Guest Work Agency

Guest Work Agency Art law and advisory firm. Curatorial practice. Founder of the Guest Club. We produce innovative art solutions using legal and curatorial expertise.

How do Australia’s latest tax reforms affect art collections?With capital gains tax rules changing to (the more complex)...
27/08/2026

How do Australia’s latest tax reforms affect art collections?

With capital gains tax rules changing to (the more complex) cost-based indexation, owners will need to ensure their valuations are up to date and backed by thorough documentation. 

Reach out to Aurelian if you’d like support in cataloguing your art collection or other luxury assets, or need recommendations for an appropriate valuer.

Last Friday, our Founder and Principal Alana Kushnir had the pleasure of joining The Dea Network and Cartier Official fo...
24/08/2026

Last Friday, our Founder and Principal Alana Kushnir had the pleasure of joining The Dea Network and Cartier Official for a morning exploring jewellery, collecting and stewardship.

Beginning with the extraordinary CARTIER exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria and continuing at Cartier’s Collins Street salon, the morning was a beautiful reminder that the value of an object is never only financial.

Alana spoke about how a legacy built around alternative assets, whether art, jewellery or other important objects, needs to preserve not only the asset itself, but its meaning, history and intention across generations.

Thank you Seri Renkin, Lillian Kline and The Dea Network for bringing together such an engaged group of women, and to Cartier for a very special morning.

Luxury client care is becoming a legal compliance issue.Spain’s new customer service law introduces mandatory obligation...
11/08/2026

Luxury client care is becoming a legal compliance issue.

Spain’s new customer service law introduces mandatory obligations for businesses operating in Spain, with requirements becoming fully enforceable by the end of 2026. For luxury and retail brands, this may affect how client enquiries, human assistance, pricing transparency and unsolicited sales contact are managed.

Australia is moving in a similar direction, with proposed reforms to the Australian Consumer Law targeting unfair trading practices, subscription traps and hidden fees.

For brands selling across borders, client care is no longer just a brand experience issue. It is becoming part of the legal risk framework. If this affects your business, get in touch at [email protected].

Disclaimer: This post is general information only and not legal advice. Every situation is different, so it’s important to obtain advice from a lawyer suited to your circumstances.

📚 Art Law Library AI Governance and Digital Sovereignty by Mika (Jaeyun) Noh Mika (Jaeyun) Noh 미카로 draws on their expert...
03/08/2026

📚 Art Law Library

AI Governance and Digital Sovereignty by Mika (Jaeyun) Noh Mika (Jaeyun) Noh 미카로 draws on their expertise in legislative research, public policy, and cultural governance. Backdropped by the rising K-Wave and the South Korean AI Basic Act, Noh cleverly critiques the cultural impact of AI on society and how art interacts with it.

This book is an essential read for policy makers, legal practitioners, cultural governance specialists, and anyone interested in how societies can shape — rather than simply respond to — the forces of AI and digital transformation.

Image: Cover of AI Governance and Digital Sovereignty by Mika (Jaeyun) Noh. Source: ArtLake.

📣 When should you hire an art lawyer?Asia-Pacific’s art fair season is fast approaching.Frieze Seoul and Kiaf SEOUL, Syd...
03/08/2026

📣 When should you hire an art lawyer?

Asia-Pacific’s art fair season is fast approaching.

Frieze Seoul and Kiaf SEOUL, Sydney Contemporary, Art Jakarta and Art Week Tokyo will bring collectors, galleries, advisers and institutions into a concentrated few months of viewing, negotiation and acquisition.

For family offices and collectors, fair week is often where strong acquisitions happen quickly. It is also where legal protection is easiest to overlook.

The biggest risk we see is not always a bad artwork. It is often a good artwork acquired without the right documentation behind it.

Before committing to a significant purchase, collectors should understand what they are acquiring, and what legal, commercial or practical issues may sit behind the transaction. That may include title, provenance, authenticity, copyright, artist resale royalty, cultural heritage restrictions, export controls, tax, transport, insurance and future resale or donation.

For financially or emotionally significant acquisitions, legal advice should not be an afterthought.

Read the full story via the link in bio.

✨ Can a face function as a trade mark?A case currently before the EUIPO’s Grand Board of Appeal asks whether a photoreal...
28/07/2026

✨ Can a face function as a trade mark?

A case currently before the EUIPO’s Grand Board of Appeal asks whether a photorealistic image of a human face can be registered as an EU trade mark.

The question sits at the intersection of personality rights, branding strategy and trade mark law.

A face may be recognisable. It may have commercial value. It may even be central to a public figure’s brand. But trade mark law asks something more specific: would consumers understand that face as a badge of origin for particular goods or services?

The decision will be one to watch for artists, performers, founders, luxury brands and collaborators working at the edge of identity, image rights and commercial branding.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this question! Drop your opinion in the comments below.

And if you want to be the first to know about art law news, in Australia and internationally — subscribe to the Aurelian newsletter for updates via the link in bio.

Trade mark disputes are rarely just about names. They are about reputation, timing, category, context and evidence.We ar...
14/07/2026

Trade mark disputes are rarely just about names. They are about reputation, timing, category, context and evidence.

We are revisiting the High Court’s Katie Perry decision now not as breaking news, but as part of a broader trend in Australian trade mark law. In recent decisions, the High Court has considered how reputation is proved, when similar branding misleads consumers, what counts as “honest” concurrent use, and how far a registered mark actually protects its owner.

For creative businesses, the Taylor v Killer Queen LLC decision is especially important. The High Court confirmed that reputation in a trade mark is tied to the goods or services for which the mark has actually been used. Fame in music and entertainment did not automatically extend to clothing.

That matters for artists, designers, fashion labels, galleries, lifestyle brands and cultural organisations expanding across categories.

A registered trade mark is powerful, but it is not the whole strategy. Brands need to clear names before launch, register in the right classes, document use, monitor the market and act before delay creates risk.

Read Aurelian’s latest Art Case Updates via the link in bio. 

Disclaimer: This post is general information only and not legal advice. Every situation is different, so it’s important to obtain advice from a lawyer suited to your circumstances.

For those following the legal, cultural and market forces shaping the art world - subscribe to The Gilded Gazette.Aureli...
09/07/2026

For those following the legal, cultural and market forces shaping the art world - subscribe to The Gilded Gazette.

Aurelian’s quarterly newsletter brings together the cases, developments and insights that matter across art, luxury, cultural property and the creative industries, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region.

Subscribe via the link in bio.

Australia’s Federal Government has stepped back from applying its proposed 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts to ge...
07/07/2026

Australia’s Federal Government has stepped back from applying its proposed 30% minimum tax on discretionary trusts to genuine testamentary trusts.

That matters for artists, collectors and philanthropists.

Testamentary trusts are trusts established under a will. They only come into effect after death, and are often used to manage how assets are held, protected and distributed over time.

A testamentary trust may help support the long-term stewardship of an art collection, the management of copyright and royalty income, the protection of vulnerable beneficiaries, or the implementation of philanthropic intentions after death.

The latest announcement means that income from genuine testamentary trusts is expected to be exempt from the proposed minimum trust tax.

But this is not a reason to avoid planning. The exemption is subject to important conditions, including that the trust is established for genuine testamentary purposes and that income is connected to assets of the deceased estate.

For anyone thinking seriously about legacy, the message is clear: the legal structure matters.

A will may transfer assets. A considered estate plan can shape what happens to them next.

Art prizes need more than good judges. They need clear terms.The recent controversy involving Australian artist Jane All...
02/07/2026

Art prizes need more than good judges. They need clear terms.

The recent controversy involving Australian artist Jane Allan and The Doyles Art Award is a timely reminder that prize T&Cs are not just administrative fine print.

When questions are raised about originality, copying or third-party rights, the organiser’s ability to respond may depend on what its terms actually say.

In this case, The Doyles committee has publicly referred to its originality requirements and has reportedly sought legal advice about revoking the award and recovering the prize money.

For prize boards and committees, clear terms should deal with originality warranties, copied or derivative works, AI-assisted processes, revocation of awards, repayment of prize money and use of finalist images.

For artists, those terms matter too. They set the expectations before the work is entered.

Aurelian advises artists, galleries, foundations and competition organisers on copyright, licensing, artist warranties and art prize terms. Get in touch with us [email protected]

Disclaimer: This post is general information only and not legal advice. Every situation is different, so it’s important to obtain advice from a lawyer suited to your circumstances.

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