Think Aristotle was the smartest philosopher to ever live? Think again! David Walsh, the founder of the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) would beg to differ; he once called Aristotle a “moron”. Feel the provocative irreverence? That’s the spirit in which MONA in Hobart was envisioned, making it one of the must-visit attractions in the city.
What is MONA?
Obscene and pristine, lewd and shrewd, offensive and pensive, reverent and irreverent—the name tags and attempts to describe MONA have utterly failed and that is exactly the point. MONA can’t be embodied in words. It is postmodern in the true sense. David Walsh described it as an experiment on the human condition that is “ongoing and ever changing.” MONA won’t tell you what to do and feel, it provides the contemplative space to ponder life and unearth its mysteries (if there is a so-called mystery).
David Walsh founded MONA from the fortune he made through gambling. Haunted by gambler’s guilt, he conceived MONA as a way of ‘giving back to society’. MONA is, hence, a result of his love for collecting art. From ancient maps, 20th century Australian paintings, pre-Columbian art, works of Picasso and Hirst, Egyptian mummies to contemporary works of art, the museum is brimming with enthralling pieces of art. MONA has “no particular framework or categorisation”; it is a multitude of old and new art that is to be explored open-endedly.
How to get to MONA?
MONA is accessible by ferry, car or bus, but taking the ferry is the recommended way to get there because it showcases striking views of the museum facade and also sets you up for an artistic and immersive entrance experience. You can take the MONA Roma—high-speed catamarans— from Hobart’s Brooke Street Pier. It takes about 30 minutes one way if you take the ferry, and around 20 minutes if you drive from Hobart. While you’re at Brooke Street Pier, you might also want to explore a few Hobart water activities before or after your visit to MONA—the harbour is brimming with aquatic adventure.
When does MONA open and how to get tickets?
MONA is open Friday–Monday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and pre-booking is a must for every visitor. And good news for Tasmanians: entry is free for every Tasmanian if they can provide a valid address. However, they are required to pay a small deposit while booking, which is refundable if they show up. A ticket charge of $39 is applicable for every non-Tasmanian (Please note that ticket rates are subject to change).
The MONA entrance experience
Everything about MONA—the architecture, design and artwork—is unparalleled. Even the entry to the museum is second to none. If you arrive by ferry, you must climb 99 steps to enter the museum (there’s an easier entrance, but David insists that you take the stairs for a more immersive experience). You’re greeted not by the entrance, but by a tennis court, which then leads you to the museum through a distorted mirrored wall, followed by a spiral staircase descending to three underground floors. The distorted, labyrinthine entry prepares you for the upcoming uneasiness.
The interesting, but not surprising fact, is that there is no map for navigation. Some important art pieces are even intentionally hidden to enable intense exploration. There are no labels displayed to describe the artwork; instead, a mobile app—The O— gives information about the installations, and is also used as the museum guide.
Top Art Installations You Can’t Miss At MONA
While every artwork in MONA is a must-see, there are some most talked-about pieces that have captivated visitors and sparked conversations. These installations promise a unique experience.
Who says art can’t poop?
The most famous MONA installation would be Wim Delvoye’s "Cloaca Professional”. If you smell poop inside the museum, don’t doubt yourself, because that is definitely poop. ‘Cloaca Professional’ is a scientific, artistic (call it what you want) installation that replicates the human digestive system. It is literally a “poo machine” that is fed and then poops.
This is similar to when the famous artist Marcel Duchamp installed an art piece—‘Fountain’—which was literally a urinal. So, the poo machine is a postmodern example that blurs the line between reality, fiction and humour. This literal ‘piece of shit’ can provoke a new type of thought in the onlookers and allow them to reconsider the human body as a whole. This installation even raised awareness about bowel cancer.
One ‘hell’ of journey (and bit of ‘heaven’ too)
‘The Divine Comedy’ by Alfredo Jar is another installation inspired by Dante Aligheri’s epic poem by the same title. You can experience the three stages: Inferno (hell), purgatory and paradiso (heaven) as envisioned by Dante. This ‘divine’ experience will be a sensory treat. So, hey! If you wanna know what the afterlife looks like, this just might be the experience for you.
Welcome to vulva verse
Wait until you see the wall of vulvas by Greg Taylor; it is a wall of ceramic vulvas of different shapes and types. The work celebrates the diversity of women by de-stigmatising the organ. It also compels us to contemplate how art imitates life. But here is what you would never expect—you can buy vulva soaps from the gift shops at MONA. No wonder why David Walsh called MONA a “subversive adult Disneyland”.
What else can you do in MONA?
MONA is not just a gallery of art and installations, it is fully loaded with other interesting activities like live music concerts, bars, a recording studio, restaurants and the iconic Moorilla winery. So if you’re overwhelmed by the postmodern artistic madness, you can always unwind with a glass of wine and soak in the waterfront experience. To take in the changing sceneries of Hobart from the water, consider exploring Derwent River cruises—it’s the perfect pairing with a visit to MONA.
MONA is also famous for ‘Dark MOFO’, the night festival held during the winter solstice. This festival embodies the quintessential MONA spirit with its nude beach swim, pagan-inspired themes, music festivals, art, food and many more. So, MONA is in fact the all-in-one experience.
You can finish MONA in 3–4 hours if you’re just planning to strike it off your bucket list. But if you truly want to experience it, to let it confuse, challenge and provoke you, a full-day sacrifice is needed.
As Immanuel Kant says, “Time is not something which exists by itself, but a way in which the mind orders experience.” MONA is not just a museum you visit, it’s a place that reshapes how you measure time. Not in minutes or hours, but in how deeply you let it move you. So, if you’re visiting Hobart, will you give MONA a few fleeting hours, or will you dedicate a whole day to its surreal universe?
What is MONA?
Obscene and pristine, lewd and shrewd, offensive and pensive, reverent and irreverent—the name tags and attempts to describe MONA have utterly failed and that is exactly the point. MONA can’t be embodied in words. It is postmodern in the true sense. David Walsh described it as an experiment on the human condition that is “ongoing and ever changing.” MONA won’t tell you what to do and feel, it provides the contemplative space to ponder life and unearth its mysteries (if there is a so-called mystery).
David Walsh founded MONA from the fortune he made through gambling. Haunted by gambler’s guilt, he conceived MONA as a way of ‘giving back to society’. MONA is, hence, a result of his love for collecting art. From ancient maps, 20th century Australian paintings, pre-Columbian art, works of Picasso and Hirst, Egyptian mummies to contemporary works of art, the museum is brimming with enthralling pieces of art. MONA has “no particular framework or categorisation”; it is a multitude of old and new art that is to be explored open-endedly.
How to get to MONA?
MONA is accessible by ferry, car or bus, but taking the ferry is the recommended way to get there because it showcases striking views of the museum facade and also sets you up for an artistic and immersive entrance experience. You can take the MONA Roma—high-speed catamarans— from Hobart’s Brooke Street Pier. It takes about 30 minutes one way if you take the ferry, and around 20 minutes if you drive from Hobart. While you’re at Brooke Street Pier, you might also want to explore a few Hobart water activities before or after your visit to MONA—the harbour is brimming with aquatic adventure.
When does MONA open and how to get tickets?
MONA is open Friday–Monday, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm and pre-booking is a must for every visitor. And good news for Tasmanians: entry is free for every Tasmanian if they can provide a valid address. However, they are required to pay a small deposit while booking, which is refundable if they show up. A ticket charge of $39 is applicable for every non-Tasmanian (Please note that ticket rates are subject to change).
The MONA entrance experience
Everything about MONA—the architecture, design and artwork—is unparalleled. Even the entry to the museum is second to none. If you arrive by ferry, you must climb 99 steps to enter the museum (there’s an easier entrance, but David insists that you take the stairs for a more immersive experience). You’re greeted not by the entrance, but by a tennis court, which then leads you to the museum through a distorted mirrored wall, followed by a spiral staircase descending to three underground floors. The distorted, labyrinthine entry prepares you for the upcoming uneasiness.
The interesting, but not surprising fact, is that there is no map for navigation. Some important art pieces are even intentionally hidden to enable intense exploration. There are no labels displayed to describe the artwork; instead, a mobile app—The O— gives information about the installations, and is also used as the museum guide.
Top Art Installations You Can’t Miss At MONA
While every artwork in MONA is a must-see, there are some most talked-about pieces that have captivated visitors and sparked conversations. These installations promise a unique experience.
Who says art can’t poop?
The most famous MONA installation would be Wim Delvoye’s "Cloaca Professional”. If you smell poop inside the museum, don’t doubt yourself, because that is definitely poop. ‘Cloaca Professional’ is a scientific, artistic (call it what you want) installation that replicates the human digestive system. It is literally a “poo machine” that is fed and then poops.
This is similar to when the famous artist Marcel Duchamp installed an art piece—‘Fountain’—which was literally a urinal. So, the poo machine is a postmodern example that blurs the line between reality, fiction and humour. This literal ‘piece of shit’ can provoke a new type of thought in the onlookers and allow them to reconsider the human body as a whole. This installation even raised awareness about bowel cancer.
One ‘hell’ of journey (and bit of ‘heaven’ too)
‘The Divine Comedy’ by Alfredo Jar is another installation inspired by Dante Aligheri’s epic poem by the same title. You can experience the three stages: Inferno (hell), purgatory and paradiso (heaven) as envisioned by Dante. This ‘divine’ experience will be a sensory treat. So, hey! If you wanna know what the afterlife looks like, this just might be the experience for you.
Welcome to vulva verse
Wait until you see the wall of vulvas by Greg Taylor; it is a wall of ceramic vulvas of different shapes and types. The work celebrates the diversity of women by de-stigmatising the organ. It also compels us to contemplate how art imitates life. But here is what you would never expect—you can buy vulva soaps from the gift shops at MONA. No wonder why David Walsh called MONA a “subversive adult Disneyland”.
What else can you do in MONA?
MONA is not just a gallery of art and installations, it is fully loaded with other interesting activities like live music concerts, bars, a recording studio, restaurants and the iconic Moorilla winery. So if you’re overwhelmed by the postmodern artistic madness, you can always unwind with a glass of wine and soak in the waterfront experience. To take in the changing sceneries of Hobart from the water, consider exploring Derwent River cruises—it’s the perfect pairing with a visit to MONA.
MONA is also famous for ‘Dark MOFO’, the night festival held during the winter solstice. This festival embodies the quintessential MONA spirit with its nude beach swim, pagan-inspired themes, music festivals, art, food and many more. So, MONA is in fact the all-in-one experience.
You can finish MONA in 3–4 hours if you’re just planning to strike it off your bucket list. But if you truly want to experience it, to let it confuse, challenge and provoke you, a full-day sacrifice is needed.
As Immanuel Kant says, “Time is not something which exists by itself, but a way in which the mind orders experience.” MONA is not just a museum you visit, it’s a place that reshapes how you measure time. Not in minutes or hours, but in how deeply you let it move you. So, if you’re visiting Hobart, will you give MONA a few fleeting hours, or will you dedicate a whole day to its surreal universe?
