A DISPUTE over consultation surrounding the Swan Valley sculpture trail has continued, with arts organisation FORM rejecting claims Swan Valley artists were overlooked and defending its engagement process.

The WA government-backed $2.2 million project will feature works by internationally recognised Portuguese artist Artur Bordalo, known as Bordalo II, and aims to create a destination attraction similar to the Giants of Mandurah.

As reported in Swan Valley artists upset by sculpture project handling, several valley artists, including long-standing sculptor Antonio Battistessa, raised concerns they were not meaningfully consulted before key decisions were made.

In response to questions from Echo News, FORM said it had undertaken more than 14 months of community engagement since December 2024, including interviews, stakeholder meetings, presentations and ongoing discussions with artists and organisations.

FORM said this included 20 one-on-one interviews during the project’s business case stage, 20 project updates delivered through meetings and calls, and engagement with groups including the City of Swan, tourism bodies and Aboriginal cultural organisations.

FORM chief executive officer Tabitha McMullan said individual engagement had been chosen to allow for deeper conversations.

“Community engagement is at the heart of everything FORM does,” she said.

“For a project of this scale and significance, we have deliberately chosen to engage with artists and community members individually so we can listen properly, understand their perspectives, and ensure their feedback genuinely shapes the project.”

FORM also detailed its contact with key local artists named in the earlier report.

The organisation said Mr Battistessa had been engaged multiple times since March 2025 through networking events, meetings and phone calls, and had been offered further opportunities for discussion.

Mr Battistessa maintains FORM’s meetings with him were not consultations for artists to meet with decision-makers and make meaningful contributions.

“What’s the point of a consultation if you’ve already made up your mind?” he said.

“What is the correct next step here is for there to be a circle meeting conducted with people of the valley and FORM and for chances for dialogue and respect and listening to each other.

“I don’t want a system where they stand up in front of us and just announce, but dialogue.”

FORM said sculptor Ron Gomboc had been contacted in early 2025 and again ahead of Bordalo II’s visit but declined further involvement due to other commitments.

The organisation also pointed to ongoing engagement with Ellenbrook Arts and Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery, including meetings between Bordalo II and local representatives during his February site visit.

FORM said the artist met with Swan Valley Elders for a Welcome to Country, a water ceremony and discussions about cultural themes and locally significant animals.

FORM acknowledged some community members would have preferred earlier consultation but said engagement was ongoing and that key project elements had not yet been finalised.

“The project remains in its early stages,” a spokesperson said.

“Decisions on locations, the number of sculptures, and community involvement are still being shaped through ongoing consultation.”

FORM said opportunities would be available for local artists through employment, fabrication, workshops and complementary commissions linked to the project.

The organisation said sculpture frames and footings would be manufactured in Western Australia and that local creatives could work alongside Bordalo II as part of the delivery process.

Tourism Minister Reece Whitby has previously said the project aimed to boost visitation and create economic opportunities for the Swan Valley.

“The WA government will continue to work with the region’s artists to explore opportunities for skills sharing, knowledge transfer, and artistic participation throughout the project and ahead of its launch,” he said.

FORM said its consultation approach was appropriate and that feedback from stakeholders had been incorporated into the project’s business case submitted in June 2025.

Maalinup Aboriginal Gallery artist Dale Tilbrook said while consultation had occurred, they felt limited in their ability to influence key decisions.

“Whether consultation from FORM was adequate is a tricky question to answer because I think a lot of what’s happened was potentially put in place before FORM got involved in consultation,” she said.

“Although the consultation was very nicely done, it was essentially after the fact because there wasn’t really anything that I could say or anyone else could say to change the course of events.”

Looking ahead, Ms Tilbrook said greater local involvement would be key, particularly in shaping how the Swan Valley’s identity was represented.

“What I would like to see is much more local involvement,” she said.

“But they’ve already chosen the artist, so everything else is bits and pieces.

“It’s not the project as a whole.”

Ms Tilbrook said Aboriginal cultural storytelling should be central to the project’s identity along with the iconic vineyards.

“It is the only story that is a point of difference for Australia,” she said.

“You can go anywhere else in the world for wine regions or landscapes, but you can’t get Australian Aboriginal culture intertwined with it anywhere else.”