Latest news with #MONA
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
The artwork taking flight above one of Sydney's busiest metro stations
The finished artwork, The Seeds of Flight, is open to the public. Completed in the past few months, it reflects his fascination with alternative flight methods. It also captures the dream of floating free from fossil fuels, batteries, lithium, solar panels, helium and hydrogen, which is the goal of Aerocene, the non-profit foundation he initiated. Inspired by Alexander Graham Bell's tetrahedral kite experiments, these sculptures don't just look like they can fly; earlier models have taken flight. The colours are those of the Australian bush, developed with Matt Poll, manager of Indigenous programs at the Australian Maritime Museum. Saraceno said it was an 'artwork that drifts along the rivers of the wind, suspended like stars and planets carrying constellations of life's seeds through the universe … it attempts to remind us that we are all on board this Mother Earth'. 'Together with spores, spiders, birds, eucalyptus trees, can humans also float freely, without lithium or fossil fuels? 'In the interest of the trillions of inhabitants who would like to keep journeying around the sun, might we choose orbits of solidarity over extraction?' Connecting science with art, Saraceno has brought together musicians, scientists, aerospace engineers, ballooning experts, physicists, kite makers and Indigenous elders to reimagine and reinvent our relationship with the air and the earth. Saraceno's interest in spiders resulted in major installations at Tasmania's MONA and Britain's Tate Modern, where his installation Web(s) of Life received rave reviews. As well as major exhibitions and installations, Saraceno has done an international space program at NASA's Ames Centre, studied with the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Paris, and continues to work with the MIT Centre for Art, Science and Technology in Cambridge. Saraceno founded Arachnophilia, an interdisciplinary research community with MIT and the Max Planck Institute, and recorded the vibrations of spider webs. He then invited musicians to jam with the sounds, to unveil their hidden musicality. He also created the Spider Web Scan – a laser-supported tomographic method – to study the architecture of their webs. Aerocene has broken records for solar-powered flight. In January 2020, Aerocene Pacha piloted by Leticia Noemi Marqués set 32 records for solar-powered flights recognised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. An interview with Saraceno is like being carried along a jet stream. Was he an artist or a scientist? 'I am a little bit of everything,' he said. Saraceno abhors the myth of the lone genius, detests Elon Musk's Starlink with its reliance on fossil fuels, and says the only way to change the world is through collaboration. Loading Single disciplines cannot solve problems such as climate change, global warming and inequality. 'So why don't we try to weave or work together in different ways?' Seeds of Flight, developed by Investa on behalf of Oxford Properties Group and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, took more than two years to design and produce following a 13-month selection process led by curator Barbara Flynn.
The Age
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
The artwork taking flight above one of Sydney's busiest metro stations
The finished artwork, The Seeds of Flight, is open to the public. Completed in the past few months, it reflects his fascination with alternative flight methods. It also captures the dream of floating free from fossil fuels, batteries, lithium, solar panels, helium and hydrogen, which is the goal of Aerocene, the non-profit foundation he initiated. Inspired by Alexander Graham Bell's tetrahedral kite experiments, these sculptures don't just look like they can fly; earlier models have taken flight. The colours are those of the Australian bush, developed with Matt Poll, manager of Indigenous programs at the Australian Maritime Museum. Saraceno said it was an 'artwork that drifts along the rivers of the wind, suspended like stars and planets carrying constellations of life's seeds through the universe … it attempts to remind us that we are all on board this Mother Earth'. 'Together with spores, spiders, birds, eucalyptus trees, can humans also float freely, without lithium or fossil fuels? 'In the interest of the trillions of inhabitants who would like to keep journeying around the sun, might we choose orbits of solidarity over extraction?' Connecting science with art, Saraceno has brought together musicians, scientists, aerospace engineers, ballooning experts, physicists, kite makers and Indigenous elders to reimagine and reinvent our relationship with the air and the earth. Saraceno's interest in spiders resulted in major installations at Tasmania's MONA and Britain's Tate Modern, where his installation Web(s) of Life received rave reviews. As well as major exhibitions and installations, Saraceno has done an international space program at NASA's Ames Centre, studied with the Centre National d'Études Spatiales, Paris, and continues to work with the MIT Centre for Art, Science and Technology in Cambridge. Saraceno founded Arachnophilia, an interdisciplinary research community with MIT and the Max Planck Institute, and recorded the vibrations of spider webs. He then invited musicians to jam with the sounds, to unveil their hidden musicality. He also created the Spider Web Scan – a laser-supported tomographic method – to study the architecture of their webs. Aerocene has broken records for solar-powered flight. In January 2020, Aerocene Pacha piloted by Leticia Noemi Marqués set 32 records for solar-powered flights recognised by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. An interview with Saraceno is like being carried along a jet stream. Was he an artist or a scientist? 'I am a little bit of everything,' he said. Saraceno abhors the myth of the lone genius, detests Elon Musk's Starlink with its reliance on fossil fuels, and says the only way to change the world is through collaboration. Loading Single disciplines cannot solve problems such as climate change, global warming and inequality. 'So why don't we try to weave or work together in different ways?' Seeds of Flight, developed by Investa on behalf of Oxford Properties Group and Mitsubishi Estate Asia, took more than two years to design and produce following a 13-month selection process led by curator Barbara Flynn.
Tatler Asia
23-07-2025
- Tatler Asia
9 remote travel destinations for art lovers
2. Naoshima and Teshima, Japan These islands in Japan's Seto Inland Sea have become near-religious travel destinations for art lovers. With buildings by Tadao Ando and installations by artists like Yayoi Kusama and James Turrell, the museums are integrated into the landscape with precision. On Teshima, Rei Naito's gravity-defying water installation inside the concrete dome of the museum is worth the trip alone. Ferries connect the islands, but the real transport is conceptual. 3. Fogo Island Arts, Newfoundland, Canada In one of the world's most northerly corners, art is both refuge and resistance. Fogo Island Arts offers residencies to international artists in sleek, angular studios perched above the rock-strewn coastline. Icebergs drift past, and weather becomes part of the work. It's a place where contemplation isn't just encouraged, but required. For art lovers drawn to isolation and elemental beauty, few destinations compare. 4. Donald Judd Foundation at Marfa, Texas, USA Once a quiet desert town, now an austere haven for minimalism, Marfa is Donald Judd's legacy turned pilgrimage site. The Chinati Foundation maintains large-scale installations by Judd and fellow conceptualists like Dan Flavin. The vast Texan landscape becomes part of the composition. Despite growing commercialisation, Marfa retains a stark magnetism that rewards patience and pared-down tastes. 5. The Brando, Tetiaroa, French Polynesia More than just an eco-resort, The Brando quietly supports art projects rooted in Polynesian heritage. With artist residencies, traditional crafts and curated exhibitions built into its sustainability mission, it blends cultural preservation with quiet innovation. It's less about spectacle, more about intimacy with nature, history and the act of creation. 6. Kiosko Galeria at Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia This salt flat feels like another planet, and in recent years it has become a haunting stage for ephemeral art. Kiosko Galería has curated temporary works ranging from mirrored surfaces to biodegradable interventions. The vast, reflective ground challenges spatial perception and creates a dreamlike theatre for land art, often lasting only as long as the light allows. 7. The Desert X Biennial, Coachella Valley, California Every two years, the barren landscape of Coachella Valley becomes a temporary gallery for large-scale works that address land rights, climate crisis and identity. Desert X is not subtle, but it is often affecting—works by artists like Sterling Ruby and Zahrah Alghamdi command space, sky and social commentary. For art lovers chasing urgency and relevance, this travel destination delivers. 8. MONA at Tasmania, Australia Accessible only by boat or private aircraft, MONA (Museum of Old and New Art), founded by David Walsh, is a subterranean provocation masquerading as a museum. David Walsh's collection is unorthodox, unapologetic and sometimes grotesque, but never boring. Its design—a cavernous descent into concrete halls—feels deliberately isolating. This is art that interrogates more than it entertains. 9. Gobi Desert, China Still emerging and largely undocumented, the Gobi Desert is attracting artists drawn to nomadic culture and the aesthetics of transience. These performances and installations often involve ritual, sound and natural materials, shaped collaboratively with local communities. Reaching them requires serious commitment but it's a travel destination worth pursuing nonetheless. In an era of over-access and digital fatigue, these remote art destinations offer something rare: silence, scale and slowness. They ask not just for your attention, but for your effort. For the right kind of art lover, that's part of the appeal.
Time Out
08-07-2025
- Time Out
Hobart's kooky underground art museum is officially one of the world's most beautiful buildings
Australia is full of natural wonders that stop you in your tracks and make you reflect on how amazing the world is. And while Mother Nature is a force to be reckoned with, we also deserve some credit. Human hands have shaped some of our country's most recognisable landmarks – places so striking that people travel across the world just to snap a photo. The Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House might come to mind first, but a bold Tasmanian museum has just been named one of the world's most beautiful buildings in a new Time Out list. All 24 buildings featured on Time Out's latest global ranking are a feast for the eyes – many of them with equally enchanting stories. Only one Australian landmark made the list, which is a big deal when you're listed alongside icons like the Taj Mahal, the Pantheon and the Sagrada Familia. That beauty sash goes to Tasmania's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) – a building that's not only one of the most beautiful, but one of the most fascinating too. Carved into the Triassic-period sandstone cliffs of the Berriedale peninsula, this architectural wonder is an incredibly scenic 40-minute ferry ride from Hobart along the Derwent River. It's framed by water, vineyards and hills that make it as stunning from a distance as it is up close. The story of MONA is quite remarkable. Founder David Walsh initially opened a tiny museum of antiquities on the lonely peninsula – but when nobody turned up (in his words), he decided to think bigger. Walsh flipped the concept of a traditional museum on its head, creating the Batmobile-like structure that we all know and love today. The vision was that MONA wouldn't just display art, but would be part of the art. To avoid overshadowing the surrounding properties, much of MONA was built underground — a moody network of dimly-lit, subterranean chambers that house its exhibitions. The site also includes an art conservation area and an on-site theatre. Pharos is the newest part of the building, which was opened back in 2017, and is accessible via two tunnels. Arguably MONA's most recognisable component, Pharos features a 14-metre inverted parabola that juts out over the Derwent River and is home to one of the museum's exceptional restaurants. Part of MONA's beauty is that it's an ever-changing monument, and you never know what wild idea David Walsh will bring to life next. You can check out Time Out's full list of the world's most beautiful places here. 🖼️
Time Out
26-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Time Out
This magical floating sauna is opening soon in Melbourne
There are a few must-do items on every Melburnian's Tasmania hit list. Visit MONA, hike a mountain, drink a glass of natty wine at Sonny and relax in a hand-built sauna floating on a lake. On Tassie's Oyster Cove Marina, a beautiful timber-lined sauna invites visitors to warm up and then plunge into the water, for contrast therapy in its most natural, Instagrammable setting. And soon, you won't have to board the Spirit of Tasmania to try it for mid-August onwards, the second hand-built sauna boat from Tassie-based boat builder and wellness enthusiast Dan Bush will open its doors in the heart of Melbourne. Based in Docklands, Sauna Boat Melbourne will have the same artfully simple eco-friendly design as its Tassie counterpart: fully electric and constructed by hand by a man who's passionate about helping people slow down and reset. 'In the rush of everyday life, we often forget to slow down. Sauna Boat Melbourne invites you to do just that – sweat, plunge, breathe. It's wellness made simple, on the water, in the heart of it all,' explains Bush. While Sauna Boat Tasmania invites guests to cool off with an icy plunge in the lake, the Melbourne version will be home to ice baths waiting on the deck – complete with striking views of the city skyline. The contrast therapy that comes from warming up in a sauna then cooling off is a super effective mood-booster, and the ultimate winter reset. The best news? It's not just set to be a seasonal addition to the city. Once it's open, Sauna Boat Melbourne will operate all year round – bringing a bit of magic to our bright spring mornings and hazy autumn afternoons. Groups of heat seekers will be able to book out the boat for exclusive use, or you can grab a slot in a shared group session and make new friends the Scandi way. Heat, plunge, repeat – then head to one of Docklands' excellent eateries for a well-earned feed.
