AMY BARRETT-LENNARD
It is all about sustainability, the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts director tells Helen Shield.
Biggest or best career break?
An early one, being appointed curator of the Goldfields Arts Centre in Kalgoorlie. I was in my late 20s and had just come back to Australia, somewhat reluctantly, after two years studying and working in London. I felt I may as well be on the moon in relation to the contemporary art world, as Australia just didn’t seem to rate a mention. But I realised when I got to Kalgoorlie that I would be it. I thought to myself, ‘I may never have this much freedom ever again’. That was where I cut my teeth. I spent four years there. It was an incredible experience.
Describe your leadership style.
It’s changed over the years. I am now more interested in the process of change and guiding people rather than solely focused on the outcomes. In the arts industry there’s a huge burnout rate. People are incredibly passionate about what they do. That’s one of the big challenges we face as leaders. How to manage that enthusiasm so that it is sustainable. It’s probably the opposite to other industries.
What is the best way to improve sustainability?
At PICA we are all so enthusiastic, we want to do everything. I think it’s about making some really hard decisions about what you are not going to do and focusing on the projects or programs that are going to make the biggest difference. And putting your financial and human resources into those. It requires a huge amount of discipline.
What is the business case for contemporary art?
It is always evolving, it’s about testing what has gone on before and pushing that further, coming up with a reverse position. The artists we work with are always approaching things in a very lateral way. We have lots of challenges facing us as a society and I think that we can all take a lot of lessons from contemporary artists.
Do you use social media? If so, how?
A little bit. PICA uses social media a lot and thankfully I have some fantastic younger staff members who really know how to use it. I do like aspects of the democratisation that it has brought for opinions. That’s an opportunity and a challenge for arts organisations. I also like the power it has politically. I think campaigns that we would not have been able to afford before are now possible via social media.
How do you spend your spare time?
There’s not a lot of it. My partner and I enjoy travelling if our schedules align. I love ocean swimming and I swim with a group of friends, the Sunday Swim Gang, and we swim at Cottesloe every Sunday throughout the entire year. That’s a great form of weekly therapy — the swim and the discussion that happens after, at breakfast.
What was the last book you read?
Change by Chinese author Mo Yan. I went to China for the first time earlier this year and was totally blown away by the country and the contradictions within that country. This is a novella by the author who is reflecting on the past few decades and the change politically and socially and what that means for him as an individual.
Favourite holiday destination?
We love South America and we go to Buenos Aires often. We think that the Argentines really know how to live and one of the great pleasures we have there is to take a night and day trip over to Montevideo in Uruguay and it has the best flea market in the world. We love the food, the lifestyle. It’s very social, there’s a great sense of design and pride in urban design.
What was your worst investment?
Pairs of shoes that seemed extremely comfortable in the store but after half an hour seem to be a grave mistake. I have a number of those.
What is the best way to deal with funding challenges?
It’s about being open to other models while retaining a sense of purpose that is about artistic freedom. It’s about being determined to achieve what you set out to and finding other ways of doing that. Mission drift gets you nowhere. You are generally more valued if you are very clear about what it is that you want to achieve and can demonstrate that you are committed to that.
How does PICA maintain its flexibility?
We developed this education program Spark Lab about innovation and as an organisation we try to exemplify that. We try to do things differently. And that keeps us engaged and passionate and keeps our brains working extra hard.
Creativity and innovation require resourcing.
Why is it that as a community we have trouble ascribing value to something that we know adds to an economic bottom line?It’s hard to measure. It doesn’t immediately give you an economic benefit. It definitely does in the long term. I think we have problems with investing in the future. We so much want instant gratification and instant return that investment in the future seems to be a luxury when there are so many immediate demands. But we have the immediate demands because we haven’t invested in the future in the past. That’s the irony.
