damien hirst takes over the entire château la coste with 'the light that shines' exhibition

Damien Hirst: the first artist to take over Château La Coste

From 2 March until 23 June 2024, Damien Hirst takes over the entire Château La Coste in France with a major exhibition titled The Light That Shines. Spanning the estate’s expansive 500 acres, the showcase fills all five pavilions, each masterfully designed by renowned architects like Renzo Piano, Oscar Niemeyer, and Richard Rogers. The presentation features around 90 sculptures and paintings, including never-before-seen works alongside Hirst’s iconic series, such as his Natural History which showcases a variety of preserved animals, such as cows, birds, and even sharks.

installation view, Damien Hirst: The Light That Shines at Château La Coste, 2 March – 23 June 2024 | all images by Prudence Cuming Associates ltd. © Damien Hirst and Science Ltd. all rights reserved, DACS/Artimage 2024

from preserved animal bodies to cosmic inspiration

Damien Hirst’s extensive body of work (find more here) delves into the intricate interplay between beauty, religion, science, life, and death. Renowned for his use of formaldehyde to preserve animal bodies, Hirst presents key pieces from his Natural History series at the Renzo Piano Pavilion of Château La Coste (find more here). Meanwhile, at the Richard Rogers Gallery, he unveils The Empress Paintings, a display of red and black butterfly wings arranged in mesmerizing kaleidoscopic patterns for the first time.

In the Old Wine Storehouse designed by Jean-Michel Wilmotte, visitors encounter Cosmos Paintings and sculptures from the Meteorites and Satellites series, making their debut appearance. Inspired by the deep-sky images captured by the Hubble Space Telescope, Hirst crafted the Cosmos Paintings by painting canvases black and overlaying them with paint, simulating the vast expanse of the universe. Satellites, rendered in bronze, evoke nostalgia and draw loose inspiration from Degas’ bronze casts, while Hirst’s choice of Victorian typeface for their metal information labels adds a blend of antiquity and modernity.

Damien Hirst, Sahara Meteorite and Cosmos Paintings

filling the château’s pavilions and outdoor spaces with artwork

In the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium, sculptures and lightboxes from Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable, a series of works that was first shown in 2017 across Punta della Dogana and Palazzo Grassi in Venice, is exhibited. The artist also showcases his most recent series, The Secret Gardens Paintings, in the Bastide Gallery. Depicting vibrantly colored flowers, these triptychs, and single-panel paintings feature an abstract layer of bright paint splatters and build on a long tradition of depicting gardens in art. In addition to the works presented in the pavilions, a selection of outdoor sculptures will be sited across the estate as part of the exhibition, including at Frank Gehry’s Music Pavilion and the Tadao Ando Art Centre.

‘It’s beyond brilliant what Paddy McKillen has achieved at Château La Coste which is such a wonderful and unique place. I am thrilled and excited to be the first artist to do a takeover show and have my work exhibited across the whole estate, particularly in the mega pavilions designed by Frank Gehry, Oscar Niemeyer and Richard Rogers. Paddy McKillen is a genius and great friend and wonderful human and he makes the most amazing places for people to be. I’m so happy to be a part of Paddy’s vision,’ shares Damien Hirst.

‘This magnificent show has been an idea for many years. Amid laughs and giggles, chats and cups of tea, great ideas evolved as they do when Damien is his playful self. He has planned out the show to perfection. He has conceived each element to compliment both art and architecture, all set amongst Cezanne’s Provençal landscape. His paintings and sculpture, set in our galleries and this nature will come together to create one singular masterpiece. We are proud and honored at Chateau La Coste to host Damien, his amazing team and his life’s labor. We welcome everyone to experience Damien in beautiful Provence,’ says Paddy McKillen, Founder, Château La Coste.

Damien Hirst, Natural History