H14-8 Knowledge (The Secrets)

Born in Bristol in 1965, Damien Hirst is one of the UK's most influential contemporary artists. He studied at Goldsmiths College in London, where in 1988 he organized Freeze, an emblematic exhibition that launched the Young British Artists movement. This initiative attracted the attention of influential collectors, including Charles Saatchi, and propelled Hirst onto the art scene. His artistic approach revolves around the themes of life, death and mortality, with works such as The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (a shark preserved in formaldehyde). His work often marries science and art, exploring the beauty and fragility of human existence through provocative materials and striking installations.Hirst has exhibited at prestigious institutions such as the Tate Modern (London) and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (Naples). In 2008, he defied the art market by auctioning his work directly at Sotheby's, raising £111 million in two days, a record for a living artist.