Damien Hirst opens first exhibition in Bangkok

The 1.5 x 1 meter (5 x 3.3 feet) prints of "The Last Supper" on first glance look like the sterile, corporate packages of various medicines, but Hirst has substituted the medical terms and drug names with common British foods such as "Meatballs," "Steak and Kidney" and "Cornish Pasty."

Photo: Damien Hirst opens first exhibition in Bangkok

Hirst replaces the pharmaceutical company logos with variations of his own name: "HirstDamien" and a stylized "D&H" logo.

The simple alterations raise questions about the nature of contemporary society's blind faith in pharmaceutical drugs and belief in corporations, said a news release about the exhibit.

The concept coupled with the prints' title evokes religious belief and the Last Supper of Christ. The 13 images represent Christ and the 12 disciples.

"The Last Supper" series, which is one of 150 screen-printed sets, was purchased in 1999 by the British Council Collection and is showing at 100 Tonson Gallery in central Bangkok through Aug. 27.

The show is one of three British Council-sponsored exhibitions this month in the Thai capital entitled "Monologue/Dialogue," bringing together Thai and British artists for collaborative sculptures, paintings and works in other media, the AP reports.

One of Britain's best known young artists, Hirst won the Turner Prize for contemporary art in 1995. His work includes animals floating in large tanks filled with formaldehyde.