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Damien Hirst's Tate retrospective - why now? | reviews, news & interviews

Damien Hirst's Tate retrospective - why now?

Damien Hirst's Tate retrospective - why now?

A career survey seems both far too late and far too early for this master of chutzpah

Damien Hirst in front of 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living', 1991© Damien Hirst

Damien Hirst is finally getting his first UK retrospective in a public gallery next year, but the question seems to be, “Why now?” It seems both far too late and far too early, especially since Hirst has made no significant work in some years. That the Tate is organising it to coincide with the year of the Olympics, will, of course, be good for them: it will almost certainly see an unprecedented number of visitors, and tourists from around the world will flock to see it.

Damien Hirst is finally getting his first UK retrospective in a public gallery next year, but the question seems to be, “Why now?” It seems both far too late and far too early, especially since Hirst has made no significant work in some years. That the Tate is organising it to coincide with the year of the Olympics, will, of course, be good for them: it will almost certainly see an unprecedented number of visitors, and tourists from around the world will flock to see it.

It will feel like some kind of wake for an artist who once made things happen

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Not significant pieces in the laste years? What about the Diamond Skull? Saatchi did NOT keep the Shark, he sold it in 2004. Do your homework

the skull was made 4 years ago, almost 5. that's a significant amount of time for someone like Hirst

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