DARK MOFO 2019
The First Chapter
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THE FIRST CHAPTER ANNOUNCED FOR DARK MOFO 2019
A JUNE LONG WEEKEND OF ART + IDEAS + MORE
Mona’s winter festival Dark Mofo returns for its seventh year, guiding us into a forest dark and beginning with a long weekend of strange dreams and restless nights, from 6 June 2019. Dark Mofo is a contemporary cultural celebration delving into centuries-old solstice rituals and exploring the links between ancient and contemporary mythology, in the depths of the Tasmanian winter.
The festival begins with an ideas symposium, Dark + Dangerous Thoughts, which invites us to consider perspectives outside our usual confirmation bubble. “This year, Dark + Dangerous Thoughts presents varied perspectives from thinkers, writers and commentators on issues of identity politics,” DDT curator Laura Kroetsch said.
“In a world increasingly defined by identity politics , we will consider the merits and dangers when it comes to social group identification—be it in terms of race, gender, sex, class, adornment, and faith, and ask the question, has identity become our new religion?”
“With influential speakers including Stan Grant, Yumi Stynes, Ginger Gorman, Julia Morrow, Nakkiah Lui, and Luke McGregor, alongside international guests Jennifer Boylan, Frederic Martel, Martie Haselton, Coleman Hughes and more, we’re anticipating a vibrant four days of unpacking these issues.” Last year, celebrated Australian artist Mike Parr was interred in a container for three days underneath one of Hobart’s main roads during Dark Mofo. After what he thought would be his final performance, Parr returns on Friday 7 June with Towards a Black Square, a work again disorientated by Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square (1915). The artist will perform a lengthy, blindfolded performance in an undisclosed location with live video feed, before appearing in conversation at the Odeon the following day.
A new major exhibition by Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Julie Gough titled Tense Past will open at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, featuring the artist’s historic works alongside new commissions, questioning and re-evaluating colonial history and the impact of colonisation on Tasmania’s first people—then and now. Australian artist Paul Yore’s controversial soft-sculptural works range from subversive collage to sequinned needlepoint tapestry. For Dark Mofo, Yore’s new and historic works will turn DarkLab’s deconsecrated church into a technicolour chapel for Dolly Parton, Justin Bieber, and other icons of love, sex and excess.
Mona opens a major exhibition by celebrated New Zealand artist Simon Denny, forming a playful exploration into industrial mining–both of natural resources and information data. “Coming to terms with a picture of the world that includes the effects of industry on the planet, people and other forms of life is urgent,” artist Simon Denny said. “I’m very excited to be able to present an exhibition in a cavernous space like Mona’s that tries to give form to the complex relationship between life, data, resources and the hierarchies of work.”
“Simon Denny’s deep interest in how technology shapes our lives, combined with his unique sculptural aesthetic, makes for an exhibition experience unlike anything we’ve done before at Mona,” Curator Jarrod Rawlins adds. Mona first lady Kirsha Kaechele’s project Eat the Problem will offer up a deluxe book, an exhibition, and a series of immersive feasts. Also on-site at the museum, a long-awaited new tunnel network will open this June with exhibition chambers containing new installations by Ai Weiwei (CHN), Alfredo Jaar (CHL/USA), Oliver Beer (GBR), and Chris Townend.
On the musical front, Dark Mofo presents a night of jagged, dreamy folk rock and brooding pop from the American musician Sharon Van Etten, who captivated audiences on Netflix’s The OA and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return. Van Etten will perform songs from her new album, Remind Me Tomorrow at the Odeon on Sunday 9 June. Dark Mofo travel partner Spirit of Tasmania is offering a special fare for travel during June. Take your own car and set sail on your Dark Mofo experience. Book online at spiritoftasmania.com.au/darkmofo1. Dark Mofo is a project of Mona, supported by the State Government through Events Tasmania.
The full Dark Mofo program to be announced 12pm Friday 12 April. www.darkmofo.net.au
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DARK + DANGEROUS THOUGHTS
ORIGINAL SIN: HAS IDENTITY BECOME OUR NEW RELIGION?
Exploring identity relating to race, gender, sex, class, adornment, faith, and why we think how we think (and how it’s often not what we think), Dark + Dangerous Thoughts 2019 will take place over four days at the Odeon Theatre, In the Hanging Garden (Hobart CBD), and the Museum of Old and New Art.
Dates: Thursday 6–Sunday 9 June 2019, from 9:30am daily
Tickets: Premium passes, day passes, and individual event tickets available from $29–$249 plus booking fee, from 16 April. www.darkmofo.net.au
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PAUL YORE IT’S ALL WRONG BUT IT’S ALRIGHT | BLACK TEMPLE GALLERY
Melbourne-based artist Paul Yore’s riotously colourful soft-sculptural works have been exhibited internationally, ranging from subverted paper collage to hand-stitched and sequinned needlepoint tapestry, deconstructing culture and the physical extremes of art. For Dark Mofo, Yore’s new and historic works will turn DarkLab’s deconsecrated church into a technicolour chapel for Dolly Parton, Justin Bieber, and other icons of love, sex and excess.
+ Friday 7 June–Sunday 23 June, Black Temple Gallery (47 Davey St), free
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MIKE PARR |TOWARDS A BLACK SQUARE
Last year, Australian artist Mike Parr was interred in a container for three days underneath a Hobart road. After what he thought would be his final performance, this year the artist returns with a new work disorientated by Kazimir Malevich’s Black Square (1915). You will witness a live video feed of a performance featuring a blindfolded Parr in an undisclosed location, navigating a bare gallery space with brush and black paint. The location will later be revealed and open as an exhibition for a short time, before the walls are painted out and returned to their original state. The artist will then join us in conversation at the Odeon.
Live-stream performance
+ Friday 7 June, Generator Room, Old Mercury Building, access via Lords Place, 10am–6pm, free
Conversation
+ Saturday 8 June, Odeon Theatre, 1pm, free
Exhibition
+ Saturday 8–Sunday 16 June, venue to be revealed, 12–6pm, free
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JULIE GOUGH TENSE PAST |
TASMANIAN MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY
This major exhibition by Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Julie Gough questions and re-evaluates colonial history and the impact of colonisation on Tasmania’s first people—then and now. As well as including some of the best artworks from Gough’s oeuvre, Tense Past also presents new site-specific artworks that engage with artefacts from major collections from across the country. Curated by Mary Knights. Presented by Dark Mofo and the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.
+ Opens: Friday 7 June, 6–10pm
+ Continues until Sunday 3 November, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, free
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SIMON DENNY MINE | MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART
A journey underground, into a theme park revolving around mining, data collection, and augmented reality.
Aotearoa-born artist Simon Denny represented New Zealand at the 2015 Venice Biennale, and at Mona during Dark Mofo, opens his biggest exhibition yet: a playful exploration into industrial mining–both of natural resources and information data. Curated by Jarrod Rawlins and Emma Pike.
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EAT THE PROBLEM | MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART
Eat the Problem is the culmination of Kirsha Kaechele’s lifelong quest to provide creative and delicious solutions to the worldwide environmental issues caused by invasive species. The project comes in the form of a deluxe book, and an exhibition featuring one of the world’s largest glockenspiels. A series of immersive feasts will take place during the festival, where the so-called ‘brown note’ will be played, as well as a selection of performative treatments (taking place in front of other museum visitors).
+ Exhibition open: Wednesday–Monday, Mona, 10am–5pm, until Monday 2 September, $28/$25 museum entry, free for Tasmanians and under 18s
+ Grand Feasts: Thursday 13 + Friday 14 June, Mona, 5pm until late, tickets www.mona.net.au
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SHARON VAN ETTEN | ODEON THEATRE
A night of jagged, dreamy folk rock and brooding pop from the American musician and composer who captivated audiences on Netflix’s The OA and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return.
For Dark Mofo, Sharon Van Etten and band will perform songs from her new album, Remind Me Tomorrow.
+ Sunday 9 June, Odeon Theatre, 7pm (doors 6pm), $39–$79 + booking fee
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