Here we are in Hobart in the cold, humid, grey of autumn mainly to see the extraordinary gift of a gallery that David Walsh has made to the Australian people, that is, MONA.
The Museum of Old and New Art is the largest privately funded museum in this country and displays antiquities, modern and contemporary art. Granted the museum is the sort of gift for which some people would have to say, “You shouldn’t have.” David Walsh describes the new museum as a “subversive adult Disneyland,” where many of the  artistic works will shock and even dismay viewers.
Personally, I was awed by the construction of the museum, by how easy it was to read and listen to information about the art via (free) iPods and headsets, and by the provision of so many amenities, including a museum library of 5,000 books.
I was touched by some of the art works, amused by some, engaged, intrigued, but never really offended. David Walsh’s comments are included among the iPod info and point to someone quirky, intelligent, and well-versed in art. Would that other millionaires could be as generous with their bounty as he has been in sharing his collection.