Damien's million-dollar show

Hurry, hurry. Only six days left to witness a piece of art history in the making. In the lead-up to Damien Hirst’s audacious straight-to-
auction sale, his innocently titled Beautiful Inside My Head Forever exhibition at Sotheby’s Bond Street headquarters has many of the 223 new works on show for allcomers to inspect.

Rarely have so many works by one artist been seen together at one time. Indeed, rarely if ever has one artist produced so much in so little time.

Not that Hirst has made a secret of the army of assistants who help "execute" his spin, spot and butter­fly canvases, skull, diamond and anatomical models, cabinets, and formaldehyde tanks with shark or zebra — and this time — gold-tipped calf and unicorn.

Examples, all made in 2008, in every shape, size and colour combo fill the 11 rooms on two floors given over to this Hirst extravaganza — among them, butterflies pinned on spin, butterflies with diamonds, skulls splattered with spin and diamonds lined up in cabinets.

All this, it’s estimated, will add up to a total sale of £65 million, a fabulous sum that would explain the heart-stopping individual price tags and sharp-suited security in every gallery.

In one hushed room alone on Saturday, suddenly overcome by the neurotic thrill of it all, I counted nine minders standing to attention, like so many characters waiting for a Pinter play.

What’s good and what’s not, here, is for the critics to tell. What’s certain is that it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to sneak a peak behind the art world curtain.

Whether next week’s sale, in three parts on Monday and Tuesday, booms or busts, this exhibition is where it will have all begun.

Until Monday. Admission free. Today-Thurs 9am-4.30pm, Fri 9am-4pm, Sat-Sun noon-5pm, Mon 9am-noon. www.sothebys.co.uk

Damien Hirst: Beautiful Inside My Head Forever
Sotheby's
New Bond Street, W1