Bare it all, or keep it tightly concealed.
Two exhibitions drawing attention in Seoul are doing so in opposite ways: a Damien Hirst solo show at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art is built on exposure, while a Tino Sehgal solo show at the Leeum Museum of Art is defined by nonexposure, including a ban on photos and video.
Online posts about MMCA Seoul’s “Damien Hirst: There Is No Truth, Everything Is Possible” continued to spread on the 24th.
Even before it opened, the museum faced debate over whether it should stage a solo exhibition by Hirst, whom some critics described as past his peak or as a star artist aimed at box-office appeal. As a result, images and reviews from the show have circulated widely.
Hirst, whose name functions as a brand, is known for actively using the media, audiences and social platforms. In the 1990s, he drew explosive attention by exhibiting a dead shark in a glass tank filled with formaldehyde. His unconventional approach — including working with a large team of assistants — helped propel him to celebrity status.
At a recent news conference, Hirst did not take questions but posed repeatedly for photographers. The exhibition also reveals personal details, including music he says he listens to regularly and a gallery space recreating 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 the wittiest caption. The post drew about 10,000 comments.
In 2022, through his project “The Currency,” he required buyers to choose between an NFT and a physical artwork. He then burned more than 1,000 original works belonging 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. Britain’s The Guardian has described him as an “Instagram users’ nightmare.” His exhibitions leave no photos or video behind, and the Leeum show now underway also prohibits photography and filming. The work is meant 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 on social media, he said, “My work is about asking what we can do beyond objects.”
He added, “In a way, I think I may benefit in the screen era,” citing growing research into the negative effects of screen activity. “I don’t think you can say my work only loses out,” he said. He also said teenagers often labeled “digital natives” are realizing screen time is not always positive and are paying more attention to real experiences.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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