Guide to Dark Mofo for the whole family

Dark Mofo, Mona’s winter festival, delves into centuries-old solstice rituals, exploring the links between ancient and contemporary mythology, humans and nature, religious and secular traditions, darkness and light, and birth, death and renewal.

Dark Mofo 2018 runs 13–24 June. While the festival is in part known for its nocturnal party villages, live music and indulgent cocktails, there is also plenty of joy to be found by rugged up kids and their families, in its public art precincts, ritual ogoh-ogoh demon purging and burning, and large-scale light and fire works.

DARK PARK AT MAC POINT

AFTER-DARK INDUSTRIAL ART PLAYGROUND

+ Friday 15–Sunday 17 June, 5–10pm

+ Thursday 21–Sunday 24 June, 5–10pm

Macquarie Point, Evans St, Hobart, free

+         UNITED VISUAL ARTISTS: MUSICAL UNIVERSALIS* (GBR)

United Visual Artists return to Dark Mofo to present Musical Universalis, a spatial instrument that uses kinetics and sculpture to explore the connections between light, harmony and order. Eight orbs turn and turn in a darkened warehouse, manifesting the harmonic patterns of faraway celestial bodies in our solar system. *Australian exclusive.

+         THE PURGING: OGOH-OGOH

As the darkness sets in, make an offering of your fears to our Tasmanian cave spider-shaped ogoh-ogoh—a demon-like sculpture derived from Balinese Hindu tradition.

+         THE BURNING: OGOH-OGOH

Join the massive procession snaking its way around the waterfront to the ceremonial fire of Dark Park, where our ogoh-ogoh—and our fears with it—shall be commended to the flames.

+ Sunday 24 June, 5pm, Parliament Lawns to Dark Park, Macquarie Point, free

+         TERRAPIN PUPPET THEATRE: THE SPIDER AND THE FLY*

A free puppet show of Mary Howitt’s creepy little fable of flattery, charm and hunger, with sound by Dylan Sheridan and narrated by Rosie Grace. Sure to delight the kids.

+         MATTHEW SCHREIBER: LEVIATHAN* (USA)

A massive geometric sculpture wrought from lasers and light, from the visual artist who was James Turrell’s lighting expert for 13 years and works in the field of light, architectural space and holography.

+         WINTER FIRES

Huge poetic lyrics will go up in flames at 6pm nightly, painting the night sky red.

DARK MOFO + CITY OF HOBART WINTER FEAST

The gastronomical heart and soul of Dark Mofo is returning for its sixth iteration this year, taking place on seven nights over two weekends and consuming Princes Wharf, along Hobart’s Salamanca waterfront. The feast is a contemporary take on pagan solstice celebrations, as the community gathers around fires and under the stars to eat, drink and celebrate as the longest night of the year approaches in Australia’s southernmost city.

+ Friday 15 + Saturday 16 June, 4–11pm, $10

+ Sunday 17 + Thursday 21 June, 4–10pm, $10

+ Friday 22 + Saturday 23 June, 4–11pm, $20

+ Sunday 24 June, 4–10pm, free, Princes Wharf 1, Castray Esplanade, Hobart

Free after 8pm nightly, and for under 16s with a parent or guardian.

Season Pass: Seven-night ticket with priority entry: $50 + booking fee. Under 16s free with registration.

SPECTRA RYOJI IKEDA* (JPN)

Ryoji Ikeda’s spectra [tasmania] appeared at the first Dark Mofo in 2013. Now, on the winter solstice, join us in Mona’s grounds for its return: a towering pillar of powerful searchlights reaching high into the night sky. Evening ferries will shuttle you to and from the museum – book tickets closer to the festival. This temporary installation of spectra for Dark Mofo 2018 will soon be replaced by a permanent version on Mona’s Berriedale grounds. Presented by Mona.

+ Thursday 21–Sunday 24 June, from sunset to sunrise, Museum of Old and New Art, free

CHALKROOM* LAURIE ANDERSON (USA) + HSIN-CHIEN HUANG (TWN)

Fly through a shadowy city and navigate your way through a dark world of fractured stories and drawings, exploded clouds of language, and words that crumble into dust. A collaboration in virtual reality between pioneering artist and musician Laurie Anderson and new media artist Hsin-Chien Huang, awarded “Best VR Experience” at the 74th Venice Film Festival (2017). *Australian exclusive.

+ Thursday 14–Sunday 17 June,

+ Wednesday 20–Sunday 24 June, location, times and ticket information to be announced

ZERO AT MUSEUM OF OLD AND NEW ART

‘Zero is the beginning.’ Major artworks from the Zero movement, shown together in Australia for the first time. In 1958 some students in Düsseldorf started to make art that ran against the style and feeling of the moment. This was Germany, in the aftermath of World War II. The mood wasn’t light. But for these young people, it was time to break free from the anxious individualism that seemed to oppress the artists of the time. This major exhibition at Mona presents a series of chambers, each an immersive exploration of an important aspect of the Zero phenomenon: vibration. Includes works by Heinz Mack, Otto Piene, Günther Uecker, Marcel Duchamp, Yves Klein, Heinz Mack, Hans Arp, Yayoi Kusama, Josef Albers, and many more. Exhibition concept by Tijs Visser.

+ Exhibition opened 9 June 2018 and runs until 22 April 2019 (usual museum opening hours and entry prices apply).

As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation unfolds globally and locally, we are unable to guarantee that the locations featured in this webpage are currently open for visitors. Please contact the individual operators for further information.