Damien Hirst Takes Control of His Instagram, Shares Personal Reflections

Damien Hirst has taken over his Instagram account, transforming it into a personal diary with reflections, videos, and nostalgic notes. Previously managed by his studio staff, the account now features first-person posts. One post about his 2008 Sotheby's sale of "The Golden Calf" garnered nearly 17,000 likes, where Hirst reflected on the end of an era. Another post described his 1988 work painting cereal boxes and Bacoil with gloss paint. He also shared details about his diamond skull "For Heaven's Sake," made with 7,015 pink and 1,023 white diamonds. Hirst joins other artists like Maurizio Cattelan, Nan Goldin, and Cindy Sherman who use Instagram creatively. Cattelan posts ephemeral images that disappear after hours. Goldin, initially reluctant, now has over 30,000 followers. The article also notes that galleries like Gagosian (700k followers) and Galleria Continua (50k followers) use Instagram for promotion, as does Christie's Loic Gouzer for auction previews. Hans-Ulrich Obrist shares handwritten post-its from artists and celebrities, with 207,000 followers.