Just two events this week riveted public attention to the provocative British artist Damien Hirst. Environmentalists have accused him of the death of 9,000 butterflies on display at the Tate, and the town was endowed Ilfrakomb its 20-meter-high statue of a pregnant woman.

Damien HIRST in love and out of it. 2012 Tate Gallery, London Source: cbc.ca

large-scale retrospective of Damien Hirst, held at Tate Modern from April 4 to 9 September this year, second attendance in the history of the London gallery . The cows in formaldehyde, pictures with dots and cabinets with pills on average, look for 3000 people a day. Among the most talked-about works of this exhibition was the installation "In and out of love» («In and out of love») - two rooms with no windows, filled with hundreds of live butterflies. The exhibition is long over, and this work continues to speak - mostly defenders of wildlife.

activists from the British "Royal Society for the Protection of Animals» (RSPCA) and the organization "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals »(PETA) accused of murdering Damien Hirst about 9,000,000 tropical butterflies. According to data provided by the Tate, so much of insects died during the 23 weeks of the exhibition. On average, every week in the halls kills about 400 individuals, who were brought instead of new ones. Some butterflies way of foot visitors, others damaged wings from contact with people. Species of tropical butterflies used in the exhibition, in the wild can live up to nine months of their life in confinement lasted from a few hours to several days. In the RSPCA believe that these insects deserved a better fate. "If in this exhibition have been involved some other animals, such as dogs, it would have caused a storm of public protest. That this is a butterfly, does not mean that they do not deserve a good relationship, "- said the representative RSPCA. "No matter whether they killed Hurst with their hands or sat and watched as thousands of insects are killed for his inexcusable entertainment. Butterflies are a great part of the wildlife, and enjoy them to the contemplation in the wild "- support their representatives PETA.

Organizers are justified by the fact that they produce a special butterfly nursery and that they took Hirst to install them are species that thrive best in a closed space. According to the Tate, made for an exhibition butterflies were in the final stages of the life cycle, ie They would in any case soon died of natural causes. What he thinks about the protests by Damien Hirst installation is unknown. One thing is certain: in the butterflies is the best he could reveal his favorite theme of life and death.

Damien HIRST True. 2012 Ilfrakomb, North Devon Source: news.nationalpost.com

Meanwhile, residents of the seaside town in the south of England Ilfrakomb also divided over - and again because Hirst. Only this time the reason was a giant sculpture of a naked pregnant woman, "Truth," which the artist gave the city for the next 20 years. According to the artist in one hand (to hide behind) in the figure - the balance, and the other - a sword, a woman stands on a bronze pedestal, stylized stack of books on jurisprudence, representing the "monumental modern allegory of truth and justice." Position of the feet of the statue of Hirst sculpture is reminiscent of the small toe dancer Edgar Degas. In addition, a representative of YBA (movement Young British Artists - «Young British Artists") is not without that half sculpture, so to speak, "inside out." By this technique Hurst has repeatedly resorted to his sculptures, he allegedly removes the skin, so that visible muscles and internal organs (in this case, even the fetus in the womb).

Hirst sculpture has been controversial locals. City officials welcomed the gift of the artist. Through it, they hope to increase the flow of tourists in recent years, the abandoned resort town. Councilman Mike Edmunds (Mike Edmunds) sees Hirst sculpture only the first step in updating Ilfrakomba: he believes that it should be followed by other works of public art. Do not agree with many of the inhabitants of the city. Sculpture called ugly, offensive, strange, monstrous. But public opinion is still leaning in favor of modern art. Just a tip of the North Devon were about 100 letters from opponents of sculptures and 177 letters in support of it.

Prepared Maria Onuchina, AI

Sources : telegraph.co.uk , cbc.ca , huffingtonpost.com , thisisdevon.co.uk , bbc.co.uk , artinvestment.ru