Overview
Tourism in Tasmania is on the up and up these days. Yet it's impossible to deny the role Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has played in putting the island on the map since its opening in 2001, especially for international travellers. Yet now this landmark museum is looking to take its creative vision further afield, as MONA has just announced a partnership with Thai real estate conglomerate Asset World Corporation (AWC) to establish MONA Bangkok.
Following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, the early plans revealed for MONA Bangkok highlight parallels with the Hobart original, as the new venue trades the River Derwent for the Chao Phraya River. Meanwhile, DarkLab Director Leigh Carmichael — the creative project subsidiary behind MONA — said the new museum "will take the creative spirit of MONA into a new context." So are we expecting something akin to Dark Mofo and nude solstice swims? Only time will tell.
"Like the museum in Hobart, it will be unconventional and unique, and will present work by leading international artists, while also creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue with Thai artists, audiences and cultural traditions," said Carmichael. "The theme of light will be explored both as a physical phenomenon and as a metaphor. Light has long been a source of fascination, reflection and hope across cultures, and it feels especially resonant in Bangkok."
An early rendering of MONA Bangkok. Image: Supplied.
Of course, MONA's eclectic founder, David Walsh, will also play an active role in the creation of MONA Bangkok, bringing the museum's extensive experience in creating internationally acclaimed art, music and cultural destinations to Thailand. "Having spent most of the last 25 years studying how museums work, AWC has presented us with a remarkable opportunity to take what we've learned to one of the great tourist centres of the world," said Walsh.
For those engaged with the world of contemporary art, Bangkok is assuredly more established in this realm than Hobart was when MONA opened 25 years ago. With the Thai capital home to leading art events and institutions including the Bangkok Art Biennale, MOCA Bangkok and the newly opened Dib Bangkok, Carmichael says he looks forward to "meeting with Thai artists, designers and makers as we begin the journey."
AWC's portfolio includes numerous luxury hotels, restaurants and commercial skyscrapers across Thailand, with MONA Bangkok planned to form a major part of its Asiatique: The Riverfront Destination tourism hub. Here, a cross-river themed cable car will connect directly to MONA Bangkok, transforming a river crossing into an "immersive journey of art, light, sound, technology, nature, and architecture."
MONA Hobart by Jesse Hunniford.
MONA Bangkok is scheduled to open in 2029, with more details to be revealed.
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Top image: An early rendering of MONA Bangkok.