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I opened the curtains to find a very overcast Hobart with some clouds holding promises if rain.
After some brekkie I walked down to the waterfront and joined a very long queue for the Mr-I MONA ROMA cat ferry to MONA, the Museum of Old and New Art. For the duration if the 30 min journey up the River Derwent I clung onto the rails whilst getting battered by the wind on the deck. We went past the catamaran ship yard and the zinc factory before reaching the distinctive MONA building.
After disembarking there was a big flight if stairs to climb before entering the museum. On arrival we were sent down a spiral staircase that took us to 3 levels below ground. We were all given iPods with headphones. The system known as'O' acts as a guide to the artwork which is not labelled. I was very impressed, especially as you could hit a '+' button to love a piece of art and a 'X' to hate it. You were also then told how many people felt the same way. I also saved my tour which has been emailed to me, amazing!
Amazing too was the building itself, carved out of solid rock to crate this subterranean museum with some of the mist amazing spaces in which to display art.
The art itself was marmite. Most of it I loved or hated, there were very few pieces that were 'meh'.
The first piece that had me transfixed for a good 20 mins was essentially a computer linked machine that used the most common words in the online news at that point in time then formed them from water droplets which fell against a bare rock backdrop and fell down a drain. Inspired, amezzin, loved the concept and it's realisation. Hated the fact that it was incredibly challenging to get a good photo!
And so it went on... I will not bore you, but my other favourite was Zizi the affectionate couch. If you stroked her she purred, if she didn't like it she growled and she would vibrate if very happy! Disconcerting at first but good fun! I treated myself to lunch, overlooking the river. I had a lovely Vietnamese chicken noodle salad, washed down with a Moo Brew pale ale, made by the microbrewery attached to the museum. I chatted to a couple of people over lunch. Even if people didn't like things it created lots of talk and made you think and question things.
After lunch I had a look at the death gallery... interesting. Then headed outside where I was convinced by an attendant to have a bounce on a big trampoline with lots of little bells attached to it and four big Tibetan prayer bells. After a slightly nervous start I ended up giggling and smiling loads! The signs for the car parking space for the owner and his wife also made me smile lots, see picture!
I returned to hobart on Mr-I, riding inside this time! I spent the next few hours wandering around the city looking at buildings, down to Salamanca place, over to the Drunken Admiral, a famous seafood restaurant.
In the evening I met up with Stuart (Nicky's husband) who took me to Mures for a fish supper where I had battered scallops and chips, nom nom! Then we headed to join another TSO member for drinks at the Woolstore. I fell into bed a little later than usual and having had a fun evening drinking some very nice wine :)
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