You've got to visit Australia at least once (Part 5)

The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Tasmania is one of Australia's most controversial and innovative art museums, located on the Berriedale Peninsula in Hobart, the capital of Tasmania. Founded by Australian millionaire and art collector David Walsh, it officially opened in 2011 and is renowned for its bold, avant-garde exhibition style. The museum's website describes it as: "MONA is David Walsh's playground and megaphone. He grew up in Tassie (just down the road from MONA), dropped out of university, played cards, won, did some other stuff, and opened a museum of antiquities that no one came to. He declared this a victory and decided to go bigger. The result is MONA, a temple to secularism and rationalism that talks about things you don't really understand. Come play. There's art and exhibits and stuff, but also live music, food, wine, bars, restaurants, cellar doors, accommodation, a library, recording studios, and tennis courts. MONA is designed for exploration—as a space for wonder and experimentation." The museum is built underground and accessed via a spiral staircase or elevator, giving it a futuristic feel. The exhibits range from ancient artifacts and modern art to interactive installations and even "controversial" works. Notable exhibits include: 1. *Cloaca* (2000) by Wim Delvoye: A mechanical device simulating the human digestive system that processes food and eventually "excretes" waste, challenging the boundaries between art and science while satirizing consumer culture's "digestive" habits. It sparks debates on whether art must be aesthetically pleasing, embodying postmodernist style. 2. *Bit.Fall* (2006) by Julius Popp: A waterfall of water droplets forming real-time trending words from the internet, exploring the transience and malleability of information in the digital age—where data, like water, flows and vanishes. It merges technology and nature, reflecting the philosophy of "liquid modernity." 3. *The White Library* (2015) by Gregory Barsamian: A rotating mechanical installation using strobe lights to create 3D animation effects, replicating dreamlike optical illusions and challenging viewers' perceptions of motion and stillness. 4. Ancient Egyptian mummies juxtaposed with contemporary art: Millennia-old mummies displayed alongside works by artists like Damien Hirst, creating a dialogue across time about themes of "eternity" and "death," blurring the lines between "antiquity" and "art." Works by Chinese artists include a Qing Dynasty general's armor hung with small paper slips—one unexpectedly featuring a photo of President Hu Jintao shaking hands with President Obama—exploring themes of history vs. reality and conflict vs. harmony. Another oil painting depicts Trump in a car with someone holding an old Australian flag, seemingly portraying master-servant dynamics in a modern context. Other installations feature crushed car engines, sneakers, repurposed scrap metal, and a deflated inflatable tank, prompting reflections on environmental conservation, technological progress, and human survival. Unlike traditional museums, MONA provides no explanatory plaques. Visitors use the official "O" app to access information (with different interpretations sometimes shown to different guests), emphasizing subjective experience. Dim lighting and maze-like sections create an immersive, occasionally oppressive atmosphere, aligning with MONA's "anti-establishment" ethos. MONA's curatorial approach rejects passive viewing, instead encouraging deep interaction with artworks—and even their creators—to spark unique visitor experiences. To visit MONA, take the ferry (the most popular option) from Brooke Street Pier in Hobart (25-minute ride with onboard bars and art installations), or catch Metro bus lines #135 or #138. Driving is also an option, with free parking available. Admission costs AUD 35 (free for Tasmanian residents—cue envy 😏). Plan for about 3 hours; bars and restaurants are scattered throughout the grounds and exhibition areas. Outside, vast vineyards stretch across the landscape, turning golden in late autumn for a breathtaking view. You've got to visit Australia at least once!