Damien Hirst first came to public attention in London in 1988 when he conceived and curated Freeze, an exhibition in a disused warehouse which showed his work and that of his friends and fellow students at Goldsmiths College. In the nearly quarter of a century since that pivotal show, Hirst has become one of the most influential artists of his generation.
This is the first substantial survey of his work in a British institution and brings together key works from over twenty years. The exhibition includes iconic sculptures from his Natural History series, including The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living 1991, in which he suspended a shark in formaldehyde. Also included are vitrines such as A Thousand Years from 1990, medicine cabinets, pill cabinets and instrument cabinets in addition to seminal paintings made throughout his career using butterflies and flies as well as spots and spins. The two-part installation In and Out of Love, not shown in its entirety since its creation in 1991 and Pharmacy 1992 are among the highlights of the exhibition.
For the Love of God
The most gorgeous visceral experience available to diamond junkies
Sunday Times
To complement the exhibition, Damien Hirst's diamond-covered skull, For the Love of God 2007, was on show in a purpose-built room in the Turbine Hall. This display has now ended.
Reviews
A brilliant Tate show
Sunday Times
Beautifully installed
Financial Times
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