Damien Hirst butterflies

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  If you’re an animal lover, he’s already unlikely to  be one of your favourite artists.
  But even shark-pickling Damien Hirst’s fans might flinch at his latest work.
  An exhibition by the 47-year-old featuring live butterflies saw more than 9,000 of the beautiful insects die – around 400 a week.
  Many were killed during the  five-month run after being  inadvertently trodden on or brushed off visitors’ clothing.
  Thousands more died naturally during the exhibit, called In And Out Of Love, and had to be replaced.
  Yesterday, animal rights charities criticised the artist, whose works include a shark preserved in formaldehyde and a severed cow’s head.
  A spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said: ‘Damien Hirst’s quest to be edgy is as boring as it is callous.
  ‘It does not matter whether Hirst killed the animals himself or sat by while thousands of them were massacred for his own unjustifiable amusement.
  ‘Butterflies are beautiful parts of nature and should be enjoyed in the wild instead of destroyed for something predictable and unimaginative.’
  An RSPCA spokesman added: ‘In this exhibition, butterflies are forced to exist in the artificial environment of a closed room for their entire lives.
  ‘There would be national outcry if it involved any other animal, such as a dog.
  
  
  
  

www.damienhirst.com