Despite arguing he would never show his work at Tate, Damien Hirst’s work is exhibited in Tate Modern Gallery in 14 rooms for five-month run, started in April. Whether he is “the presiding genius of contemporary British art, justifiably making a fortune by thrilling audiences with his memorable reflections on life and death” or just “an empty con artist, making a fool of us and raking in millions from buyers with more money than sense”, can be decided by the paying public [1].
Damien Hirst by his shock-art is revealing art’s situation in the beginning of the new century. While huge companies are trying to introduce their production as “works of art”, obviously unintentionally, Damien Hirst’s works express how artwork has converted to a mere commodity in this era.
“For the Love of God” as the only free sample of his huge exhibition that shines on the forehead of Hirst’s festival in Tate Modern, is a real human skull from 18th Century that is entirely encased by more than 8000 diamonds. Only the diamonds that are used to fabricate the skull worth £14 million. The initial asking price of the work was £50 million. It would be on show until 24 June 2012, in Turbine Hall of Tate Modern, in a purpose-built room which is more like camera obscura or a secret temple with no windows. And it is a sacred temple too. A glass case is protecting the idol and no photo is permitted. You have got couple of minutes to enjoy the magic of its presence and then guards will ask you to leave.
What occupies my though the most after this “spiritual” tour is that if one day the art work’s value in the art market was estimated based on its artistic achievements that experts and critics of galleries and auctions proposed, today the situation is fundamentally changed. The change here should be considered as a consequence of emergence of some artworks that cost a lot in terms of production. The medium, the material that is used for the works like “For the Love of God” itself is not an ordinary one. And this is exactly what Hirst means by “intrinsic value” of his work [2]. This intrinsic value_ the way Hirst likes to put it, is not caused by its artistic value, or achievement or progress within the field of art or anything like it. It is totally connected to its condition of production. The work was not the same if it was fabricated with simple crystals that could shine like the diamond. So it would be hard to believe that the point in using diamonds is a sort of artistic necessity, especially when it has been proudly announced that the asking price is four times more than production costs.
“For the Love of God” is not an artwork that has turned to commodity. Commodification is not the point anymore. Hirst is an artisan who intentionally produces a commodity to be exchanged for money. Any artwork that is produced by extra ordinary costs is in this game. It has not been produced for anything but to be sold. Pity that no one was really interested in this magnum opus, and a consortium that Hirst himself is included in, bought the piece.
At last, the critical question that remains is, what has happened to Tate modern to exhibit and accelerate this fate of art?!
Ati 