Our Senior Consultant for Australasia, Vanessa Trento, answers a few questions about her previous projects in China, building bridges from East Asia to the South Pacific, and how education can pave the way for the increasingly global art scene in Australia.
1. You have worked widely across various commercial galleries and luxury client services in several cities. Can you say a little more about your past projects and what you were doing prior to joining Metis?
As a sinologist, my career in the art industry started in China in the early 2000s. For almost a decade, I worked for established local and international galleries such as PKM Gallery and Pearl Lam Galleries, as well as an independent art consultant for major institutions and museums in both curatorial and commercial projects. This included a documentary film on Beijing’s 798 Art District called Project 798 – New Art in New China (2010) with leading contemporary Chinese artists such as Liu Xiaodong, Zhang Xiaogong, Huang Rui, and Hong Hao among others. Most recently and just prior to joining Metis, I worked for Louis Vuitton, Perth as a Client Development Specialist. I managed events and client portfolios, creating initiatives bridging the arts and luxury industries to enhance client experiences and their engagement with the brand.
2. You join Metis as Senior Consultant, Australasia. What does it mean to be an art consultant in the context of Australasia?
The art ecosystem in Australasia is relatively local and operates differently from the leading global international art market. Commercial galleries and auctions houses focus mainly on modern and contemporary Australian art, and museums are still facing the challenge of positioning themselves in the international art world.
As an art consultant previously based in China, I intend to act as a bridge between the Australasian and Asian art ecosystems. While the majority of commercial galleries and institutions are in Sydney and Melbourne, I’m operating in Perth where the art market is young, emerging and primarily focused on local artists. At the same time, I see potential here in developing the next generation of collectors, and for international and Asian artists to be introduced in Western Australia. Education is the key factor in this evolution. It’s necessary to begin a dialogue to position Western Australia (and by extension, Australasia and the South Pacific) into a more global art ecosystem.
3. Metis’ foundational course, The Tetrad, will soon make its international debut in Perth. Can you tell us about how you would adapt the curriculum to the context of Australia?
I’ve ensured that there are sections of the course that are dedicated to post-colonialism, revisionism and historical appropriation in Australian contemporary aboriginal art. As a former British colony, Australia still has a lot to re- or unlearn!
Alex Seton, ‘Drop Cloth: Tarkhan Dress’, Wombeyan Marble, 2019. Image courtesy Cartellino and Sullivan+Strumpf.
4. Who are some of the artists within the region that are on your radar right now?
Marco Fusinato, a Melbourne-based multimedia artist and experimental musician, who will represent Australia Pavilion at the next Venice Biennale in 2022. His work combines performance, installation, photography and recording.
Another artist is Sydney-based artist Alex Seton, who is internationally known for his contemporary version of marble sculptural pieces. His works have never been exhibited in Western Australia.
Marco Fusinato, ‘Mass Black Implosion (Mikrokosmos: Clashing Sounds, Bela Bartok)’, 2012. Image courtesy the artist and Anna Schwartz Gallery.
5. What are you most looking forward to in working with Metis?
I look forward to introducing and further developing our curriculum of The Tetrad for the local audience in Perth, and in doing so, embarking on a journey of art education with collectors in the region. Through this, Metis will have the opportunity to collaborate with local institutions and non-profit organisations, and contribute towards the dialogue between Australian, Asian and the international art scenes.
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