Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable. Damien Hirst. Venice 2017.
Palazzo Grassi
Treasure from the Wreck of the Unbelievable. Damien Hirst. Palazzo Grassi Light box image. Photo credit Dan Francis
'Treasures' is the first major exhibition from Damien Hirst since 2014 it is a show that has been 5 years in the making. With Hirst's previous shows not being well received by the media & in reviews, one exhibition that I saw at Tate Modern in 2012 that I would agree wasn't that overwhelming. This new show was set to open at two separate prominent venues in Venice during the Biennale. This is a primetime exhibition when the art world gather in this one place, so the pressure of putting on a fantastic show could never be higher. Where there is no doubt that Hirst makes amazing quality work, that quality being something that I took from the Tate show I saw, the content must match. The cabinets of Pharmaceuticals on display at the Tate were flawless in arrangement & content. In addition the animal resin works, although not to my taste, are superbly well made. We must also take into account Hirst's (potentially) satirical work, such as the auction 'Beautiful Inside My Head Forever' in 2008 & 'The Fragility of Love', a beachball floating over sharp knives on a stream of air, showcased at Banksy's Dismaland in 2015. These raise questions about how the art world operates as a commodity, commenting on art as currency. Could it pop at any moment?
The feeling is that it could pop. Hirst could make another show that we have kind of seen before, yet we still buy tickets to go & see, whether we like his work or not. So arriving at Palazzo Grassi on the Grand Canal in 30 degree heat after 2 days of walking the hard streets of Venice, fingers were crossed for air conditioning & good art. Once through the doors the air was cool & the art was big. Once in the queue to get tickets at the edge of the main gallery atrium, there is an 18 meter high 'Demon with Bowl'. You are immediately faced with its pert glutes as you look up into the high space to see the painted resin figure filling the space to the top. This enormous work shows the enlarged form of a salvaged figure from 1932. Once in, there are more works around the atrium that help to set the scene of this exhibition. More enlarged treasure & light boxes showing images of the work being collected from the sea bed.
Once you reach the first staircase up to the next floor, in two separate side rooms there are films on loop that show the salvage process. Divers under the sea uncovering treasures. Ships bobbing on the water crane large items up out of the water. Voice overs comment on the hoard. From those rooms the galleries begin. In a true Hirst style there are immaculate cabinets & vitrines filled with hundreds of artefacts. All modes of display made specifically for each collection. Shelves of coins, arrow heads, jewellery, tools, hundreds of items all viewable through crystal clear glass with hidden lighting. Every aspects of display perfectly considered down to the detail of the labelling. In other rooms around the floors larger treasures are on display, open, on the walls plus in more specially built vitrines. All of the rooms follow the external edges of the atrium, so as the exhibition leads viewers around the space there is a constant reference to the giant figure stood within. The setting of this gallery in a grand palace with chandeliers, ornate coving, marble embellishments & views out over the Grand Canal constantly reinforce the lavishness of this exhibition. The high quality of the work in such a massive volume, of size & number, go above & beyond to impress anyone.
This exhibition is so very appealing to the notion of mystery, discovery & narrative. Here we have Unbelievable treasure from a time when women were worshiped in equal part as men. I don't think I've seen a gallery with so many 'historical' busts & figures where women are represented in such a welcome abundance. One such figure bares extraordinary resemblance to South African Actor & musician from Die Antwoord, Yolandi Visser. A wonderfully distinctive creative person who so definitely suits the protagonist Katie in this exhibition. She is so beautiful in life as she is cast in Bronze with Gold leaf. There are also sculptures of Hermaphrodite with several figures showing the coral incrusted body complete with breasts & a penis. Medusa is represented too in several head casts each made using a different rich material but all as beautiful as each other. Many of the male bust Pharaohs remain unknown.
Punta Della Dogana
The Severed Head of Medusa Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable. Damien Hirst. Punta Della Dogana Photo Credit Dan Francis
The second site across town continues the exhibition in a slightly more contemporary setting. The galleries housed in a renovated customs building that has exposed brick, wooden beams & newly added polished concrete. This space has several large open galleries, popular 'turbine hall' type spaces but nowhere as large, many intimate galleries & a panoramic tower space high above the main building.
Here we see an increase in diorama works than the other gallery depicting Humans & Animals alongside mythical creatures & lots of gold. The first large space contains 'The Warrior and the Bear' which shows a female Greek warrior sitting on the shoulders of a Bear. This Bear is on its hind legs looking skyward. Traditionally a female warrior would use this act of slaughter to expel her animalistic qualities in readiness for a domestic life. However this work shows her celebrating the act as she likely will remain a warrior.
'The Warrior and the Bear' Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable. Damien Hirst. Punta Della Dogana
This gallery also contains a number of Ancient Egyptian items, familiar Pharaoh busts & sphinx statues. These works are as beautiful as can be with quality oozing from the materials. They also capture human beauty as they depict youthful beauties who were figures of worship. 'Tadukheba' & 'Unknown Pharaoh' both cast in Carrara Marble have no expressions on their faces. These casts portray soft smooth skin, defined bone structure & muscle mass. The 'Unknown Pharaoh' has an enviable toned torso, full lips & a nipple piercings. 'Tadukheba' has her eyes open, a defined jawline & an elongated skull that would have originally been covered with a wig or headdress. Both hold their heads high with strong posture portraying poise & beauty.
In a darkened space towards the back of the gallery is a room of Gold Treasure. This room glows with wealth & richness, a radiant gold shimmer at every turn. There is a cabinet of gold in another, day lit room, but here the gold is lit from above & its colour glows. Also the gold here has been worked into sculpture whereas the gold in the daylight is still in its mined nugget form. These sculptural forms show the gold as ornate forms that show off its beguiling beauty. With 'Sun disk' we are shown is reflective quality as we are dazzled by the size of the work & the light shining off its surface. 'Cornucopia (Plenty)' is a horn shape where the gold glows from inside the funnel. This rich warm glow draws viewers in as the light intensifies as we narrow our focus into the depth of the object. This object holds a completely mesmerising powerful over us. I for one was totally drawn in by this object as its shape magnified the quality of the precious metal. Gold has never looked as opulent & alluring as it does here.
Finally, in the grid of images below is the 'Head with Chorrera headdress' showing the glowing metal off in precise detail. This is a miniature bust with tiny features, curves & crisp straight lines, all together showing a precisely detailed object.
'Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable' is astonishing, one of the finest exhibitions I've seen. Damien Hirst has managed to create a massive amount of work. We know that Hirst has the ability to create art with a high production value & previous to this, precious stones have been used in the work 'For the Love of God' where an 18th century skull is adorned with 8601 flawless diamonds. That work reportedly cost £14million to produce. Massive amounts of money are used to create his projects. With this exhibition in Venice clearly a lot of capitol was used to produce this work & how well it has worked. This exhibition is really stunning. The work is not only well made but has a fascinating narrative. Where this exhibition stands out above previous large shows by Hirst is that this work looks like a lot of effort has gone into it. Nothing falls short. From the curation to the story it all works. There is a really impressive consistency throughout & when you think you've seen it all, theres more. This more is always different, a new surprise that creates yet another wow moment in 'Treasures from the wreck of the Unbelievable.'
