Dark Mofo
dark mofo annual midwinter art culture festival held museum old new art mona hobart tasmania australia launched winter counterpart summer mona foma festival dark mofo event take place night celebrate darkness southern winter solstice featuring many musical act large scale light installation winter feast dark mofo launched partnership mona owner david walsh creative director leigh carmichael musician brian ritchie carmichael stated dark mofo conceived marketing exercise build mona visitation winter month festival supported tasmanian government initially provided million support festival three year inaugural festival held june featured ryoji ikedas kilometrehigh light installation spectrum permanent fixture mona first year also introduced annual nude solstice swim see one thousand people dunk river derwent dawn shortest day year initially nude swim banned police however support politician general public event proceeded hobart mayor damon thomas took part march organiser dark mofo delayed festival program due impact covid pandemic walsh citing uncertainty pandemic carmichael noting need act decisively ensure dark mofos longterm survival organiser estimated event met lastminute cancellation fiscal impact would million cost absorbed walsh financier would led permanent closure festival festival planned occur compressed oneweek period account interstate border closure faced fiscal organisational cultural issue decision compress festival due financial constraint reduced state government council funding financial issue exacerbated decision limit sponsorship event justified due detrimental effect artistic integrity following festival tasmanian government committed threeyear funding arrangement valued million march organiser faced criticism indigenous artist cultural institution inviting first nation people participate commissioned work union flag santiago sierra donating blood controversy prompted organiser apologise commit appointment first nation cultural advisor develop cultural advisory group seed funding develop work local indigenous artist improved programming indigenous performer festival launched opening ceremony organised palawapakana community including welcome country smoking ceremony reclamation walk hobart cbd work included rainbow dream moon rainbow rainbowthemed installation japaneseborn artist hiromi tango festival returned twoweek format following union flag controversy previous year organizer adopted safer programming carmichael describing decision pull back give everyone chance breathe changing tone festival observed medium broadsheet noting controversy short supply guardian observing program less risky event thinner ground festival encountered several disruption including withdrawal scheduled artist deafheaven lingua ignota due covid cancellation several event due demolition development use former venue late carmichael announced decision end tenure creative director dark mofo sydney festival fall festival curator chris twite appointed event successor carmichael cited need new energy new idea move festival forward whilst retaining role director event creative agency darklab managed cultural project tasmania carmichael expressed fatigue engaging controversial work committed giving chris space need take event forward way chooses festival dark mofo success record total entry festival event increase previous year revenue million key performance included live performance sleep british composer max richter american contemporary music ensemble attendee slept cot overnight venue divine comedy performance artist florentina holzinger featured transgressive act performed nude allfemale cast including masturbation squirting ejaculation blood donation synchronised defecation trance led chen tianzhuo durational performance held eighteen twohour installment across three day featuring openended mixture physical theatre live performance rave edition dark mofo attracted interstate visitor sold ticket generated million tasmanian economy september twite announced press release festival would delayed citing need organizer take time secure sustainable funding model two festival key event winter feast nude solstice swim expected occur planned despite hiatus announcement observed coincide several announcement art music festival cancellation amidst rising cost including cancellation fall festival festival april dark mofos organiser revealed scaled edition festival celebrates community aspect event would take place june scaleddown dark moto would showcase local food vendor winter feast namedropping new exhibition museum old new art return nude solstice swim dance program latenight party night shift slow burn winter garden april dark mofos organiser confirmed festival would return building theme sex death parent institution mona dark mofo praised unique subversive provocative programming australian noted festival moulded opposition state major art festival remained bastion radical uncompromising programming home provocative art festival praised aesthetic darkness use taboo subject matter pagan iconography compared tasmanian gothic artistic literary tradition dark mofo several award national live music award event recognising celebrating australia live event industry event courted controversy since inception interstate visitor noted different health safetyobsessed mainland festival one writer calling dark mofo festival sydney wouldnt allow inaugural festival seven people hospitalised suffering seizure kurt hentschlagers zee light installation described psychedelic architecture exhibit briefly shut hobart health authority series artwork taken local art student complained saw animal right activist protest hermann nitschs action performance piece participant writhe entrails slaughtered bull controversy continued petition australian christian lobby local coptic bishop anba suriel calling removal inverted cross situated around hobart festival organiser received criticism commissioning work union flag spanish artist santiago sierra described artist work would acknowledge pain destruction colonialism caused first nation people union flag work british union jack flag would immersed bucket blood donated first nation people country colonised britain displayed part festival decision subject internal opposition mona curatorial staff written walsh condemn work tonedeaf however work impact expected positive carmichael described work politically difficult nature characteristic good art expressed hope work become part narrative meaningful change march supported text want blood dark mofo issued announcement social medium seeking expression interest first nation people country colonised britain donate blood project one randomlyselected person country invited participate medium outlet expected work controversial announcement jane albert australian noted work likely ignite controversy john mcdonald sydney morning herald supported work negative aspect legacy colonialism although noted likely draw anger due emotionally charged nature blood cultural symbol closely associated violence announcement union flag prompted strongly negative reaction indigenous artist art community several indigenous artist critiqued work culturally insensitive harmful including yhonnie scarce neil morris artist james tylor writer jamie grahamblair circulated petition indigenous artist discontinue work mona institution apologise engage indigenous artist cultural planning signed artist including tony albert brook andrew kira puru cultural institution disavowed work included art gallery western australia curator clothilde bullen museum victoria curator kimberley moulton national association visual art writing overland cass lynch described union flag disrespectful ignorant work perpetuating gore aesthetic power dynamic imperialism contrast tasmanian aboriginal centre campaign manager nala mansell stated fully supported work great opportunity raise awareness educate people whilst questioning appropriateness call donation stating might way signifying blood spilt organiser involved work expressed conflicted response criticism characterising response public lynching sierra dismissed criticism work superficial spectacular basis given capacity explain defend piece stating indigenous australian element mean central element work walsh apologised work inclusion festival stating approved without much thought deeper consequence proposition acknowledging work worth staging offensive would benefited first nation people ritchie similarly distanced work stating nothing inanity dismissing work stupid programming aesthetically null initial defense selfexpression carmichael shared statement organiser understand respect appreciate many diverse view relation confronting project festival informed range perspective tasmanian indigenous community prior announcement following day march carmichael issued additional announcement work would cancelled stated organiser made mistake take full responsibility apologised hurt caused official website