RadioRoryA whole post about one museum in Hobart, Tasmania?
At least.
MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art, is edgy…and then some.
Displays include a working reproduction of the human digestive track using modern medical equipment. The display is easy to find. Just follow your nose. Oh yeah, it’s ALL reproduced.
There are swollen cars.
You’ll find wrought iron ones too.
A cascading waterfall is computer-controlled to spell out dozens of words.
Most famously, there’s the great wall of vaginas. A U.K. artist has hundreds of plaster casts of female genitalia, from teenage girls to grandmas in their 70s. More than 70 of the life-sized casts are at eye level as you walk through the museum halls. The gift shop even sells a soap version of some of the models. I assume the soap is safe for sensitive skin.
And here’s a sentence you don’t hear very much. The museum has a great beer selection. MONA is built into the side of a hill and the underground bar is a fantastic space with towering rock walls. It’s a great way to unwind while you process some of the artwork you’ve seen and experienced.
Luckily, not all of the drinking is confined to the lower levels. The upstairs cafe offers a spectacular view of River Derwent which, for me, really is the star of the show.
You can drive or take a bus to the museum, but the best way to get there is by ferry. The high-speed ferries leave from Brooke Street Pier in downtown Hobart and take about 30-minutes to reach the museum. You can upgrade your seat to get drinks and canapes in the so-called “Posh Pit” at the front of the ferry.
For a trip to MONA, riding on a pink camouflage ferry in Hobart, Tasmania will probably be the most “normal” part of your day.