Damien Hirst, him again !

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Damien Hirst disrupts all traditions of the art market. We have to be grateful, because his market approach is one of those that are really going forward and changing the balance of powers.

As soon as 2004, he offered in a dedicated sale at Sotheby's brand new works of his recent production, mainly on his usual theme of the pharmacy. Entitled The Fragile Truth, a great showcase for pharmacy sold £ 1.4 million charges included. The sale at auction of works coming directly from artists' workshops has always been a common practice.

In June 2007, Hirst exhibited in a gallery For the love of God, a platinum skull inlaid with diamonds with human teeth. This work of 2007 presented for sale in early June at £ 50 million, was sold in late August at this price, in private to a consortium of buyers including the artist. You see in this example that the border between buyer and seller disappears, and this makes the price of the transaction difficult to analyse. But the artist is right, as he prepares the percentage he will receive when the work is resold.

On February 14, Hirst and Bono have managed with Sotheby's a charity sale, inviting their artists friends to offer works on the theme of the red color. Bono is a musician (U2), and Hirst received the glory of the auction, with several millionaire works including a pill cabinet at $ 7.1 million. The sale resulted in $ 42 million for organizations fighting against AIDS in Africa. The works had been exhibited at the Gagosian Gallery.

This summer, complicity between Hirst and Sotheby's is growing again. On September 15 in London, Hirst bypasses actors in the art market by selling at Sotheby's a group of works he created in the last two years. As in 2004, but the difference is that Hirst has become an inescapable personality of the art market. Gagosian Gallery, which is never very far behind this type of operation, managed to be introduced in the press release from Sotheby's, by announcing that they will have the paddle in hands.

The centerpiece, the Golden Calf, is a bull crowned by a golden disk and presented in an aquarium of formaldehyde of 3.20 m long. The horns and hooves are also in gold. As with the skull, Hirst associates religion and death in the title and subject. The estimate of this relatively cumbersome work is £ 8 million. By the sale and beyond, the media will be unleashed.

In the same category of subjects, remember that in May 2006 Christie's sold $ 3.3 million charge included Away from the flock, a sheep cut in half lengthwise and presented in two separate blocks of formaldehyde.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Hirst and Sotheby's have entirely won their challenge. This sale managed directly for the artist by an auction house totally disrupts the old traditions of the art market. Congratulations!

Going back to the formaldehyde works which were the subject of my description above, the golden calf was sold £ 10.3 million including fees, and a shark has been the prey of a buyer at £ 9.5 million including fees.