Ogoh-ogoh goes up in flames marking the end of Dark Mofo
The sacrificial totem Ogoh-ogoh has gone up in flames, the fears of thousands have been banished and Dark Mofo has come to an end. See all the pictures >
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The fears of thousands have been banished as sacrificial Ogoh-ogoh has met its fiery end.
More than 15,000 people swarmed to parliament lawns to watch the procession of a sacrificial totem platypus before descending across the city streets chanting Ogoh-ogoh.
After reaching the final destination of Dark Park, Ogoh-ogoh’s life came to a fiery end as he was lit up in flames and fireworks went off around him.
As onlookers eyes were flickering red at the ritual, pieces of ash were flying through the air to mark the end of Dark Mofo.
Ogoh-ogoh artist Ida Bagus Oka said it’s been 10 years since Ogoh-ogoh was brought to the festival.
“It feels so good to bring a traditional Balinese ceremony to Hobart, and it’s now really from here, it’s so special,” he said.
“In Bali we don’t have the platypus. We find different animals here in Tasmania, so this is a unique collaboration. I think the platypus is like a duck and a fish, and in Bali the duck is a holy animal, a goddess of knowledge.
“With the Ogoh-ogoh Burning, the fears are purged and the spirit goes back to where it belongs. It’s a thanksgiving to the natural world.”
Local Anna Lobo has taken her seven-year-old daughter Emilia McDonald to the procession for the first time.
“We actually went to Dark Park on Wednesday and one of the ladies there was actually the lady who designed the platypus,” Ms Lobo said.
While attending Dark Park, Ms Lobo banished her fear of poor health during the Ogoh-ogoh purging.
The burning of the sacrificial totem has marked the end of Dark Mofo for the year. After two weeks of events, the closing also marks the end of Dark Mofo’s creative director Leigh Carmichael.
He will pass on the baton to Chris Twite who will drive the festival forward. Mr Carmichael will continue on in his role as director of DarkLab.
“We are truly astounded by the overwhelming support we’ve received in our tenth year of celebrating winter with Dark Mofo,” Mr Carmichael said.
“In my final year at the helm of this special festival, I’m amazed and grateful to witness the extraordinary support we have received in embracing the solstice.
“The enthusiasm of our audience has exceeded our expectations, and it’s really a testament to the power of art and culture to bring people together.
“We’re humbled by the way Dark Mofo has grown into such a vibrant and inclusive event, and we’re excited to continue pushing boundaries and creating unforgettable experiences in the years to come.”
Winter Feast nearly hit capacity on the last weekend of the event with more than 6000 people attending throughout the night on Saturday.
Stick n Ribs Street Food and Soufra owner Chona Graham said she did five times the amount of business then originally estimated for the whole of Winter Feast.
“The grill gets so busy that sometimes customers have to wait for about 30 minutes, but they’re willing to wait that long,” she said.
“We thought we were actually prepared for the two weeks, but we ran out during the first week.”
While the winter festival comes to an end, Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery will be continuing their Dickensian themed exhibition Twist until October 22 in partnership with Dark Mofo.
On Thursday, thousands of people will be stripping off their clothes to bare the freezing waters of Long Beach for the completely sold out Nude Solstice Swim.
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