ART IS FOR EVERYBODY
A major retrospective of Keith Haring, aka The Prince of Pop Art, is on view at Bozar Brussels, Belgium, Europe, until the 19th April 2020.
Keith Haring was a unique figure in the 1980s in New York. Friend and artistic companion to Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, he played a key role in counterculture, using the walls in the streets and in the New York metro as his canvas.
As a result, his art has been widely open to the public, he then was able to diffuse some of the most advanced ideas and opinions, with the highest energy charge he was capable to channel, in the society of that time.
This energy is palpable through the entire retrospective, it is tangibly and powerfully present: Keith Haring was inspired by the Peruvian Nazca geoglyphs and has succeeded to convey this ancient spirit in the modern world.
He was against apartheid. He was also a peace and anti-nuclear war activist. He has played a major role in raising the world awareness about AIDS and his foundation continues today to support "not-for-profit organizations that assist children, as well as organizations involved in education, prevention, and care related to AIDS".
For the anecdote, you will be able to distinguish among his iconic motifs, pyramids, barking dogs and flying saucers…his Radiant Baby! Yes, the “Radiant Baby” from Keith Haring is one of his most seminal characters, that typifies the artist's iconographic and hieroglyphic style.
It was at Club 57 that the Radiant Baby, was created. The rays around the baby represent his energy, this pictogram symbolises life, joy and hope for the future.
Click on this radiant smile of one of Keith Haring's three eyes character to reach Bozar website.
I shoot this small format in the black light room at the end of the exhibition.
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Current and Upcoming Exhibitions in the world
Keith Haring solo:
Museum Folkwang, Essen, Germany May 29, 2020 – September 20, 2020
Group Exhibitions:
1. Keith Haring / Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, December 1, 2019 – April 13, 2020
2. Art After Stonewall, 1969-1989 Columbus Museum of Art, March 6 – May 31, 2020
3. Writing the Future: Basquiat and the Hip-Hop Generation Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, April 5 – August 2, 2020