Keith Haring

Haring the artist and activist

For the first time in 15 years in Germany, and for the very first time in Munich, the Kunsthalle presented a solo exhibition on Keith Haring. More than 160 artworks attested to the diversity of his oeuvre: the early Subway Drawings, large-scale paintings on canvases and tarpaulins, sketches, sculptures and works on enamel. Documentary material put the finishing touches to the picture of Haring the artist and activist. The exhibits were from museums and private collections in America and Europe, some on show for the first time since his death.

International Renown

At the time of his death from AIDS-related complications at the age of 31 – after a creative period of just ten years – Keith Haring had achieved international renown, not just for his art but also for his political activism; after contracting HIV, Haring exploited his fame and spoke openly about his illness. This played an important part in removing the stigma of AIDS. In 1989, the artist set up the Keith Haring Foundation; its two main missions, still today, are to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged children and to raise the awareness of AIDS and HIV without prejudice. His influence on his own generation can scarcely be overestimated. Although Haring’s career was short, his ideal of political art still endures and the effect of his eye-catching imagery continues unabated.