Coffin Rides, the Ogoh-Ogoh burning and big themes at Dark Mofo week two

Coffin Rides, a Sex and Death day spa and a burning Maugean Skate, the Mercury has compiled a list of ultimate events for week two of Dark Mofo. The full rundown>>>>

Night Mass: God Complex. Dark Mofo 2025. Picture: Remi Chauvin/Dark Mofo

Dark Mofo deals with big ideas and big themes and Simon Zoric’s artwork fits right in.

Zoric is not an undertaker but he has spent the festival gently laying people to rest in a coffin for the piece Coffin Rides.

“Dark Mofo as a festival deals with the big ideas and the big themes, like death, and it’s a bit playful as well.

“I think the work fits in with that well,” Zoric said.

Coffin Rides, Simon Zoric. Dark Mofo 2025. Picture: Jesse Hunniford/Dark Mofo

The artist said the reactions to the piece, which involve a participant getting closed in the Mona supplied coffin for a minute or two, had been varied, but were positive.

“Some people engage with it in a serious kind of way, and other people treat it in a very playful way.

“I think both responses are really valid,” he said.

Zoric has not been inside the coffin and said he liked the idea of putting so many people in there and not going himself.

Dark Mofo executive director Melissa Edwards said more than 200,000 people passed through a Dark Mofo site over the first weekend and the free Dark Park was particularly well attended.

45,000 of those attendees went to Winter Feast, and attendance peaked at 16,200 people on site on Saturday night.

Night Mass: God Complex. Dark Mofo 2025. Picture: Rosie Hastie/Dark Mofo

After testing out the coffin ride Dark Mofo artistic director Chris Twite said the second week of the festival was typically a bigger week than the first, as people shared their favourite hidden gems with friends and family.

“A lot of locals have heard what others have seen so they get to go check out different parts of the program that they may not have heard about.”

Twite said feedback from locals, businesses and tourists alike has been positive with excitement to see Hobart’s streets full.

“We’ve had one great week already and we are set for another big week of Dark Mofo- there’s lots on this week and I’m sure the streets will be filled again,” he said.

Night Mass: God Complex. Dark Mofo 2025. Picture: Remi Chauvin/Dark Mofo

Must see Dark Mofo week 2:

Dark Park Thursday 12 – Sunday 15

Coffin Rides Simon Zoric

Ogoh-Ogoh the purging until Saturday

Give your fears to the Ogoh-Ogoh

Ogoh-Ogoh the burning on Sunday

Watch your fears burn

Channelling (Between here and then, a wall) Hannah Foley

Recorded industrial sounds from a waterphone deep under the Gordon Dam.

Crash Body Aftermath Paula Garcia

The remnants of impact from the Crash Body performance.

We Threw Them Down the Rocks Where They Had Thrown The Sheep Nathan Maynard

6-10pm Thursday – Saturday and 4-10pm Sunday in Coogan’s building

Because The Needs Bend Paul Setubal

Thursday – Sunday 6-10pm

The Old Bank

Originally published as Coffin Rides, the Ogoh-Ogoh burning and big themes at Dark Mofo week two