The Calves, The Sheep, The Sharks
Gagosian
Natural History is a rare opportunity to catch Hirst’s greatest hits in one place: sheep, calves, a zebra, the 14-foot shark: are all hauntingly preserved in formaldehyde, in what the artist himself has described as “sad and tragic.” A stunning reminder that behind all the provocation were poignant observations on existence and death.
Natural History is a rare opportunity to catch Hirst’s greatest hits in one place: sheep, calves, a zebra, the 14-foot shark: are all hauntingly preserved in formaldehyde, in what the artist himself has described as “sad and tragic.” A stunning reminder that behind all the provocation were poignant observations on existence and death.
DETAILS
London, UK
March 9, 2022–Jan 7, 2023
Hours
Mon - Fri 10AM - 6PM
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Gagosian is pleased to present Natural History, the first-ever exhibition dedicated to Damien Hirst’s groundbreaking works employing formaldehyde. The exhibition—part of Hirst’s takeover of the Britannia Street gallery—will survey more than twenty of the most iconic examples, dating from 1991 to 2021. Ever since he first exploded into the public consciousness in 1991 with The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living, a fourteen-foot tiger shark preserved in a tank of formaldehyde, Hirst has used the naturally occurring compound in many of his best-known works. Embodying his ongoing drive to bridge the gap between art and science, the Natural History series includes a variety of preserved animals, such as sheep, doves, a zebra, and even a “unicorn”—some of which are bisected, sliced into cross sections, or flayed. This exhibition, which features works spanning a thirty-year period, gathers many of these works together for the first time.
- Gagosian
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