MONA to Open First International Branch in Bangkok by 2029

The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania, will open its first international outpost in Bangkok, Thailand, by 2029. Located on the Chao Phraya River within the Asiatique The Riverfront complex developed by Thai real estate group Asset World Corp (AWC), the new space will be designed by Australian firm Six Degrees Architects and operated by DarkLab, MONA's creative company. A cable car conceived as a kinetic art installation will transport visitors across the river. The Bangkok branch will feature works from David Walsh's collection, curated by MONA, and will adapt the Tasmanian museum's unconventional identity to Thai cultural and historical contexts. MONA Hobart, opened in 2011 on Walsh's Moorilla estate, has attracted over 5 million visitors despite cumulative losses exceeding A$400 million (€245 million), funded by Walsh's personal fortune. Known for provocative pieces like Wim Delvoye's Cloaca Professional and Stephen Shanabrook's chocolate kamikaze sculpture, the museum has faced legal controversy: in 2024, a visitor sued over Kirsha Kaechele's Ladies Lounge installation, which barred men to mirror historical gender discrimination in Australian pubs; the ruling was overturned on appeal. MONA Bangkok joins a growing contemporary art scene in the Thai capital, following the 2025 openings of Dib Bangkok and the Pier Museum.