Damien Hirst’s Colour Space Paintings and Outdoor Sculptures, curated by Mario Codognato, has opened at Houghton Hall, England, last Friday. The exhibition features a series of never-seen-before paintings juxtaposed with large-scale installations dotted throughout the vast and luxuriant property and gardens.
Following the grandiose James Turrell exhibition presented in 2015, Lord Cholmondeley honours the most celebrated British artist Damien Hirst with an exhibition that features paintings, installations and sculptures. He said: “It is perhaps the first time that Hirst has shown a significant body of work in a formal country house setting. William Kent’s gilded interiors will be transformed for the duration of the show.”
The 46 new pointillist paintings, some of which are displayed in the beautiful State Rooms are a continuation of Hirst’s iconic Spot Paintings, started in 1986. 7 sculptures are installed outdoors featuring some of the artist’s most treasured motifs and themes including skulls, anatomy, and animals. The sculptures include the celebrated Virgin Mother (2005–2006) which was shown in the courtyard of the Royal Academy in 2006, and Charity (2002–2003) which was installed on Hoxton Square in 2003 and outside the Royal West of England Academy of Art in Bristol in 2011
Those installed in the house include Anatomy of an Angel, 2008 in the entrance hall, and two smaller kinetic sculptures from the artist’s “levitation” series featuring air blowers and table tennis balls, in the celebrated Stone Hall.
ART IS ALIVE 