Damien Hirst — ‘Nothing Is True But Everything Is Possible’ @ MMCA Seoul
Damien Hirst's first major solo exhibition in Asia opens at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA) Seoul. Over 50 works span his iconic Natural History, Spin, Medicine Cabinet, and Cherry Blossom series. The centerpiece — his formaldehyde shark 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living' — makes its Korean debut.
Damien Hirst — ‘Nothing Is True But Everything Is Possible’ @ MMCA Seoul
Damien Hirst’s Asia Debut
Damien Hirst — perhaps the most commercially successful artist of his generation — arrives in Asia for his first major solo exhibition at MMCA Seoul. The show brings together over 50 works across four of his most celebrated series: Natural History, Spin Paintings, Medicine Cabinets, and Cherry Blossoms.
The Centerpiece
The exhibition’s centerpiece is The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living — a tiger shark suspended in formaldehyde inside a vitrined steel frame. Created in 1991, it became one of the defining artworks of the YBA (Young British Artists) era. This is its Korean premiere.
Other Works
The Spin series shows circular canvases made by dripping paint onto spinning surfaces. Medicine Cabinets fill display cases with commercial pharmaceutical packaging in grid arrangements that blur art and commerce. The Cherry Blossom paintings are dense, almost hallucinogenic canvases that feel deliberately romantic and escapist — a contrast to his more provocative work.
Visiting MMCA Seoul
MMCA Seoul is located in Sogyeok-dong, near Gyeongbokgung Palace in Jongno-gu. The nearest subway station is Anguk Station (Line 3, Exit 1). Museum hours vary by day — closed on Mondays. Admission fees apply; the Damien Hirst exhibition may require a separate ticket. Book online to avoid queues.
