World renowned artist Damien Hirst’s first ever solo exhibition in Greece opened on Tuesday 20 September at the Benaki Museum in Athens to widespread acclaim. The exhibition, curated by young Greek curator Artemis Potamianou, had been previously shown at the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art in Thessaloniki. The tour has been organised by the British Council in partnership with Paul Stolper Gallery in London, the Benaki and Macedonian Museums of Contemporary Art in Greece.
Despite the rain and student protests that jammed Athens city centre, people flocked to the much anticipated opening night of the first solo display of the art world’s enfant terrible. There was an amazingly diverse audience of over 700 people – from well known Greek artists, gallerists, collectors and showbiz stars to groups of curious, young people, who would normally be hanging out casually at the bars closeby, rather than in the Benaki Museum debating whether Damien Hirst is a genius or simply an agent provocateur.
All the organisers were thrilled with the outstanding success - Dr Agelos Delivorias, Director of the Benaki Museum claimed it as one of the best shows ever hosted at the Benaki, and Paul Stolper, gallerist and long time collaborator of Damien Hirst, said:
without the brilliant support of the British Council this tour would not have been possible
Dennis Zaharopoulos, Professor at the Academy of Fine Arts and Director of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art explained the importantance of this exhibition, as it brings to Greece some of the best international contemporary art work. Hugh Allan, Director of Other Criteria and Hirst’s right hand man, who flew in especially for the opening, was impressed with the audience’s turn out and congratulated all the partners on this excellent work.
New Religion is a complete installation, including a stunning group of silkscreen prints, sculptures and paintings, which constitutes a characteristic example of the artistic practice of the most famous exponent of the Young British Artists, that dominated the art scene – British and global – in the 1990s. The installation - inspired by religious imagery - works like a fresco cycle, moving from the Creation of the World, through the Stations of the Cross and towards the Last Judgement, surrounding an altarpiece holding a cedar cross studded with gem-like pills, a child’s skull and a heart wrapped in barbed wire and pierced by needles and razor blades all cast in silver, and a large carved marble pill. Throughout the course of Damien Hirst’s career, belief has been at the heart of his work. New Religion is grounded in belief and extends the artist’s treatment of issues such as faith, mortality, love, seduction and consumption that have steadfastly remained the themes that have dominated his work and given it meaning over the last 15 or more years.
The show’s voyage in Greece – first in Thessaloniki and then in Athens – can also be described as a leap of faith. Undoubtedly, it was an ambitious and challenging enterprise, particularly as it took place in the midst of a most unfavourable economic climate and the imposition of severe austerity measures which have had a dramatic effect not least on the arts industry. At a time when mounting any exhibition is increasingly difficult for monetary reasons, Damien Hirst’s first solo show proved once again that the strong vision, commitment and determination of arts organisations working together can result in something which gives people inspiration despite the gloom of the financial markets..
The result has been highly rewarding: Over 7,000 visitors attended the exhibition in its three month run in Thessaloniki (an amazing number for the city’s rather small scale and according to Museum officials three times more than the average exhibition attendance), while a large number of visitors is expected to be attending the Athens show until its close on the 27 November. Media coverage in the press alone (not including digital media and the hundreds of comments on the blogoshere) has so far reached over 600,000 readers. Prior to the exhibtion opening, two Greek cultural journalists flew to London to meet Damien Hirst who explained why New Religion forms such an important and integral part of his work and talked with great enthusiasm about the mounting of the show in Greece. Media commentary greeted the exhibition as the artistic highlight of the year and British Council and project partners were widely praised for pulling together such a significant show and providing the wider public with access to high quality and rarely seen art, at such a difficult time. But, above all, it is the genuinely valued partnership with key people and organisations in London, Athens and Thessaloniki, which was reinforced through all the challenges along the way, which makes this project such a resounding success.
