Damien Hirst

Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable

Damien Hirst – his works astonish, titillate and confront the viewer; at times to even question the very definition of Art. And what has always been remarkable about Hirst is the way his art has been branded, managed and marketed. This ability to masterfully navigate the business of art has made him an easy target in the world of art. One can say it is almost populist to criticise his art. His name commands a certain obsessive following, ushering in this sense of awe and respect (however begrudgingly) and that is a testament to the panache with which he has shaped his art story.

His artistic practice has had more than its fair share of controversies and that continues with his current exhibition. His ‘Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable‘ has been in the making for ten long years. It is said to be the artist’s most ambitious and complex project to date. Curated by Elena Geuna, the Hirst exhibition enjoys the long-standing patronage of collector François Pinault.

It is a collection of excesses – in scale, scope, and vision. Hirst immerses the exhibition in the spirit of Coleridge’s ‘Willing Suspension of Disbelief’. The curator Elena Geuna quotes Jorge Luis Borges from his short story, The Aleph, “We accept reality so readily – perhaps because we sense that nothing is real”.

This ‘willing suspension of disbelief’ talks about an intermediate state of mind that makes you believe in a work of fiction deeply enough to emotionally engage with it. Art, music, theatre, cinema all hold this potent power to move us to our very core. This eager, willing acceptance of a well-told, nuanced tale of fiction is intrinsic to the human psyche. Damien Hirst builds his make-believe, monumental, magnum opus – ‘Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable’, upon this premise. Hirst and team have gone to great lengths to shape this narrative curated with sculptures, jewels, coins and goods from every part of the world and more. It is the story of a ship carrying unfathomable riches of a former slave Cif Amotan II. The freed slave becomes a wealthy man. A collector of art and antiquities, he sets sail towards the Sun Temple on a ship called Apistos, which means Unbelievable in Koine (common) Greek. Filled with incredible treasures, Apistos sinks during its voyage. The story of discovering the lost ship in the deep sea, unearthing its imagined history, the priceless cargo of Cif Amotan II and displaying its magnificence to the world is what the exhibition showcases.

Spanning 5000 sq. meters, the exhibition is a sweeping display of Damien Hirst’s vision. Within all the artifacts and other riches, the artist is trying to tell a timeless tale. It is a production that leaves you astounded and enchanted. Some critics have stated that few of the artifacts do not stick up to the realism of rescued wreckage but the experience is one of amazement from the majority about the sheer scale and ambition this show exhibits. Barnacled self-portrait, Mickey Mouse, big vitrines filled with excess and so much more create a chimerical narrative that teases your curiosity and nudges you to explore further.

Some pundits are clearly wary of Hirst but, if Art is to create an impact, a lasting impression on the public, one that moves you to indulge, engage and react, then I believe this exhibit fulfils that purpose of Art.

EXCERPTS FROM CATALOGUE

François Pinault | President of Palazzo Grassi – Punta della Dogana

The first time Damien Hirst spoke to me about his grand project, his ‘Treasures’, was almost ten years ago. He was then at the height of his fame, recognised and adulated. He had achieved all the goals he had set himself when he was a young man, destitute and poor. But he was still dreaming of new horizons. By all accounts, he wished to put his creative powers to the test again. A few years later, during a visit to his studio, he showed me the first works he had created as part of this great project. The effect was spectacular, dazzling and baffling. And that was only the beginning.

By its excess, by its ambition, and finally by its audacity, ‘Treasures’ makes a complete break with all that he has achieved so far. The works do not fit into any conventional aesthetic category or canonical structure. They emanate a sense of an almost mythological power, plunging the beholder into a state of mind that oscillates constantly between bewilderment and enthusiasm.

Nothing stops him, neither difficulties, nor the conventional codes and canons of art, nor controversies and judgments (often all too summary). I admire his readiness to expose himself to danger. Ever since we first met in the early 1990s, and up to the present, he has continued to abandon paths that he himself was the first to trace. With boundless energy and striking presence of mind, he tirelessly observes the mystery of living, embracing its grace and its violence in the same spirit. Fascinated by the interaction between art and science, he steadily pushes back the boundaries of creation. If his oeuvre is constantly renewed, his work seeks to thwart the wiles of a fate to which he refuses to submit.