. These are all iconic snap shots showing the changing of worlds from one stage to another.
I recently witnessed one of these iconic moments when looking at the 38 Gazebos lined up in four neat rows at the end of Made in Spring (not quite as photogenic as the flag flying on the moon granted but still it has a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi).
I recently witnessed one of these iconic moments when looking at the 38 Gazebos lined up in four neat rows at the end of Made in Spring (not quite as photogenic as the flag flying on the moon granted but still it has a certain Je Ne Sais Quoi).
To explain: I was witnessing this sight of the Gazebos at the end of Made in Spring 2016. Nearly everything had been packed away. The last remaining thing were the gazebos. The weekend was drawing to a close and with it the excitement and all the events of Made in Spring. Another jam packed year of events and happenings. The Red Route marchers had trekked and celebrated culture (and a duck race) along the road from Merthyr to Roath. The street festival of Made in Spring had seen everything from a May Queen to a potters class happening along the street. Now the ticking of time was dictating the closing of the day and everything had departed apart from these no longer billowing white Gazebos, which were awaiting transportation back to their homes.
The Gazebos stood there waiting, task performed and duty done. Their purpose being the shelter of art and culture. They had performed their duty admirably and had kept the weather at bay as the action happened underneath. All the moments, experiences, creativity and knowledge had passed beneath them. Memories made and experiences had all under their protective embrace. A few moments before, during the height of the busy day, two long lines of urban umbrellas had stretched down the street with artists, creators, musicians and eaters underneath them. And now, their job done, they were being packed away ready for the next time.
The stacked gazebos stood as a symbol in some way to the end of Made in Spring but also marking the start of the summers outdoor art season. Soon these gazebos would return home and be out again in numerous events and happenings across Cardiff and South Wales. In cultural and sporting events where people will have fun and make more memories. Then in October they will return for the week long Made in Roath festival, for Road Block, marking the end of the outdoor cultural season. The soon to be, the present and the then in Gazebos.
