McDonald's built a giant ball pit in Milan. It's filled with colorful plastic spheres. Nicolas Ballario, the curator, orchestrated the whole thing as part of the fast food chain's 40th anniversary celebration in Italy.
The obvious question: what does Damien Hirst, the British artist famous for his spot paintings and diamond-encrusted skulls, have to do with this? According to Ballario, nothing. The curator shut down any connection between the conceptual art world's provocateur and this playful installation before the comparisons could take root.
It's a smart move. Hirst's work trades in shock value and commodity fetishism. A McDonald's ball pit, by contrast, operates in pure accessibility and nostalgia. One is meant to disturb collectors and critics. The other is meant to make people feel like kids again while they eat fries.
The installation reflects a broader trend of brands commissioning artists and curators to create Instagram-friendly experiences. Milan got a playground. McDonald's got cultural cachet. Everyone won, so long as no one mentioned Hirst.