does not make a profit.<\/a><\/p>\nNow, Mona has partnered with Thai real estate company Asset World Corporation (AWC) to develop MONA Bangkok, a “major new art destination” on the banks of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/048af7abcd60839075ed03c04ce3867d.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Mona and Asset World Corporation have signed a memorandum of understanding for MONA Bangkok. (Supplied: Mona)<\/p>\n
“Having spent most of the last 25 years studying how museums work, AWC has presented us with a remarkable opportunity to take what we’ve learned to one of the great tourist centres of the world,” Mr Walsh said in a statement.<\/p>\n
AWC’s portfolio includes luxury hotels, restaurants, shopping centres and commercial skyscrapers across Thailand.<\/p>\n
![\"MONA,](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/fc069310c1ffe693f37cdbb4260d8d7b.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Mona is on the banks of the River Derwent, north of Hobart. (Facebook: MONA)<\/p>\n
Walsh in Bangkok to sign agreement<\/p>\n
Mr Walsh signed a memorandum of understanding with AWC on Friday in Bangkok.<\/p>\n
Also present were his wife, artist Kirsha Kaechele, DarkLab chief executive Leigh Carmichael, Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff and several Thai officials.<\/p>\n
![\"David](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/4249654a16fbfb2a7555e9f1bdb0e19a.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
David Walsh and Kirsha Kaechele, pictured on the grounds of Mona in Hobart, are in Bangkok to sign the agreement. (Supplied: Amy Brown)<\/p>\n
DarkLab, set up by Mr Walsh and Mr Carmichael in 2016, runs Dark Mofo and owns several Hobart venues including the Odeon Theatre and Altar Bar.<\/p>\n
Mr Carmichael will lead the project on Mona’s side under Walsh’s direction.<\/p>\n
“MONA Bangkok will take the creative spirit of Mona into a new context,” Mr Carmichael said in a statement.<\/p>\n
![\"Leigh](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/f20a56e8012ee9895a01f776db2d394e.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
Leigh Carmichael will lead MONA Bangkok from Mona’s side. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)<\/p>\n
“Like the museum in Hobart, it will be unconventional and unique, and will present work by leading international artists, while also creating opportunities for meaningful dialogue with Thai artists, audiences and cultural traditions.”<\/p>\n
He said the theme of light would be explored.<\/p>\n
“Light has long been a source of fascination, reflection and hope across cultures, and it feels especially resonant in Bangkok, with its rich cultural life and traditions,” he said.<\/p>\n
MONA Bangkok could boost tourism in Tasmania, Rockliff says<\/p>\n
Mr Rockliff said AWC travelled to Tasmania last year to meet with Mona, after the pair met in Thailand during a government trade and investment mission.<\/p>\n
Kirsha Kaechele banned men from Mona’s Ladies Lounge \u2014 and won<\/a><\/p>\nNo men are allowed at Kirsha Kaechele’s Ladies Lounge and the Supreme Court agrees. The artist, curator and “missus” of MONA’s owner knows how to cross boundaries, but can she solve Tasmania’s thorniest dispute?<\/p>\n
“Mona has transformed Tasmania, attracting visitors from around the world and helping establish the state as a globally recognised creative destination,” he said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Mona’s next project places Tasmania at the global forefront of the cultural landscape and is a credit to the passion of David Walsh, Leigh Carmichael and all the Mona team.”<\/p>\n
Mr Rockliff said MONA Bangkok could increase Tasmanian tourism.<\/p>\n
“We look forward to people being inspired to come to Tasmania to experience Mona after visiting this project in Bangkok,” he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Hobart’s Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) has announced plans to establish a new art museum in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48471,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[35437,22,21,35436,30634,23986,23980,35435],"class_list":["post-48470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-asset-world-corporation","tag-au","tag-austrlia","tag-chao-phraya-river","tag-dark-mofo","tag-darklab","tag-david-walsh","tag-museum-of-old-and-new-art"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=48470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48470\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=48470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=48470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=48470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"Naked](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/australia\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2d5e26d9d5da9a3100f04ae79907b244.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n