Performance artist Mike Parr and comedian Luke McGregor on the bill for Dark Mofo 2019

Rosehaven’s favourite son and the man who mastered the art of living beneath Macquarie St are among an eclectic line-up unveiled for this year’s Dark Mofo festival.

THE return of Australian artist Mike Parr and an eclectic line-up of high-profile contributors to an ideas symposium have been announced for this year’s Dark Mofo festival.

Mona’s winter festival will be held in Hobart in June, and the first part of its program was released this morning, ahead of the release of the full program next Friday.

Parr was buried under Macquarie St in a container for three days during Dark Mofo last year. He will return on Friday, June 7, with Towards a Black Square, which will see him perform a lengthy, blindfolded performance in an undisclosed location with live video feed, before appearing in conversation at the Odeon Theatre the following day.

Performance artist Mike Parr at Dark Mofo last year. Picture: LUKE BOWDEN

Dark Mofo will begin with an ideas symposium, Dark + Dangerous Thoughts, which invites people to consider perspectives outside their “usual confirmation bubble” at the Odeon.

Dark + Dangerous Thoughts curator Laura Kroetsch said the symposium would present varied perspectives from thinkers, writers, and commentators on issues of identity politics this year.

“In a world increasingly defined by identity politics, we will consider the merits and dangers when it comes to social group identification — be it in terms of race, gender, sex, class, adornment, and faith — and ask the question, has identity become our new religion,” Kroetsch said.

Luke McGregor. Image courtesy of Dark Mofo.

“With influential speakers including Stan Grant, Yumi Stynes, Ginger Gorman, Julia Morrow, Nakkiah Lui, and Luke McGregor, alongside international guests Jennifer Boylan, Frederic Martel, Martie Haselton, Coleman Hughes and more, we’re anticipating a vibrant four days.”

Controversial Australian artist Paul Yore will turn DarkLab’s deconsecrated church into a technicolour chapel for Dolly Parton, Justin Beiber, and “other icons of love, sex, and excess.”

Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Julie Gough’s new major exhibition, Tense Past, will open at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery as part of Dark Mofo.

Also announced was an exhibition by New Zealand artist Simon Denny, a deluxe book, exhibition, and series of immersive feasts from Kirsha Kaechele’s project Eat the Problem, a performance by US musician Sharon Van Etten.

EMBARGO 10am 05/04/19. Dark Mofo 2019 announcement. Julie Gough, Tense Past — Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Image courtesy of the artist, TMAG and Dark Mofo

At the Mona museum, a new tunnel network with exhibition chambers containing new installations by Ai Weiwei, Alfredo Jaar, Oliver Beer, and Chris Townsend.

Dark Mofo will be held from June 6-23 in Hobart. Tickets will go on sale from 12pm on Tuesday, April 16. For more information, visit darkmofo.net.au.