VK

It was a wonderful to attend the preview of an amazing exhibition  at Kunsthalle of Munich  “Keith Haring _the political line”

HARING THE ARTIST AND ACTIVIST

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

In New York, during the conservatism of the Reagan era, Keith Haring (1958–1990) made it his mission to highlight social evils in his work. He took a clear stance against the excesses of capitalism and was committed to nuclear disarmament, environmental protection and equal rights for all, irrespective of ethnicity, skin colour, religion or sexual orientation.

At the time of his death from AIDS- Keith Haring  was only 31 years old, with  a creative career of 10 years, he had achieved an international attention not just for his art but also for his political activism and he spoke openly about his illness.

In 1989, the artists set up the Keith Haring Foundation which its double mission is to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged children and to raise awareness of AIDS and HIV without prejudice.  Julia Gruen, the executive director of the Foundation attended the preview and the opening.

Roger Diederen, the director of Kunsthalle München  hosted a lovely reception for his numerous  international and Munich guests.

all photos@VK

“The public has a right to art. It is the responsibility of a ‘self-proclaimed artist’ to realize the public needs art, and not to make bourgeois art for the few and ignore the masses. Art is for everybody.”
KEITH HARING
Journals, 1978