Hirst Retrospective Announced

Yes, gone are the days when you needed to be dead or at least ancient before a major institution held a retrospective exhibition of your work (and without even labelling it 'mid-career'!)

Tate Modern has announced that 'to celebrate the Olympics' (you tell me where the link is) they'll be holding a major exhibition looking back over Hirst's career.

Hirst, 'The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Somebody Living', 1991

Somewhat controversially, the exhibition will also feature a section dedicated to exploring Hirst's famous auction sale at Sotheby's in 2008, when he became the richest living artist, after a two-day sale earned him £111 million - at the very same time as Lehman Brothers collapsed.

The Times expressed cynicism - suggesting it was timed simply for maximum exposure as the artist's career  hits a plateau, while The Guardian suggests uncertainty about the 'appropriateness' of this choice of artist.