Morbid humor sells: Hirst’s ’skull’ hits Amsterdam
In conjunction with the annual Museumnacht (Museum Night) the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam celebrated the world premier of the first exhibition outside the UK of Damien Hirst’s diamond covered ’skull’ (aka ‘For the Love of God‘). It has been a mixed blessing for the Dutch ‘mother of all museums’, generating an unprecedented media hype and record visitor numbers, but also causing Soviet-era waiting lines and CIA-style security measurements.
Vanitas Still Life (1650) by Aelbert Jansz van der Schoor is one of Damien Hirst’s personal picks from the collection of the Rijksmuseum.
To accompany the exhibition Hirst has chosen a personal selection from the Rijksmuseum’s collection of 17th-century art, including a haunting vanitas still life. Each painting is accompanied by a personal commentary by Hirst explaining the reasons for his choices. Themes in the exhibition range from the quest for immortality to the inevitability of death, all of which are frequently reflected in the art of the Dutch Golden Age and in Hirst’s own work.
In an attempt to collect the widely differing opinions of those who have actually seen the exhibition, the Rijksmuseum has launched a special website. On their way out, visitors are invited to leave a video message by speaking into a camera. The website shows Hirst’s skull as the shining center of a solar system and a cloud of mug shots of visitors which is orbiting the skull like little stars. Clicking on one of the faces enlarges it and automatically starts the video message.
Van Gogh Museum director Axel Rüger responding to the exhibition on the website of the Rijksmuseum.
Among the ‘talking heads’ are actors, tv celebs, artists and other VIPs, including the director of the neighbouring Van Gogh Museum. In his message (in Dutch) he praises the Rijksmuseum and stresses the historical relevance of Hirst’s work, but he also seizes the opportunity to urge people to visit the other museums in Amsterdam.
Obviously, he is reffering to the Van Gogh Museum itself where they have various depictions of skulls and skeletons on permanent display, including Van Gogh’s hilarious ‘Skeleton with Burning Cigarette‘. On the website of the museum they jokely invite you to come and see ‘their’ skull. That is a clever move, because morbid humor always sells..
Selection of works by Vincent van Gogh from the Van Gogh Museum Collection, including ‘Skeleton with Burning Cigarette’ (1886) in the center.
For the Love of God opened to the public on 1 November and remains at the Rijksmuseum for six weeks.
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