Damien Hirst Curates His Own Retrospective at Gagosian London

Damien Hirst (b. 1965, Bristol) has curated a solo exhibition of his own work at Gagosian's Britannia Street gallery in London. The show, titled 'Fact Paintings and Fact Sculptures,' spans two decades of his career from 1993 to 2021, featuring lesser-known works alongside iconic pieces. The exhibition opened in April 2021, while UK museums were set to reopen on May 17. Hirst, a Turner Prize winner, presents a personal narrative through intimate and contemporary events, including a 'vintage jewelry' installation with black trash bags, a cow's head in frozen blood, and photorealistic paintings of himself hugging his son Cyrus, Notre Dame on fire (2019), and an atomic explosion. Sculptures include detailed replicas of physical labs and storage spaces, such as 'Love Dies Fast' (2020), a sink where love seems to have drained. Works like 'Remedies Against The Great Infection' (2020) and 'Medi.-Safe' (2005) reference the pandemic with disinfectants and first-aid kits, while 'Warsaw' (2008) features masks and hospital gear. 'Don't Stop me Now' (2006) displays shelves of psychiatric drugs, and 'Coke/Diet Coke Vending Machine' (2007) sells signed cans. Hirst has a history of curating, including his 2020 show 'End of a Century' at his Newport Street Gallery, a 2016 Jeff Koons exhibition, and the 1988 group show 'Freeze' featuring Goldsmiths peers Mat Collishaw and Sarah Lucas.