The Guardian - 3rd Feb 2006

[Daniel Silk]

Damien Hirst to put highlights of his collection on show

Surprises likely as pride of Britart gives first public viewing of works he has gathered

Charlotte Higgins, arts correspondent
Friday February 3, 2006
The Guardian


Damien Hirst is famous for many things, among them sharks, butterflies, spots and pickling, not to mention his extraordinary wealth, which art world insiders speculate runs to tens of millions of pounds.
But the original Young British Artist has another string to his bow - a formidable collection of artworks by him and others. And for the first time highlights from the collection are to go on public view later this year at the Serpentine Gallery in London, in an exhibition to be curated by the artist.

He calls his art collection the Murderme Collection, and he has registered a company in the name of Murderme Ltd. Its holdings were valued at £6.5m in 2004, according to the Art Newspaper.
The exhibition, which will be a precursor to the permanent exhibition space Hirst plans to establish at his recently purchased £3m country pile in Gloucestershire, will open in November. According to the Serpentine's director, Julia Peyton-Jones, plans are nascent, but "we will bring lots over and make a selection on site". Hirst is a committed collector of work by his contemporaries. "He is an extremely loyal friend," said Ms Peyton-Jones. Pieces by fellow YBAs Sarah Lucas, Tracey Emin and Angus Fairhurst will appear in the show, as well as work by the graffiti artist Banksy.

"I asked him why he collects," said Ms Peyton-Jones, "and he looked at me as if I was some kind of wally, and said: 'Because I love art'."

Hirst is also a major collector of the work of Italian-born, US-based artist Maurizio Cattelan - famous for pranksterish, witty sculptures such as The Ballad of Trotsky, a stuffed horse suspended from the ceiling.

Because the Murderme collection has never been seen in public before its contents are only sketchily known. But, although the selection for the exhibition has yet to be made, there are likely to be surprises in store.

Hirst owns works of earlier generations of artists, such as John Bellany, Andy Warhol, Jeff Koons and Picasso. His recent decision to buy a house in Mexico and live there for three months of the year has also spurred him to collect Mexican art, according to friends of the artist.

Also in his collection, and likely to be seen in the Serpentine show, are pieces by Steven Gregory. Far from a household name, the Johannesburg-born sculptor is highly respected by Hirst, who contributed an essay to a recent solo show of Gregory's work in London.

"Effortlessly he creates art that prods and pokes, ignores and strokes, and slaps and stuns us into submission," wrote Hirst, adding that his favourite pieces were those Gregory had made with human bones and skulls.

It will not just be fine art that is likely to be selected for the exhibition, though.

Hirst is an obsessive collector of artefacts, curiosities and ephemera. "Looking at the objects that artists collect is fascinating - like looking at what books are open in their studio," said Ms Peyton-Jones. Hirst has also collected eclectic pieces from Shaker furniture to Soviet space exploration memorabilia.

Hirst certainly has the means to buy. In October 2004 the sale of fittings and objects from his failed Notting Hill restaurant Pharmacy made £11m.

A show of photorealist paintings in New York last year may have been branded "flatfooted" by the New York Times - but it sold.

His market price has leapt: £100 invested in a Hirst in 1997 would now have an average value of £633, according to art-market website artprice.com. And, like a successful fashion designer, Hirst has a "diffusion line", selling prints in large editions.