Damien Hirst. “Diamond Skull is a case I couldn’t keep at home without armed men.”

A textbook case, Damien Hirst. Literally, because it appears in school programs. That’s why he’s known by college students who memorize the number of diamonds, 8601, holding up his platinum skull. For the love of God, a kind of modern vanity sold for $100 million. We will not talk about money in London today. Case settled, Damien Hirst is the world’s richest artist whose fortune has been assessed Sunday Times With 370 million Euros… Framework, the meeting is led by the director of the studio. Heading to his next exhibition in Provence, The Light That Shines, which takes over the Château La Coste estate. Affectionate, honest, a bit provocative, a bit ostentatious, true to his character, he looks at people and things with his blue button eyes.

Blue as his sky Cherry blossom, Cherry blossom, exhibited at the Cartier Foundation in 2021, or blue, like the floor of one of his workshops in Hammersmith, overlooking the Thames. There are five of them. one goes to his two older musical sons, the others are devoted to painting. Half bric-a-brac, half cabinet of curiosities, they contain large-format canvases and all the objects that inspire them; Not to mention the gorgeous palette of light paint pots, stacked side by side, light echo Point pictures. The owner’s tour is over, Damien is going elsewhere. The driver opens the back door of a large 4×4 vehicle with tinted windows. This is the life of an artist.

Madame Figaro. – Why this title? The light that shines “The Light That Shines” ?
Damien Hirst. – I have a list of titles in my phone. I chose this one because we are in the south of France and the light, the sun, is shining. There are many outdoor sculptures and treasures. The artist, art, is also a kind of light that shines. It is a symbol of life. Many say my work is about death. I think the opposite. Even when art speaks of death, it always speaks of life. I preferred to focus on the light that shines rather than the one that fades.

You are exhibiting on the estate and in five pavilions designed by architects Renzo Piano, Richard Rogers and Oscar Niemeyer… How was the selection of works made?
My work somewhat corresponds to these places. When I was little, I used to worry. “I have so many ideas, my work goes everywhere.” It was a bit of chaos. Today I approach the five areas with five different bodies of work. It makes sense. It is very nice to say: here is a part of me, here is a part of me, etc. When I went on vacation to Château La Coste with my three French bulldogs, everything was clear. THE: Empresses, for example, are very red. I think Richard Rogers liked this color, I thought they fit the space he designed. Likewise, an old basement, somewhat underground, is ideal for me Space pictures.

You are displaying more than 80 works. Is this a mini-retrospective?
It happened organically. Paddy McKillen (Owner of Château La Coste, Editor’s Note) first asked me if I wanted to make outdoor sculptures. I sent ten options, thinking that he would choose two. He took all ten! With the same galleries, I was thinking of showing two or three, and over time we invested in all of them. If he had told me that from the start, I probably would have said, “It’s too much work.” It all makes up a story, a story.

Where are you with your chapel?
This is a major project we are currently working on in the park’s forests. I’ll show you my cell phone photo. A part will be buried. The arrow represents the hand…

Who is pointing to the sky?
And who also pretends to be holding a smartphone… A staircase leads to a balcony with a panoramic view. You will be able to see Montmartre. The chapel will be ready in ten years with an amethyst interior, as purple has a religious connotation in the symbolism of colors. And the stained-glass windows will be decorated with butterflies.

Are you back to painting?
When I first started, I was reluctant. When I was a student at Goldsmiths I used to buy my materials from a hardware store. I was making objects, I didn’t want to paint, I would rather be dead than an artist. I denied my nature. Because I have always loved art, sculpture, painting. With the idea that the artist is above everything. Rembrandt, Van Gogh, Bacon… reach the highest level.

What is art made for?
I want to make unforgettable things or pictures. My paintings of butterflies or cherry trees are similar. At the same time, I want to push back and make people love. I always remember my mother who painted from a live model. I wanted to make pictures that my mother would love and pictures that my mother would take.

Many people say that my work is about death, but I think otherwise

Damien Hirst

What is your favorite job?
I’m still attached to my latest works, so at this point Secret gardens. But my favorite is the diamond skull. It is a job, the first one, that I could not keep at home without armed men. We imagine people would die to own it. This skull, which is death, is a confusing object… At the same time, it is easy to move.

Still planning on painting with a robot?
Oh, yes! I practice with several, one sprays paint, the other paints, cleans, etc. People say: “You are not the creator of your pictures. They are your helpers.’ (There are 150 of them, Editor’s note.) I told myself that I can answer. “No. They are not my assistants. These are my robots.”