In Absence: Dark Mofo 2026

Yhonnie Scarce

13 Jun 2026

We are thrilled to announce that The Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) has acquired and permanently installed In Absence (2019), a major collaborative work by Kokatha and Nukunu artist Yhonnie Scarce, and architecture studio Edition Office. The installation will be unveiled on 13 June 2026 as part of MONA’s Dark Mofo Festival 2026.

Originally commissioned for the National Gallery of Victoria’s Architecture Commission, and winning the Small Building Award at the Dezeen Awards, and Award for Small Project Architecture at the 2020 National Architecture Awards, In Absence is a large-scale architectural and sculptural work that challenges the colonial fiction of terra nullius.

Combining a colossal 9-meter high timber tower with 1,600 of Scarce’s hand-blown glass bush yams, the work draws on Indigenous knowledge systems, including eel trap engineering and murnong cultivation, to foreground deep histories of design and land stewardship.

Reconceived for MONA, the installation will take on a new, site-responsive form in Hobart, embedding the work within the cultural and environmental context of Lutruwita/Tasmania.
Its presentation during Dark Mofo – MONA’s internationally recognised midwinter festival – positions In Absence within a broader program exploring ritual, history, and place.

We extend our congratulations to Yhonnie and the team at Edition Office on this monumental achievement, and also to David Walsh and the team at MONA for their support for this exciting undertaking.

Museum of New and Old Art (MONA)

55 Main Rd, Berriedale TAS