Beautiful Inside My Head Forever

Damien Hirst by-passed galleries and sold his new work at auction.

Beautiful Inside My Head Forever was a two-day auction of new work at Sotheby's, London, taking place on 15 and 16 September 2008.[1] It was unusual as Damien Hirst bypassed galleries and sold directly to the public.[2] The sale raised £111 million ($198 million) for 218 items.[3] The auction exceeded expectations, setting a record for a single-artist auction, occurring as the financial markets plunged.[3]

The Sunday Times said that Hirst's business colleagues had "propped up"[4] the sale prices, making purchases or bids which totalled over half of the £70.5 million spent on the first sale day:[4] Harry Blain of the Haunch of Venison gallery said that bids were entered on behalf of clients wishing to acquire the work.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference akbar1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference singh was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference parsons was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c "Hirst dealers bolster prices at record sale", The Sunday Times, 21 September 2008. Retrieved 10 February 2009.