If you’re sick of softball curators and want to see art that’s meant to taunt, titillate, and educate in equal measure, there’s no better place in the world to be right now than the Museum of Old and New Art, a.k.a. Mona, in Hobart, Tasmania. Founded by David Walsh, an eccentric Ozzie millionaire who made all his money through gambling, the cavernous, underground space is stuffed with thought-provoking pieces, like Erwin Wurm’s Fat Convertible, an obese Porsche representing the perils of excess and gluttony.
Thanks to “The O”—a custom iPod Touch that uses GPS software to highlight nearby art—you’re able to interact with every work by listening to raw interviews, reading curatorial “Art Wank” commentaries, and voting on whether you love or hate the piece. Rumor has it, if guests like a work too much, Walsh replaces it with something more divisive. Recent pieces that resulted in one-star TripAdvisor reviews include 77 life-size porcelain vagina sculptures by artist Greg Taylor and Cloaca Professional, a gastro-intestinal installation by Wim Delvoye that digests and defecates live, just like a human. Our opinion: Better to be offended by art than to feel nothing, so hug this man if you ever see him—and you might. Walsh lives on the property, like Bruce Wayne in his very own Batcave.
Mona is located about 7 miles north of Hobart and best accessed via a 25-minute ferry ride from Brook Street Pier. Roundtrip tickets cost $22 AUD ($16 USD) and you can sit on a fiberglass sheep en route. Museum admission is free for Tasmanians and the under-18 set; for everyone else, it’s $20-$28 AUD ($14-$20).
655 Main Rd., Hobart, Tasmania, Australia; +61-3-6277-9900.















