Introducing MONA

The inaugural exhibition by Markus Linnenbrink

The Museum of New Art (MONA), a 6,800-square-foot art space in Portsmouth dedicated to contemporary art, opened its doors to the public in October with its inaugural exhibition featuring German-born, Brooklyn-based artist Markus Linnenbrink. The art includes site-specific, room-size installations, sculptures and three-dimensional works on canvas and paper, infused with resin and pigments to create objects and paintings saturated with dramatic colors.

“Colors create their own space,” says Linnenbrink. “Taken in this light, they can open doors for us to experience the self and its surroundings in surprising and meaningful ways. Like music, colors also occupy our minds, not in a straight analytical way, but on very complex emotional, sensual, and seductive levels.”

The museum, located in the recently restored and renovated 1905 YMCA building, is part of a new cultural hub in downtown Portsmouth that also includes Jimmy’s Jazz & Blues Club, a state-of-the-art music venue. Spanning the entire first floor, with three galleries and an atrium featuring a 17-foot ceiling, MONA anchors the landmark building at 135 Congress St. in the heart of the historic Market Square District. Learn more at monaportsmouth.org. NH

A large-scale “organic” resin sculpture piece by Marcus Linnenbrink