DarkLab, the creative group behind the Dark Mofo festival, announced on Friday it has cancelled its plans for a large-scale public artwork in the Huon Valley. The project, a mirrored pavilion named ‘Transformer’ by American artist Doug Aitken, will not proceed due to escalating costs, according to a report from Pulse Tasmania.
The permanent installation was planned for Ida Bay in the state’s far south and was designed to create a “never-ending kaleidoscope” of light that would change with the seasons. DarkLab’s creative director, Leigh Carmichael, said in a statement that it was a difficult decision to make after seven years of work on the project.
“We have given the project every opportunity to succeed,” Mr Carmichael said, as reported by Pulse Tasmania. “The long approval process, Covid and rising construction costs have all worked against us this time.”
The project’s estimated cost had risen significantly since its inception. Initially valued at around $5 million in 2020, the price tag had climbed to $8.7 million by 2023 when plans for an accompanying visitor centre, cafe, and car park were approved.
‘Transformer’ was part of a broader initiative called Project X, which was backed by $2 million in state and federal funding to help lift tourism in the Huon Valley following the devastating bushfires of 2019. DarkLab had projected the artwork would attract about 30,000 visitors to the region annually.
The proposal had secured necessary approvals, gaining a green light from the Huon Valley Council in 2023 and the Tasmania’s Parks and Wildlife Service in early 2024. Despite this, DarkLab confirmed on Friday it would halt all further work on the installation.
In his statement, Mr Carmichael thanked the far south community, the local council, and the state and federal governments for their support of the project over the years.