Updated June 10, 2017 21:52:35

Photo: James Brett wants other big museums to realise there is other contemporary art "lurking". (ABC News: Rhiannon Shine)

The biggest international exhibition of non-professional art showcased in Australia aims to bring the nation's unknown artists to the fore.

The Museum of Everything — a collection of nearly 2,000 artworks from 200 artists — has been unveiled at Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art (MONA).

First opened in London in 2009, The Museum of Everything exhibits non-professional art by "ordinary" people from around the world, stretching the possibility of who can be considered an artist.

Founder James Brett said it challenged the status quo of art.

Photo: An artwork by French artist Marcel Storr in also on show. (Supplied: Mona)

"Often the people making this [art] aren't thinking about a career, or selling, or their big show," he said.

"It is personal, and that intimacy is captivating.

"This is the first major show of non-academic, non-professional 'otherness' that Australia has ever had and that is pretty great."

Photo: The work of Romanian artist Ion Bîrlădeanu is also featured at MONA. (Supplied: The Museum of Everything)

Mr Brett said The Museum of Everything hoped to uncover new Australian artists following the MONA exhibition.

"We are hoping that we can go out across Australia on a bit of a national tour finding artists, people with disabilities, people making in secret, someone with a vision," he said.

"We are hoping to do this tour later in the year and find a mainland location to showcase everything we have found.

"That could be really exciting because that has never happened in Australia before.

"What we hope is that that actually gives a legacy to Australia where the big museums start taking note that there is another contemporary art lurking under the surface of the mainstream."

Photo: An untitled artwork from The Museum of Everything. (Supplied: MONA)

MONA exhibition co-director Nicole Durling said the exhibition was in keeping with MONA's philosophy of breaking down barriers of what is considered art.

"It flattens out 'what is art', it democratizes art making and makes it accessible," she said.

The exhibition's opening coincides with the annual Dark Mofo festival which opened in Hobart on Friday.

The hub for the festival — Dark Park — this year features a laser show providing a sensory overload of light and sound.

Topics: contemporary-art, hobart-7000

First posted June 10, 2017 16:23:24