O artista empreendedor: um estudo de caso de Damien Hirst

Abstract

The current circumstances, of financialization of culture and dissemination of corporatism in the arts, caused an even more accentuated blurring of the boundaries between art and economy. Under these conditions, the artistic and entrepreneurial roles are intertwined and the figure of the “artist-entrepreneur” is instituted, who approximates his recognition strategies and the discourse of his works of art with entrepreneurial techniques. Based on the case study of Damien Hirst as a paradigmatic figure, this research intends to investigate the advent of the artist-entrepreneur and his artistic and market strategies through the analysis of two decisive mega-events in his trajectory: Beautiful Inside My Head Forever ( 2008) and Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable (2017). Thus, it is intended to answer: what characterize the entrepreneurial artist? How does this new paradigm arise? How can this actor produce his recognition and sustain his reputation? On the other hand, the figure of the collector as an arbiter of taste will be addressed, based on the analysis of the behavior of Charles Saatchi and François Pinault in the art world, who assume such symbolic capital that are able to dispute the discursive monopoly of the field and create historical events in their institutions.