Damien Hirst: Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable

Palazzo Grassi and Punta della Dogana showcase the new, incredibly immersive exhibition by Damien Hirst, entitled “Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable”, for which the artist has been working on for more than ten years. This huge show, curated by Elena Geuna is held in both the museum spaces and is the artist’s first major exhibition in Italy  since 2004.
The exhibition brings together stories, objects, film, and photographs, coming with a backstory: the remains of a ship, sunk some 2,000 years ago off the coast of East Africa. The property of a remarkable collector—a freed slave, no less—named Cif Amotan II, the vessel was carrying a vast art collection containing artifacts from every civilization then known, transporting it to a museum island where they would be placed on show. The ship went down, and she and her marvels remained undisturbed until their rediscovery in 2008. Her salvaged cargo, the conceit has it, is the treasure the visitor see before him.