Food and fine art is the running theme at Pharmacy 2, British artist Damien Hirst’s brand new restaurant in London. Hirst joins forces with veteran British chef Mark Hix for this gastronomic venture at Newport Street Gallery in south London’s Vauxhall. Spanning 37,000 sq. ft, the gallery contains over 3,000 works of art (amassed by Hirst) by emerging artists and known names like Francis Bacon, Banksy, Tracey Emin and Pablo Picasso. It realizes Hirst’s long-term ambition to share his art collection with the public.
While the gallery will continue to host exhibitions by other artists, Pharmacy 2 gives visitors the opportunity to view some of Hirst’s own site-specific art, reflecting his interest in science through medicine and pharmaceuticals.
Think glass windows etched with designs of DNA strands, medicine cabinet paintings and a butterfly kaleidoscope. Individually crafted pill designs are embedded into the marble floor and embroidered on leather banquettes. A restaurant counter has pictures of tablets and capsules while the glass top has an array of syringes, tubing and latex gloves.
The restaurant’s name is a reference both to the artist’s seminal installation piece of 1992 and the renowned Hirst-designed Notting Hill restaurant, Pharmacy Restaurant and Bar, which was open from 1998 until 2003.
“Pharmacy 2 combines two of my greatest passions: art and food. I’ve always loved Mark as a chef and his approach to food, so it’s great we’re working together on this,” said Hirst.
While Hix is known for his classic British fare, at this restaurant he has whipped up an international palette that includes European and North African cuisine. The menu reflects his and Hirst’s shared passion for quality food made from fresh ingredients.
“Damien and I have been friends for many years, sharing a love of food and art. Damien designed a formaldehyde ‘Cock and Bull’ for my restaurant Tramshed, so it makes sense for me to exchange my skills by creating the menus at Pharmacy 2,” said Hix.
