The Making Of Mona

Art, Design & Photography Biography & Memoir Australiana

Adrian Franklin’s The Making of Mona traces the surprising rise of the Museum of Old and New Art, transforming a Tasmanian warehouse into Australia’s most talked-about cultural destination. This first-edition hardcover blends art history, biography and sharp cultural commentary to show how one man’s vision reshaped Australian tourism.

Franklin, an anthropologist and media personality, unpacks MONA’s bold architecture, provocative curating and the island state’s unlikely rebranding. Illustrated with behind-the-scenes photographs, the narrative follows the museum’s evolution while profiling the artists, collectors and locals caught in its orbit.

Ideal for readers curious about contemporary art, Australian history or innovative museology, this 353-page volume arrives in very good, smoke-free condition. A well-preserved copy of a title already scarce in its original jacket, it’s ready for shelf or coffee-table display.

Collectors of first editions and anyone fascinated by art-world backstories will appreciate Franklin’s engaging, accessibly academic voice. Secure this illustrated chronicle and explore how Mona redefined a state—and a continent’s—relationship with culture.