Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable – Damien Hirst

Ten years of work were necessary for the artist to carry out this extraordinary artistic production. It narrated the story of the ancient Unbelievable (Apistos in koinè Greek), its sinking and the discovery of its precious cargo: the impressive collection of Aulus Calidius Amotan, a freed slave better known by the name of Cif Amotan II, intended for a temple dedicated to the sun. Many sculptures, largely inlaid with corals and other marine species, were on display before restoration, to the point of rendering their forms unrecognizable. Contemporary copies of the artifacts, made for the exhibition based on the supposed original forms of the works, are also presented. The British artist frees himself from any chronology to challenge our mythology as well as our entertainment industry.

The accomplishment of such a pharaonic project testifies to the extremely strong bond that exists between the artist Damien Hirst and the collector François Pinault. This link is also illustrated by the strong presence of his work in the collection, which has since been shown at several exhibitions.