DarkLab cancels Doug Aitken's $9.7M Transformer pavilion in Tasmania

Due to escalating expenses, DarkLab has decided to halt Doug Aitken's Transformer project in Tasmania, with all activities set to conclude by the end of July 2025. Commissioned in 2019, the American artist was tasked with designing a pavilion in Ida Bay State Reserve, Huon Valley, aimed at enhancing tourism following bushfires. Although the Huon Valley Council and Tasmania Parks and Wildlife granted approvals in 2023 and 2024, the anticipated costs—particularly for visitor facilities—soared to approximately $9.7 million, rendering the project unfeasible. DarkLab's CEO, Leigh Carmichael, pointed to a transformed environmental and economic situation since 2019, compounded by the lengthy approval timeline, COVID-19, and increasing construction costs. Founded by David Walsh, owner of MONA, and Carmichael, DarkLab will collaborate with the Office for the Arts to return the federal funding. Aitken's diverse body of work includes pieces like New Horizon and Mirage, a mirrored ranch-style home in the Southern California desert. The initiative received backing from the Huon Valley Council, Tasmanian Government, and Federal Government.