David Walsh's MONA: A Gambler's Extravagant Museum in Tasmania

David Walsh, a 49-year-old eccentric mathematician and professional gambler, has opened the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart, Tasmania. The museum, built into a 250-million-year-old cliff, cost over $200 million and features free admission with annual operating costs of $7 million. Collections include Egyptian mummies, a Porsche modified by Erwin Wurm, Wim Delvoye's Cloaca Professional, and Chris Ofili's Holy Virgin Mary. Notable installations include a video piece by Candice Breitz with Madonna fans, a closet for sexual performances by American artists Tora and Rya, a library by Anselm Kiefer, and a work-in-progress by Christian Boltanski documenting each day until his death, for which Walsh pays him daily. The museum was designed by Greek-Australian architect Nonda Katsalidis, with Jean-Hubert Martin as artistic advisor and Olivier Varenne as scout. Director Mark Fraser was recruited from Sotheby's. Walsh, a self-described 'atheist' and former blackjack player who was banned from casinos, now gambles on horse racing. He personally oversees every detail, from touch-screen iPods replacing wall labels to the brand of absinthe served. The museum also hosts an annual festival, MONA FOMA, and features a columbarium currently holding Walsh's father's ashes. Walsh plans to network bars worldwide via video monitors for real-time art discussions. The museum's entrance is deliberately discreet, requiring visitors to climb hundreds of steps from the Hobart ferry.