Helen Ochyra reports on how Tasmania, particularly Hobart, has emerged as a leading global art destination, driven largely by MONA (Museum of Old and New Art). The privately funded museum, founded by art collector David Walsh, recently opened a $100 million AUD wing housing a towering concrete amphitheatre by German artist Anselm Kiefer. Beyond MONA, Hobart hosts the provocative winter festival Dark Mofo, the science-and-culture Beaker Street Festival, and the inaugural Island Readers & Writers Festival, cementing its reputation for cutting-edge arts and culture.
This matters because Tasmania's transformation into an art hub demonstrates how a single visionary institution can reshape a region's cultural identity and tourism appeal. MONA's unconventional approach—blending ancient artefacts with provocative contemporary works, wineries, and irreverent marketing—has created a model for destination-making through art. The island's growing festival ecosystem also highlights how art, science, and literature can converge to attract international visitors and foster community engagement, challenging the dominance of traditional art capitals.