Monaco's Oceanographic Museum Will Open its Centenary Celebrations with a Damien Hirst Exhibition

3/12/2010  Culture

British artist Damien Hirst will present his exhibition, "Cornucopia", comprising more than 60 of his works from the past 15 years, from 2 April to 30 September 2010



Damien Hirst lives and works in London and Devon.  A leading light in the Young British Artists movement in the 1990s, this multidisciplinary contemporary artist's work (which includes paintings, sculptures, drawings and installations) is both striking and disturbing.  The main theme in his work is the relationship between life and death. The artist's approach is comparable to the Oceanographic Museum's scientific approach - a reflection on life and its preservation.


This is the first time that the Museum has opened its doors to contemporary art.  "Cornucopia" is an exhibition of this British artist's most important works, bringing together more than 60 retrospective works from the last 15 years, including his first paintings and sculptures, and features marine specimens and underwater animals.  


The exhibition is being held in collaboration with Monaco's New National Museum.


Works on show include Away from the Flock, (Divided) (1995), a sheep suspended in a glass cube filled with formaldehyde, After the Flood (2008), a dove, also suspended and preserved in formaldehyde and The Forgiveness (2008), a stainless steel cabinet 9 meters long containing 3,409 butterflies and insects meticulously arranged on a grid.  Art and science overlap when seen in this context.  "Cornucopia" is a conversation between past and present, a dialogue between the two disciplines.  Their juxtaposition helps us understand the artist's works, the Museum's collections and the aquarium in a new way.


"I am delighted to be exhibiting my work at Monaco's Oceanographic Museum and I am particularly pleased to be showing works from my Natural History series amid the museum's magnificent collections.  It's a fantastic way to combine art and science, two subjects which fascinate me."  Damien Hirst.



Further information: 00 377 93 15 36 00
www.oceano.mc

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