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2010s
2010s

In the 2010s, Damien Hirst continued to explore and expand his artistic repertoire, engaging with new mediums and themes while also revisiting some of his earlier interests in provocative and visually striking ways. One significant exhibition during this period was "Forgiving and Forgetting," showcased at Gagosian in New York in 2022. This exhibition featured new paintings and sculptures, marking Hirst's first exhibition in New York since 2018. Works such as "Prayer," "Light," "Goodness," "Samaritan," "Sacrament," "Altar," "Haven," "Lord," "Lamb," "Heavenly," and "Father," all created in 2020, employed oil and gold leaf on canvas, showcasing Hirst's continuous interest in combining luxurious materials with themes of spirituality and existential questioning​ (Gagosian)​. The decade also saw Hirst engaging with the digital and NFT (Non-Fungible Token) art market, pushing the boundaries of art and technology. In 2023, Hirst launched "The Beautiful Paintings," an AI-generated artwork project that invited collectors to participate in the creative process. This initiative allowed collectors to customize their pieces by selecting colors, styles, sizes, and shapes, effectively outsourcing creativity to the collectors through AI. The sale of more than 5,000 of these works generated $20.9 million in just nine days, demonstrating Hirst's ability to merge art with technology and market savvy. "The Beautiful Paintings" were a digital remix of Hirst's 1990s Spin Paintings, reflecting his enduring interest in collaborative and participatory art-making processes. This project further exemplified the continuing popularity of physical artworks over digital ones, as evidenced by the sales figures and collector choices​ (Artnet News)​. Throughout the 2010s, Damien Hirst's work continued to challenge conventional boundaries between art, science, and commerce. His engagement with AI and the NFT space is particularly noteworthy, indicating a forward-looking approach that bridges traditional art-making with emerging digital technologies. Hirst's ongoing exploration of death, belief, and the beauty of existence remains at the core of his work, whether through traditional mediums or innovative digital platforms.

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