VERNISSAGE / PROFILE
Covering All Bases
A
rt is at the nexus of Alana Kushnir’s weighty resume, but not as you know it. The ultimate polymath, she started her career as a corporate lawyer in Australia before a passion for art history lured her to the prestigious Goldsmiths, University of London where she graduated with a Master of Fine Arts in curating. In the two years she spent in London, Kushnir was immersed in the art world and worked closely with a specialist lawyer, an experience that sowed the seeds for her Melbourne-based business, Guest Work Agency. Launched in 2015, the art law and advisory firm allows Kushnir to represent clients, build collections, and facilitate and initiate collaborations, projects, exhibitions and art initiatives. ‘The experiences I had in London gave me the confidence to start my own businesses,’ Kushnir says. ‘At that time, having multiple areas of interest was highly valued internationally, but in Australia it was more pigeonholed.’ She says that Guest Work Agency started somewhat organically, since the concept was unique and new to Australia’s art scene. ‘While things are changing and diversity of experience is important now, it was a different landscape back then,’ she explains. ‘Overseas, where there are bigger art markets, there are many legal practices working specifically on art and cultural property law. We don’t have the capacity for that here because the market is much smaller.’ In her work as a curator for private collections and prestigious museums, Kushnir is privy to the world of high-end art. But her newest venture, Guest Club, appeals to a captive audience at the other end of the spectrum — those who are keen to start their own collections. The initiative began informally when Kushnir’s friends expressed an interest in buying art but lacked
the know-how. Designed as a subscriptionbased tiered platform, Guest Club provides transparent advisory services, personalised recommendations and a host of social events in partnership with a network of galleries, fairs and exhibitions.
Text Carli Phillips Image Justin Ridler
Kushnir’s hope is that Guest Club will counter the perceived impenetrability of the art market for would-be collectors, fostering a sense of inclusivity and encouraging members to learn about, appreciate and cultivate knowledge of creative practices. ‘I don’t just try and impress what I think is good, because art is subjective. My role is to open people’s eyes to what’s out there and give them the confidence to make informed decisions,’ she says. ‘New collectors can have an effect on the whole supply chain, helping to create a more sustainable, self-sufficient art ecosystem.’ To this end, she now also sits as a board director of the Australian Centre of Contemporary Art. ‘It’s a great way for me to give back to the Australian art community and share my legal and curatorial skills,’ she says. Kushnir is also an educator, academic writer, self-confessed ‘study nerd’ and the principal investigator of the Serpentine Galleries’ Legal Lab, where she spearheads cutting-edge research on the intersection of cultural production and collaborations between art, science and technology — and specifically, the infrastructure of the digital art market and the legal implications of blockchain technology and NFTs. ‘While my generation still values physical items, the younger generation is immersed in an online world where the virtual is just as meaningful,’ she says. ‘These issues are constantly changing and they have the potential to revolutionise how art is bought, sold and designed. It’s the future of the art industry.’ 62
curator Alana Kushnir
collectors