Postcard from Tasmania: MONA (Museum of Old and New Art)

Three years ago, while visiting Australia, we were urged to visit Tasmania and, in particular, MONA: the Museum of Old and New Art. This time, we managed to fit this destination into our busy schedule and opted to travel by ferry from Hobart (featured image above).

On The Origin of Art

The current exhibition – which runs until 17 April 2017 – is housed in the bowels of the building, and the building itself is a work of art.

We visited during the day and the area lit up in blue above looks like this in daytime.

This space provides a brilliant opportunity to sit and reflect on the beauty of the landscsape, but especially the sky.

What’s it like inside MONA?

Unlike so many other galleries where stark rectangular rooms lead from one to another, each one displaying four walls of art, MONA presents a catacomb of spaces in which ‘art’ is allowed to breathe. Or educate, or amuse, or shock.

On arrival, we were given iPads which knew where we were in the building and what artifacts were nearby. One click provided us with a written report on the piece and, often, a recorded interview with the artist. Each item also had the option to love/hate it …

Believe me, some of the exhibits did leave you tempted to hit that ‘hate’ button. But most of them make you stop and think, which is no bad thing?

Memorable moments?

A lot of what’s on show relies on technology, like the waterfall which revealed words for a nanosecond, or the video of a Tai chi routine which demonstrated how we see movement.

There were also many examples of innovative art which challenge the viewer to think and rethink.

Is it worth going?

Definitely! Allow a whole day. Arrive early and plan to leave late. You’ll need time to reflect on what you’ve seen, and the various eateries and bars provide excellent choices. And manage to cope with vast crowds too.

This post is one of my POSTCARD series, sharing all things ART with you when I go travelling.