Spoilers spoilers spoilers.
Damien Hirst extends and augments the genius of his 2017 exhibition Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable (Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi - Venice) with this fictional telling of the resurrection of the 'antiquities' it contains.
The film shouldn't be viewed in isolation from that exhibition which applied layers and layers of questions about art, legend, history, acquisition, ego and - importantly - belief onto the pieces produced by Hirst, firstly in their 'found' format, and then in their commercialised incarnations. The film and the exhibition are companion partners; twin tricks in Hirst's game to provoke us to question what it is that we believe. In the film, Hirst repeatedly brings us back to belief being the thing that occupies the spaces between the things we 'know'. And then of course, he shows us how what we 'know' is actually a pretty slippery concept. And when the 'known' becomes mis-shapen, so too do those belief spaces between them.
I digress. The film is well done. Its high production values make up for the sometimes iffy exchanges between the participants. It felt a bit like watching a really good illusionist - when it is done well, you're inclined to be incredulous, even if you know it's not really magic.
But it's impossible to really review this as a film, when it's actually part of the art piece Hirst started on a decade ago and has realised beautifully across its various domains. I didn't see the exhibition (I wish!) but to see the pieces presented in the film both in their pretend origin on the sea floor, and then in their exhibited format was terrific even if, frankly, some of them are bonkers.
I wouldn't pay 8 million quid for Hirst's work, but for his playfulness, boldness and humour I give him a big round of applause!
Damien Hirst extends and augments the genius of his 2017 exhibition Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable (Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi - Venice) with this fictional telling of the resurrection of the 'antiquities' it contains.
The film shouldn't be viewed in isolation from that exhibition which applied layers and layers of questions about art, legend, history, acquisition, ego and - importantly - belief onto the pieces produced by Hirst, firstly in their 'found' format, and then in their commercialised incarnations. The film and the exhibition are companion partners; twin tricks in Hirst's game to provoke us to question what it is that we believe. In the film, Hirst repeatedly brings us back to belief being the thing that occupies the spaces between the things we 'know'. And then of course, he shows us how what we 'know' is actually a pretty slippery concept. And when the 'known' becomes mis-shapen, so too do those belief spaces between them.
I digress. The film is well done. Its high production values make up for the sometimes iffy exchanges between the participants. It felt a bit like watching a really good illusionist - when it is done well, you're inclined to be incredulous, even if you know it's not really magic.
But it's impossible to really review this as a film, when it's actually part of the art piece Hirst started on a decade ago and has realised beautifully across its various domains. I didn't see the exhibition (I wish!) but to see the pieces presented in the film both in their pretend origin on the sea floor, and then in their exhibited format was terrific even if, frankly, some of them are bonkers.
I wouldn't pay 8 million quid for Hirst's work, but for his playfulness, boldness and humour I give him a big round of applause!