Retail Refugees

As one of the most prolific living artists in the world, Damien Hirst has made a name for himself by producing extraordinarily expensive works of art.  Not only is he the highest paid art figure in the world, but he has just defied all odds, in this 21st century ressesion, and gone and opened himself a new retail store in London, at 14 Hinde Street in the Marylebone district. Other Criteria, the U.K. artist’s publishing and merchandising company has opened up shop to sell works including some by Hirst himself ranging from his keyrings at 3.50 pounds to prints showing pills on mirror glass shelves, from an edition of 125, at 4,000 pounds each.

And now that the collapse has come, he has opened two stores selling Hirst-created knick knacks, from $5 key rings to prints at a cool $6,500. (Not cheap, but not as steep as usual: The original works pictured in the prints—shelves lined with handmade replicas of pills—have gone for as much as $19 million. In selling the $150 million skull, Hirst broke his own record, for most expensive piece made by a living artist.)

As Hirst told Bloomberg News: “Other Criteria makes objects and books created by artists to an exceptional standard,” said Hirst in an e-mailed statement. “I don’t think art has ever been as popular as it is today and Other Criteria aims to sell affordable art of the highest quality to everyone who wants it.”

Other Criteria
14 Hinde Street
London
W1U 3BG
Tel: 0207 935 5550

(courtesy slamxhype)