We left the Freycinet Peninsula and headed to Hobart, the capital city of Tasmania. A lovely, small riverfront city, Hobart has a thriving art and locavore foodie scene. We spent our time wandering around the historic Salamanca Market district, visiting the beloved Saturday Farmers Market, walking the harbor, and visiting Hobart’s famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) art museum.
Hobart got unprecedented amounts of international press when the Museum of Old and New Art, MONA, opened in 2011. Its eccentric owner, David Walsh, proudly declared it a “subversive adult Disneyland,” and reportedly filled his “unmuseum” with controversial exhibits focused on sex and death. He also left out traditional museum features, like large open gallery spaces and explanatory wall text.
Despite all the hype, locals told us the MONA is a “must-see.” As an art lover, I read a lot about this museum before we arrived in Hobart (like this fascinating New Yorker profile of Walsh). I also scoured the internet for advice from parents on whether or not this was a reasonable attraction for toddlers. After reading all the parent blogger raves, we decided to check it out.
And we were glad we did! While Walsh may have risqué taste, he also seems to be a kid at heart, with a cheeky sense of humor. We took the MONA’s ferry along the Derwent River to the museum. The deck includes a large cow and four sheep seats (i.e. “cattle class”). It’s no surprise that all the children on the boat loved this ride.
The museum itself is located on sprawling riverfront grounds and built into a cliff. Inside, things got strange quickly. We took an elevator down to three floors below ground, and it was like descending into a crypt. We were greeted by loud funeral-like music (a dirge really) and a long stone hallway leading to the current temporary exhibit “On the Origin of Art.” (On MONA’s website, this show is described as “one man’s crusade to piss off art academics.”)
Just when I was feeling like this may have been a bad idea, we arrived at “bit.fall” by Julius Pop. A waterfall that uses computer programmed nozzles to spray water droplets into words, this artwork was beautiful, and as fascinating to E as to us.
From there, we were turned to face four dark doorways, which all led to different galleries and exhibits. Without signage on the walls, we walked in blindly, with no idea what we would encounter in the labyrinth inside. For the most part, the exhibits were much more traditional than I expected. (There was only one room that I walked in and then promptly turned around and exited.)
The first exhibit we saw featured floor-to-ceiling line drawings in bright primary and neon colors. E loved this color explosion, much like another room covered in yellow and black polka dots with round sculptures and mirrors filling the space (by the popular Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama).
MONA's New Exhibition Gets Personal
But her favorite was a short video of two tiny spiders performing an elaborate mating dance, shown in a narrow cubbyhole of a room. After watching it once, E sat down cross-legged in front of the screen and insisted on watching it again numerous times.
I felt sensory overload here, so I can’t imagine what E thought. After an hour, she was ready to go. Frankly so was I. Feeling a little claustrophobic, I’d also gotten a headache from a strobe light exhibit I’d wandered into.
So we took the elevator back up to the sunshine. The two floors we skipped house the most notorious exhibits, including “Cloaca Professional,” otherwise known as the “poo machine,” which creates realistic poop twice a day and earns lots of giggles from the elementary school crowd.
But the day’s highlight still awaited us. On Sundays in summer and early fall, the MONA puts on an outdoor festival with musicians, food and an art tent and sandbox for the “mini-MONA” set.
We found a spot in the shade (on beanbag chairs strewn all over the lawn) and happily ate lunch while listening to a talented flamenco guitarist perform. E lounged on her bean bag, looking like she didn’t have a care in the world. Then, like a true festival attendee, she wandered toward the stage and danced along to the music. I could have happily stayed there all afternoon, but alas, we had to catch the boat back to the city in time for nap.
So would we recommend visiting the MONA with kids? Yes, as the boat ride and outdoor grounds are worth the trip alone. Also, many of the exhibits had much more kid-appeal than what you’d find at most traditional art museums — there’s a large, free trampoline after all! And a good majority were not the least bit controversial. (That said, we did only visit one of the museum’s three floors.)
However, this museum has its edgy reputation for good reason. If you’re planning a visit with kids in tow, I’d do some reading in advance about the most questionable exhibits (the details are all over the internet) so you can find them on the included visitor’s map and skip them as you feel appropriate. The museum staff also seem happy to help parents navigate.
Exploring the “Sex and Death Museum” with a Toddler was originally published in teamjk adventures on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
