Damien Hirst reveals his famous "A Thousand Years" artwork uses a fake cow's head

"Right now, the severed cow's head exhibited at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is actually fake. It's meant to look real, and it's fine if visitors think it's real."

Damien Hirst, who is holding a large-scale solo exhibition at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Seoul, visited Korea on the 10th for a talk with visitors. The exhibition, which began on March 20th, continues to be a success, surpassing 440,000 cumulative visitors.

Hirst revealed a secret related to his representative work 'A Thousand Years' in an interview with Korean reporters prior to the talk program with visitors.

'A Thousand Years' is a work that reveals the 'cycle of life' by placing a dead cow's head, an electric insect killer, and fly larvae together in a glass case. It generated controversy and buzz, as it was known to use a real cow's head.

However, Hirst said, "In the past, I had no choice but to use a real cow's head and had to replace it every 24 hours, but now that technology has advanced, there is no need to use a real cow's head. My butterfly works also no longer use real butterflies," he said. "I am a conceptual artist. It's okay for the cow's head, shark, and aquarium to be changed at any time (from the original creation). The important thing is not the physical object, but making the thought exist in the viewer's mind."

In relation to this, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art explained that the work currently on display, 'Meditating on the Infinite Power and Glory of God,' is a work that reproduces medieval cathedral stained glass using real butterfly wings.

Hirst explained the background of creating 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living,' which placed a giant shark in a glass tank filled with formaldehyde solution, saying, "I was inspired by seeing animals in formaldehyde solution at Steven Spielberg's movie Jaws and at the Leeds Anatomical Museum in the UK." He added, "I wanted to create a work that is unforgettable, scary but unavoidable."

He further explained, "It is to reveal the difference in perception where people feel repulsion in an art museum, but it is tolerated when live animals are killed and consumed daily at a slaughterhouse."

Even after more than 30 years since its unveiling, many of his works still provoke controversy. Criticisms range from being mere shock value to animal abuse.

He said, "I think it's a good thing that people are still talking about it. What I fear most is people forgetting and ignoring it." He added, "However, I have considered more extreme ideas but have not put them into practice. This is because if it becomes too controversial, the meaning itself can be undermined."

He also emphasized, "An artist must be good at pushing and pulling with their work. They must be able to attract viewers and then let them leave." He stressed, "My goal is to have these opposing elements coexist – attraction and repulsion, beauty and unpleasantness – so that the work comes to mind the next day."

Regarding the driving force behind his long career, he said, "For now, I would like the epitaph to say 'A Wonderful Father.'" He then laughed, saying, "When I was decorating my eldest son's room and asked him, 'What artwork should I hang?', he didn't mention my name but said Banksy."

After the interview, a talk event with the artist was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art's video hall, with Professor Lee Jin-kyung of Seoul National University of Science and Technology and Song Soo-jung, curator at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, participating.

At the event, when asked what single work he would leave behind if he could only leave one in his life, Hirst chose 'A Thousand Years,' stating, "I think I thought this was my final artwork from the moment I created it." He added, "If I could choose one more, it would be 'No, Actually, Everything Is Possible,' which decorates a skull with diamonds."

Regarding the great popularity of his exhibition in Korea, he said, "While the number of museum visitors is decreasing worldwide, Korea is actually seeing an increase." He added, "I was particularly surprised by the large number of young visitors. I hope they are inspired, gain courage, find joy, and realize that the answer lies within themselves after seeing my art."

Hirst's first large-scale solo exhibition in Asia, 'No, Actually, Everything Is Possible,' will be held until June 28th.