illustration by tom fecht for the new york times

in an interesting art world note, the always-controversial damien hirst is grabbing headlines not for the
content of his new work, but how he plans to sell it. tonight at sotheby’s london auction house, hirst will
be selling 223 pieces from the last two years in the titled auction ‘beautiful inside my head forever’.
this is a risky move in the high stakes art world since hirst will, in effect, be cutting his art dealers out
of the deal. sotheby’s put on a public viewing of the works and renovated their space specifically for
the size and weight of hirst’s work. critics wonder if this is a smart move, but all are holding off until
the auction takes place tonight.

read more
damien hirst’s next sensation: thinking outside the dealer


‘the physical impossibility of death in the mind of someone living’ by damien hirst, 1991