I’ve realised that I can give a much better idea of David Walsh and his collection by revisiting it virtually.
The work which greets the arriving visitor is Julius Popp’s Bit:Fall, which is in many ways representative of the collection as a whole: making use of new technology, as much about science as art, by an artist fascinated by machines:-
The most popular work in the collection is Wim Delvoye’s Cloaca Professional (2010), because it involves a strong element of performance, the public assembling at 3 o’clock to watch a public excretion:-
And not to forget that it is a collection of antiquities as well, here is a picture of a late Minoan chest:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
It might interest people to know that MONA is not just an art gallery but almost a small town. We can see it from our back garden. It was originally a well known vineyard owned by an Italian migrant who built a Roman style villa on the estate long before David bought it and that still remains at the heart of the museum. David retained the winery and it now produces award winning wine. There are also restaurants, accommodation, a theatre, a small concert hall, an outdoor concert venue and one of the biggest library of art books in the world. He also runs annual music festivals. All the money came from being a professional gambler. He went to uni here with my good friend’s son who is also a professional gambler. The website is worth looking at and gives you a feel for his personal attitude to life. He has Aspergers which he freely acknowledges.
Dear Jean, Thank you. I really regret not having been able to stay overnight and enjoy more of its pleasures. Charles