You are looking at a $96 million diamond encrusted platinum skull created by artist Damien Hirst and what must have been an army of assistants (and security guards). It’s the centerpiece of a new exhibit he just unveiled:

At the dark heart of Damien Hirst’s new show Beyond Belief is a piece entitled For the Love of God. Shown in an illuminated glass case in a darkened room on the top floor of the White Cube gallery…, it consists of a life-size cast of a human skull in platinum, its surface covered by 8,601 flawless pavé diamonds.

All the diamonds were “ethically sourced” but this is hardly the piece of art one would expect to be presented to the decadent art world, right?:

It looks like the kind of thing Asprey or Harrods might sell to credulous visitors from the oil states with unlimited amounts of money to spend, little taste, and no knowledge of art. I can imagine it gracing the drawing room of some African dictator or Colombian drug baron.

Or, more likely, some asshole in Europe with a castle as a country home. Head over to the White Cube’s website for more info on exhibit.
For the love of art and money |Telegraph|
Beyond Belief Exhibit|White Cube Gallery|
Photo: Prudence Cuming Associates