Paula Xiberras
I recently spoke to Adrian Franklin about his book ‘The Making of Mona’.
The name Adrian derives from ‘adria/ adur’ meaning water and so it is that ‘Hadria’ a northern Italian city gives the Adriatic Sea its name. Franklin means ‘free man’. These name derivatives would seem to fit perfectly for Adrian Franklin the author of ‘The Making of MONA’ a new book which documents Tasmania’s world class museum and art gallery that is known for its fluidity and freeness.
Adrian tells me he was at the University of Bristol in 2004 when he fell in love with Tasmania although before coming to Tassie all he knew was that it was once the home of the Tasmanian tiger coincidentally he was a collector of Australian tea cards, which he thought ‘intriguing’ and ‘strange’. Perhaps these two words might describe the various reactions to MONA itself.
At the University of Bristol there was established a world class fly fishing team of which Adrian was a member. The fly fishing team visited the highlands of Tasmania for the world championship and knowing Adrian’s love of nature recommended Tasmania to him and even though he didn’t always believe their tall tales of trout fishing he did believe their stories recommending Tasmania.
The decision to move to Tasmania came about when Bristol became ‘increasingly crazy’ and ‘crowded’ due to Lords of London relocating there. Both Adrian and his wife agreed that each would apply for jobs in different locations and whoever was successful first was there they would move. It happened that with the encouragement of his fly fishing friends Adrian applied to Tasmania and was successful in securing employment working in the sociology department of the University of Tasmania. Naturally a sociology lecturer would gravitate toward the social phenomena that is MONA.
Adrian says MONA does not have a predominantly art buying visitorship and that there is a gender bias in that women seem to like the MONA experience more than males. They find a positive atmosphere and are impressed by the museum’s architecture.
On that point of MONA being a museum/art gallery, Adrian says owner David Walsh prefers to see MONA as a theatre rather than an art gallery, creating an active and interactive experience.
Other factors that appeal to people about MONA is the setup which allows visitors to roam around alone and reach their own conclusions about the exhibits. Silence is not a pre-requisite of admittance and mingling and chatting is encouraged. People are not told what or how to think and the bar is something that adds to this relaxing atmosphere. Elizabeth Pierce who does the commentary is not an art expert but an ordinary questioning member of the public.
MONA is very different from the conventional ‘white cube’ art gallery that aims to remove any possible distraction to the art and expects reverence.
Mona is however, irreverent in that instead of worshipping the art, viewers can express their opinion about a piece whether it be positive or negative.
Among the most popular exhibits are the ‘Bit Fall’ where rain falls forming words. Another major drawcard is of course ‘Cloaca’.
Adrian says he especially likes the exhibition that shows how other societies such as the Egyptian treat the departed. Rather than a very mechanical, industrial process people are bejewelled and adorned.
Adrian believes MONA answers a deep set need in us to face the dark side, the things we have been told are not talked about in polite society and cites the case of his own father who as a boy of 19 was flying Lancaster’s but knew very little about real life. MONA tells us we need not be guilty or ashamed of the unspoken and it’s okay to address these issues, in the case of MONA, a very public arena.
Adrian finds that those who may be more educated seem to find it necessary to be critical while the less educated are more positive of the MONA experience.
The acid test of MONA is that people in general stay up to three hours at a time and visit the gallery more than once. When art galleries in general are failing their once intended audience. That is art galleries were intended to provide access to art for those that lacked the means to purchase their own art. Theatres like Mona are answering the need to make art accessible for all.
The Making of MONA is out now published by Penguin.
