Damien Hirst creates butterfly 'IN' collages for UK to stay in EU
On the day the UK voted on its EU membership, Damien Hirst took to Instagram to share three models featuring his famous butterfly wings shaped into the word 'IN,' backing the Remain campaign. He captioned the post, expressing his support for Britain to stay in the EU and promoting @weareeuropeuk with hashtags #infor and #votein. Hirst joined a group of artists, including Wolfgang Tillmans, Tracey Emin, and Anish Kapoor, who also expressed their support for remaining in the EU. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth II had asked for three strong reasons to stay during a dinner, hinting at her preference while maintaining her official stance of neutrality.
Key facts
- Damien Hirst created butterfly wing collages spelling 'IN' for the Remain campaign
- The maquettes were posted on his Instagram account on the day of the Brexit referendum
- Hirst's caption read: 'Damien supports the campaign for Britain to stay in the EU and has created a design for @weareeuropeuk #infor #votein'
- Other artists supporting Remain include Wolfgang Tillmans, Tracey Emin, and Anish Kapoor
- Queen Elizabeth II asked for three good reasons to remain at a dinner, indicating her personal stance
- The UK held a referendum on June 23, 2016 to decide on EU membership
- The article was published on Artribune by Massimo Mattioli
- Hirst's butterfly wings are a signature stylistic element of his work
Entities
Artists
- Damien Hirst
- Wolfgang Tillmans
- Tracey Emin
- Anish Kapoor
Institutions
- Artribune
- weareeuropeuk
Locations
- United Kingdom
- Great Britain
- European Union