Verified source report
I just inhaled 2.4bn year old oxygen in Tasmania. Now I’m part of an exhibition until I die
In Mona’s new permanent installation, visitors can breathe air so pure it ‘has not been touched by any being before you’ More than 2bn years ago, during the Paleoproterozoic era, the Earth’s atmosphere began to fill with free oxygen, enabling the rise of aerobic life and, ultimately, humans. It’s known as the Great Oxidation Event, and deep in the subterranean belly of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, a new artwork offers visitors the chance to inhale oxygen that’s been trapped in iron ore since then. When French-Swiss conceptual artist Julian Charrière came up with the idea, Mona’s owner David Walsh not only said yes but created a bespoke space for it. Continue reading...
What happened
According to The Guardian’s source item, I just inhaled 2.4bn year old oxygen in Tasmania. Now I’m part of an exhibition until I die, In Mona’s new permanent installation, visitors can breathe air so pure it ‘has not been touched by any being before you’ More than 2bn years ago, during the Paleoproterozoic era, the Earth’s atmosphere began to fill with free oxygen, enabling the rise of aerobic life and, ultimately, humans. It’s known as the Great Oxidation Event, and deep in the subterranean belly of the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona) in Tasmania, a new artwork offers visitors the chance to inhale oxygen that’s been trapped in iron ore since then. When French-Swiss conceptual artist Julian Charrière came up with the idea, Mona’s owner David Walsh not only said yes but created a bespoke space for it. Continue reading…
Context
The development sits in VINI’s Culture file for readers following arts, entertainment, fashion, film, music, celebrity, and the business of culture. The original report is linked so readers can check the source account, follow later updates, and compare new coverage against the first published record. The source item is dated 2026-06-05T07:39:50+00:00.
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Source
Primary source: I just inhaled 2.4bn year old oxygen in Tasmania. Now I’m part of an exhibition until I die via The Guardian. VINI cites and links the source; it does not reproduce the publisher’s full article text without rights clearance.
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Source links
- I just inhaled 2.4bn year old oxygen in Tasmania. Now I’m part of an exhibition until I dieThe Guardian - 2026-06-05T07:39:50+00:00
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