1. Installation View, Damien Hirst: The Weight of Things at the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA), 2023. Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2023
The weigh of things: Damien Hirst's tackles mortality and capitalism
For the first time in Germany, Damien Hirst’s most iconic works will be on display in an exhibition at the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA) in Munich. "The Weight of Things" will feature more than 40 of Hirst’s works, spanning three decades of his career. These include installations, sculptures, and paintings, some of which are being shown publicly for the first time.
This exhibition is not only an artistic survey of Hirst’s career but also a thought-provoking interrogation of life, death, and the commodification of art. With pieces that range from preserved animals to kaleidoscopic paintings, "The Weight of Things" provides a deep dive into Hirst’s complex engagement with these themes. Central to this exhibition is Hirst’s ongoing fascination with the concept of value, whether it’s the value we place on life, death, art, or material wealth.
2. Installation View, Damien Hirst: The Weight of Things at the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA), 2023. Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2023
At the core of Damien Hirst’s work lies an essential question: How does society reconcile the value of life with the value of material wealth, especially in a world driven by capitalism? This problematic has haunted Hirst’s work for the early days of his career, and it is crystallized in "For the Love of God" a platinum human skull set with thousands of diamonds.
The diamond-encrusted skull embodies the paradox that sits at the intersection of life and death. Historically, the skull has been used in art as a reminder of human mortality. Hirst’s skull reinterprets this symbol by covering it with diamonds, which are associated with wealth, luxury, and eternity.
This juxtaposition of the human skull, a symbol of life’s finite nature with diamonds, an emblem of eternal value creates a powerful visual and conceptual tension. Hirst invites us to reflect on our collective obsession with material wealth, and how that pursuit often overshadows the fleeting, fragile nature of life.
Diamonds themselves are objects of contested value. They are products of the earth’s natural processes, formed under extreme pressure and time. But their allure and worth are primarily manufactured by the diamond industry, which controls their supply and drives demand. Hirst’s skull confronts this tension directly. Can we truly buy immortality? And if not, what is the value of accumulating wealth when death is inevitable?
Hirst's ongoing dialogue with Death, Beauty and Value
"For the Love of God" is just one example of how Hirst explores the relationship between life, death, and value. This fascination permeates many of his other works, several of which are included in the show. For instance, his "Natural History" series, which features preserved animals suspended in formaldehyde, offers another lens through which to consider mortality. These works place death on display in a clinical, almost scientific manner, forcing the viewer to confront the physical reality of life’s end. Yet, by placing these dead creatures within a gallery setting, Hirst elevates them from mere biological specimens to objects of aesthetic contemplation. The formaldehyde jars become modern-day reliquaries, preserving not just the animals but also the human desire to understand, control, and defy death.
In contrast to the cold, sterile imagery of "Natural History", Hirst’s "Spin Paintings" burst with vibrant colors and chaotic energy. Created by pouring paint onto a spinning canvas, these works are unpredictable in their composition, offering a visual metaphor for the randomness and uncontrollability of life.
The act of creation in these pieces is as much about chance as it is about intention, much like life itself. Despite their aesthetic beauty, the "Spin Paintings" still resonate with Hirst’s underlying preoccupation with life’s ephemerality and the human impulse to find order in chaos.
Alongside these works, Hirst’s "Spot Paintings" stand as another iconic series that plays with the idea of control and randomness. Composed of carefully arranged, multicolored dots, these paintings evoke both mathematical precision and industrial repetition.
Yet despite their mechanical appearance, they are created by hand, embodying the tension between the natural and the artificial. These paintings often interpreted as metaphors for the mechanization of life under capitalism speak to the commodification of art in a way that parallels Hirst’s critique of society’s obsession with wealth.
A comprehensive retrospective
3. Installation View, Damien Hirst: The Weight of Things at the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA), 2023. Photographed by Prudence Cuming Associates Ltd. © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. All rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2023
MUCA’s exhibition will also include other notable works from Hirst’s oeuvre, such as pieces from "Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable", a series that blurs the boundaries between fiction and reality, art and artifact. These sculptures are presented as ancient treasures salvaged from a shipwreck, but they are, in fact, modern creations by Hirst. By playing with the viewer’s perception of authenticity, Hirst questions how we assign value to objects whether they are historical artifacts or contemporary artworks.
Outside of MUCA, visitors will encounter the largest "Spot Painting" ever created, covering the museum’s exterior wall. This massive installation is a testament to Hirst’s ability to engage with public space and create works that are not confined by traditional gallery settings. By bringing his art into the streets, Hirst challenges the boundaries between high art and everyday life, further complicating the question of art’s value.
Also on display in front of the museum is Hirst’s monumental sculpture "Legend" (2011), a piece that adds yet another layer to the dialogue on mortality. This imposing work, with its classical references, offers a contrast to Hirst’s more modernist creations, demonstrating the artist’s ability to draw on a wide range of artistic traditions while maintaining his signature thematic focus.
Hirst's legacy and impact
on contemporary art
Damien Hirst has been a defining figure in contemporary art for more than three decades. Born in Bristol in 1965, he first came to public attention in 1988 while still a student at Goldsmiths College in London, when he conceived and curated the now-legendary exhibition "Freeze". This show featured a group of young British artists who would later come to be known as the Young British Artists (YBAs), a movement that revolutionized contemporary art in the 1990s. Hirst’s involvement in this movement marked the beginning of his long-standing career as both a creator and curator of groundbreaking contemporary art.
Hirst’s work has always been characterized by its boldness and its willingness to confront difficult subjects head-on. From his early installations featuring dead animals suspended in formaldehyde to his later works involving diamonds and gold, Hirst has consistently pushed the boundaries of what art can be. His ability to blend art, science and philosophy has earned him both critical acclaim and commercial success, though it has also made him a polarizing figure in the art world.
Despite the controversies surrounding his work, whether it’s the use of dead animals or the exorbitant prices his pieces command Hirst’s impact on contemporary art is undeniable. He has transformed the way we think about art’s relationship to money, value, and meaning, forcing us to confront uncomfortable truths about society’s priorities and our own mortality.
"The Weight of Things" at MUCA offers a rare opportunity to engage with Damien Hirst’s provocative body of work in an immersive and comprehensive way. This exhibition is not just a celebration of Hirst’s artistic achievements but also a deep reflection on the human condition. Through his use of unconventional materials, shocking imagery, and conceptual rigor, Hirst invites us to question the things we value most, whether it’s life, death, or material wealth.
In the end, Hirst’s work serves as a powerful reminder of the weight that these concepts carry in our lives. As viewers move through the exhibition, they are encouraged to reflect not only on the artworks themselves but also on the broader societal structures that shape our understanding of value. In a world where capitalism often dictates worth, "The Weight of Things" offers a necessary critique of our collective priorities, reminding us that in the face of death, wealth and materialism may hold less value than we realize.
Informations about the exhibition
Place: MUCA
Date: 26.04.2024 – 13.10.2024
Ticket: Available at the front desk of the museum
Informations about the MUCA
MUCA
Hotterstrasse 12
D-80331 Munich
Phone: +49 89 2155 243 10
Mail: info@muca.eu