Damien Hirst's "Relics and Fly Paintings" exhibition, which was on display at the Gagosian Gallery in London from June to September 2021, showcased a significant aspect of Hirst's exploration into themes of life, death, and the cyclical nature of existence through the use of flies. This phase of Hirst's yearlong gallery takeover followed his initial exhibition of Fact Paintings and Fact Sculptures, marking a continued exploration into mortality and the materiality of life. The gallery was transformed with black butterfly-patterned wallpaper, echoing the surface of Hirst's "Valley of Death" painting and creating an immersive environment for the visitors (Gagosian) (New Exhibitions) (GalleriesNow.net).
The works presented in this series are notable for their incorporation of real insects, specifically flies, which are encased in resin on canvas, drawing on the symbolic weight flies carry in relation to life's cycles and the inevitability of death. Pieces like "Fear of Death (Half Skull)," "Destruction," "Devil Worship," and "Black Mass" utilize flies and resin to create visual representations that delve into the darker aspects of existence, reflecting Hirst's fascination with the darker sides of life and his ongoing dialogue with the themes of decay, transformation, and the afterlife (Gagosian).
Hirst's "Relics" and "Fly Paintings" are part of his broader body of work that frequently juxtaposes life's fragility with its grandeur, blending art, science, history, and religion. His employment of memento mori motifs, cast in bronze to depict corpses, skeletons, and mummies in meticulous detail, alongside his fascination with the metaphysical, positions these works within a complex discussion on the human condition, spirituality, and the physicality of death. Hirst's engagement with these themes is consistent with his past works, yet the "Fly Paintings" offer a unique lens through which to examine the mundane and the sacred, the microscopic and the cosmic (Gagosian) (New Exhibitions) (GalleriesNow.net).