Tassie - MONA

Ever heard of MONA? Well it is the hottest new venue in Hobart. It is the Museum Of Old & New Art, as well as a winery, micro brewery, restaurant & function centre.


Everyone is talking about it. You have to go see it. It is amazing. It is wonderful. Even the guy at the roadside fruit stall told us that we couldn't miss it. So off we went.

The MONA Building

The first thing that strikes you is the pricing. Tasmanians get in free, the rest of the world pays! Now is there a message in there?? The building is quite striking. Set along a headland of the Derwent River west of Glenorchy, it resembles a fortress, set among the vineyards. Quite medieval really.


It is quickly apparent that this is the domain of the arty farty. Lots of black and berets, lots of tattoos and body piercing, lots of colourful kaftans and big jewellery, red lipstick, and lots of "oh darling". And that is just the patrons!!


The exhibits are mostly new art, with a few old things thrown in, to add credibility. Many of the exhibits are designed to shock, and they do. Now I'm the first to admit that I'm not great on modern art. I can appreciate a Picasso and a Dali, and can usually work them out, but I really struggled to work out what was artistic about a machine that replicated the human digestive system. This was a working machine. They put the Sunday roast in one end, it went through a series of chambers all made from clear plastic, so we didn't miss one disgusting minute, and a curly poo came out the other end several hours later. Now that is Art!! And just to make sure we didn't miss the point, they had three different versions, each taking up a room.


The smartest guy is the one who has donated his back for a tattoo artist. He comes and sits, bent over in a window, to show off the ever growing artwork that is his back. It is planned to take 2 years to complete, and he will pocket a 6 figure sum for an artwork that can never be sold!


But my real favourite for wierd, was the lipstick art. Some "artist" had taken some blank stationery from a series of exclusive hotels. The artist then proceeded to paint lipstick on his anus, and then squat on the stationery leaving a series of pink smears on each page. These were then framed and hung on the wall in a line. I hope the artist is seeing someone for their condition. All those businessmen walking out of 5 Star Hotels with briefcases will never seem the same again. Is there lipstick and stationery in that case??? 


I could go on and on about the exhibits, but why. It was hard work for the senses.


The featured exhibit was by artist Wim Delvoye, described as a conceptual artist. I'd agree, nothing seemed finished!! I thought the best thing about his work was the way he knocked off the Walt Disney logo to make it look like his name. After that he lost me. I am always suspicious when the description explaining the artwork is bigger than the artwork itself!!! The whole exhibition was so far out there, that none of us could make the journey. Hopefully the aliens will return soon to reclaim their lost property. Shame some of it got bent on landing!


Anyway, the food, the wine, and the beer was good, and you can't beat the setting. Oh, and I figured out the pricing. If you charge Tasmanians, none of them would likely ever come back, and get the money off the tourists up front, because they surely won't be back!!


As we drove back we passed the roadside fruit stall guy again, I had a vision of him hanging on a wall with fruit and vegetables sticking out of every orifice. You know, it might just work!!! Must call MONA.


Sorry guys, MONA was a groaner for us.