Two exhibitions in Seoul are drawing attention for opposite approaches to publicity: Damien Hirst with maximum exposure, and Tino Sehgal with strict nonexposure.
Online posts on the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art’s Seoul branch exhibition, “Damien Hirst: There Is No Truth, Everything Is Possible,” have continued to spread.
Even before it opened, the show drew debate over whether the museum should mount a solo exhibition by Hirst, whom some critics describe as past his peak or as a star artist aimed at box-office appeal. That has fueled a steady stream of images and reviews.
Hirst, whose name functions as a brand, is known for actively using the media, audiences and social platforms. In the 1990s, he drew intense public reaction with shocking works, including a dead shark displayed in a glass tank filled with formaldehyde. His unconventional moves — including producing work with a large team of assistants — helped elevate him to celebrity status.
At a recent news conference, Hirst did not take questions but posed in various ways for photographs. The exhibition also reveals personal details, including music he says he often listens to, and a space that recreates his London studio.
Hirst is also an active social media user, with more than 1.04 million Instagram followers. In 2018, he posted a photo of himself in his studio wearing only underwear and offered a free artwork to the follower who wrote what he judged the wittiest caption. The post drew more than 10,000 comments.
In 2022, through his project “The Currency,” buyers were told to choose between an NFT and a physical work. Hirst then burned more than 1,000 original works tied to collectors who chose the NFT version. The burning was livestreamed on social media, and the destroyed works were valued at about 10 million pounds (about 17 billion won), according to assessments at the time.
Sehgal, by contrast, keeps his distance from social media — to the point that Britain’s The Guardian has called him “an Instagram users’ nightmare.” His exhibitions leave no photos or video behind. At his ongoing show at the Leeum Museum of Art, photography and video recording are banned, leaving the work to be carried only in visitors’ memories.
Sehgal, who pursues what he calls “de-production,” urges visitors to put down smartphones and cameras and stay with the present moment. Asked at a news conference in February whether he regretted being unable to promote his work through social media, he said, “My work is about asking what we can do beyond objects.”
He added, “In a way, I think I benefit in the screen era,” saying research on the negative effects of screen activity is increasing. “I don’t think you can say my work only loses out,” he said. He also said teenagers often described as “digital natives” are realizing screen time is not always positive, adding that “they, too, are paying more attention to real experiences.”
