Hobart and Beyond – A Wicked Wonderland: Lasers, Noise and Art at Dark Park

‘Don’t go towards the light’ is so not relevant here! Do the opposite – step through the gates to Dark Park and get amongst the lasers, smoke, sounds, fire and art. A keen group of Instagrammers did just that at the grand opening on Friday 9 June – check out their #darkmofomeet adventures here.

You can go rogue at this giant adventure playground at Macquarie Point from Thursday 15 to Sunday 18 June, between 5–10pm nightly. Here’s our guide to exploring this wicked wonderland, broken into three sections (there’s a lot to see).

Lasers, smoke and noise

IY_Project – Chris Levine
Piew, piew! A laser here, a laser there… You’ll be beaming (sorry not sorry) when you see the night sky transformed by IY_Project! This geometric masterpiece will lure you in with its technicolour lasers, immersive sound and atmospheric smoke. Find the dark warehouse housing IY_Project 136.1 and be lured inside by a huge floating structure of light, resonating at OM 136.1 Hz—a core frequency that vibrates within human and celestial bodies.
More info: Chris Levine – Dark Park

Extended Breakdown – Marco Fusinato + Striborg (18+)
This one is LOUD, rebellious and just dang cool. Pop in your earplugs, shuffle in, join the crowd and feel like you’re part of something. The silhouette of upside down cars looks like a film set! Your bones will reverberate with thunderous guitar improvisation and crashing percussion from noise-guitarist Marco Fusinato and world-renowned black metal artist, Striborg.
More info: Extended Breakdown

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Refuel and interact

Talisker Dark Bar
Refuel and have a little sit down inside at Dark Bar before continuing on your adventure. Warm your hands and your soul with some festive tipples, and get your hot little hands on a Tasmanian blue cheese jaffle.
More info: Talisker Dark Bar

Infinite Corpse
Don’t be put off by the name, this one is a lot of fun and great for adults and kids alike! First, reach your hand into a dark bag and draw out the head, torso or legs – this is the part of the monster you’ll draw on the iPad in your little tent. Each person has two minutes to draw, with the crowd watching each stroke on the big screen, before you emerge to see the complete creature. Be quick, before it’s eaten by worms (hey, it happens to us all in the end).
More info: Infinite Corpse – Terrapin Puppet Theatre

Ogoh-Ogoh
A favourite yearly Dark Mofo ritual, this year’s sculpture is a Tasmanian tiger (side note: see the poignant footage of the last Tasmanian tiger projected onto the wall outside TMAG). Scribble down your deepest fears and feed them to the beast (fear of being hunted to extinction, perhaps?) On Sunday 18 June, rug up and join the procession to cremate the fear-laden ogoh-ogoh in ceremonial smoke, fire and noise. Goodbye crippling existential anxiety!
More info: Ogoh-Ogoh

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Silence and darkness

The Sound of Silence – Alfredo Jaar
Silence is the theme of this year’s festival and this one fully embraces it. Cross the threshold – it’s worth lining up for.
More info: The Sound of Silence – Alfredo Jaar

Hello Darkness – Daniel Boyd
This multimedia work by Daniel Boyd is truly enchanting. Play with figures and shapes in front of the projectors and become immersed in the art. Stand at the door to another world and feel like you might fall into a different galaxy. Aside from being visually impressive, there’s plenty to think about, with creator Daniel Boyd’s vision to ‘smash the racist lens of Australian history’.
More info: Hello Darkness – Daniel Boyd