Start you engine and strap yourself in for a good time because Monster Trucks are taking over Launceston as part of Mona Foma.
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Cement mixers from Hazell Bros are taking on a life on their own following an artistic transformation on them from comic and street artists connected with Terrapin Puppet Theatre.
The idea was inspired by a Stephen King tale about sentient machinery enslaving humankind, and 1980's collectible sticker culture.
Terrapin artistic director Sam Routledge said the project had been in the pipelines since 2020, taking time to develop and transform.
"In Launceston there's eight cement mixes and in Hobart there's 20. We fitted them with magnetic panels. We filled panels with artwork by four artists ... and they stick on with magnets," he said.
"Then the trucks just go around doing their business. Hazell Bros just go and deliver their concrete for the week. If you're driving around or walking around Hobart or Launceston you get to see them."
The artists were given a colour palette and and brief to work with so there was some uniformity across all of the trucks.
"It was important to us to be able to anthropomorphize them, make them into a living creature," Mr Routledge said.
"I think because we're a puppet theatre company we see puppets in everything. Once you put a face on anything that moves then it becomes a puppet to us.
"It's really about our ambition to explore beyond the borders of contemporary puppetry, and if we can make heavy machinery into a puppet then that's terrific."
Mr Routledge said one of the best things about the work was that it took art to unusual places and was able to connect to audiences who may otherwise not see it.
"They'll definitely know that it's Mona Foma. It's just a wonderful thing to be able to bring art culture to as many Tasmanians as we can," he said.
"[Mona Foma] always has a really strong focus on free work that people can come and see. Public programming and providing stuff for free for the public is just so important in any festival."
The trucks were installed last week and have been driving around Launceston during the past week, with the Hobart trucks currently under construction ready for when Mona Foma heads to the South.
"We're always looking for opportunities for work to be in a public space and to be outside of the theatre ... we'll definitely be continuing to do this sort of work," Mr Routledge said.
Other than roaming Launceston streets, the trucks will be at the Peppers Silo carpark on Sunday between 11am and 4pm.
Mona Foma was launched in Launceston on January 21, and will continue until January 25. Then the festival will move to Hobart.
Both cities will not only experience Monster Trucks, but also Midnight Oil, Mofo Sessions, Faux Mo, and Ashleigh Musk and Michael Smith's Fertile Ground.
Highlights at the Launceston event include Legs on the Wall's THAW, Megan Cope's Untitled (Death Song), Thomas Demand's Pacific Sun, Warren Mason's Tin Camp Studio, and Emily Sanzaro's Awaken.
For more on the Mona Foma program visit mofo.net.au. There are a mix of ticketed and free events for people to attend.
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