Damien Hirst - The Currency

The Currency

The Currency Exhibition is presented by HENI at Damien Hirst's Newport Street Gallery from 23 September to 30 October 2022, featuring Damien Hirst’s boundary-breaking project, The Currency. Consisting of 10,000 NFTs and original artworks by Hirst, the exhibition seamlessly melds art with technology and invites contemplation on the consequences of choice.

Launched in July 2021, this innovative project posed a difficult choice to collectors: either retain the digital NFT or swap it for its corresponding physical artwork. Claiming one form meant relinquishing the other: receiving the physical artwork meant the NFT would be destroyed, while keeping the NFT would lead to the burning of the physical work.

During Frieze Week, this burning ritual is initiated on 11 October by Damien Hirst himself, as he begins by burning his own physical artworks. The remaining 4,851 physical artworks relinquished by collectors who chose to keep the NFT are gradually incinerated at the gallery over the course of the exhibition. Visitors are invited to attend the live burns, which capture the essence of The Currency: the intertwining of art, technology, and human agency.

In conjunction with the exhibition, HENI hosts "Connect the Dots", a private gathering held on 15 October at The Pharmacy in Newport Street Gallery. Global collectors and members of The Currency Discord community are invited to toast to the project's first year, cementing digital connections through this exclusive, in-person event.

Exhibition dates: 23 September – 30 October 2022
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday, 10am - 6pm
Location: Newport Street Gallery, 1 Newport Street, London, SE11 6AJ
Admission: Free