Czeching Out Tasmania

Every major town or city has a museum or art gallery, some lucky ones have several but what they all have in common is an appreciation for history, for art and for culture. Rather than having people walk from one building to the other, Hobart decided to put the two together in one, a buy one get one free if you will. But you don’t have to buy anything as it’s free!

TMAG displays are really interesting as there’s times where you’re not sure if you’re in the museum part or the art gallery, and that’s a good thing as it makes you appreciate both. You see and relive the history and then you appreciate the form and the style of the artefacts also.

It’s quite a busy museum/gallery as there’s lots to see and the exhibits are filled with information that encourages you to stop, slow down and read. If you’re the type who blasts through these kinds of places, snapping as you go, you’ll miss a lot of fascinating information and little details.

TMAG has some fascinating insights into the history of Tasmania, from its aboriginal origins, through to the environmental and human rights movements of previous decades as well as some of its more famous residents and adventurers. The art gallery contains paintings and art works both contemporary and classical which are well worth a visit, some great art is on display. There’s also a very interesting exhibit by Patrick Hall which features some of his intriguing sculptures and installations. I’m not usually a big fan of modern art as throwing a paint bucket at a canvas or making an untidy bed just doesn’t do it for me, there needs to be some kind of physical story or theme going on that’s obvious and not just some hokey vague symbolism that couldn’t possibly be derived from what seems to me, just a random mess. I digress, as I’m sure this could open a whole can of worms of artistic discussion which is far beyond the confines of this little blog. I enjoyed Patrick Hall’s exhibit as although it was indeed very random, there was still a story there, a sense of the artist and his thoughts.

I always enjoy visiting museums and art galleries as it’s important to remember your past and how it influenced the present and indeed can influence the future going forward. It’s also nice to just potter around for a few hours without feeling like you’ve wasted the time like you would sitting at home watching TV. Get out there, go visit your nearest museum and/or art gallery and immerse yourself in the experience. Take the time to read everything you see and try to picture life as it was in the historical exhibits or what was going through the artists’ minds as they created their pieces. If you’re in Hobart and the weather isn’t being nice enough to go on a boat trip or hike up Mount Wellington then I highly recommend a trip to TMAG. Your brain and your soul will thank you.

I’m going to share some photos of what you can expect to see inside TMAG and I’ve deliberately made them black and white as I’d like you to go there yourself and see the colours of the exhibits and the art works. Don’t just take this as a virtual tour, go there yourself and see it with your own eyes, they’ll tell you far more than any jpeg ever could. No captions either as I want you to be curious about what it is you’re seeing.

Visit the TMAG website for more information on upcoming exhibits and workshops.