The exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum of Art lives up to its name, and then some. Scheduled to open to the public tomorrow, the show had a media preview yesterday that was nearly as big a sensation as the exhibition. If they came in search of the sensational, they were not disappointed. To reach the exhibit, reporters had to pass some of the museum's more traditional artwork, such as sculptures by Rodin and a full body portrait of George Washington by Gilbert Stuart. Visitors can opt to use an audio guide to the show, which is narrated by singer David Bowie.
Death is the first topic on the agenda.
As visitors enter, they see a lifeless tiger shark suspended in a sealed glass tank of formaldehyde. It's a visceral show. Indeed, the room in which Hirst's works are showcased has a slightly foul stench. Another exhibit, also dealing with death, features bloodied, naked male mannequins with their genitalia cut off. Arms, apparently cut from one of the mannequins, were seen hanging from an artificial tree nearby.