Keith Haring Mural in Amsterdam

Haring painted the work in 1986, eight years later it disappeared behind a metal facade. During the rediscovery in 2018 the wall painting turned out to be in a reasonable condition. Experts established that restoration was necessary to preserve the work for the future. In 1986, Haring held his first solo museum exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. As he said about it: “... because it's a major museum in Amsterdam, the show had phenomenal attendance. For me, it was an overwhelming experience, showing at the Stedelijk Museum. I felt I had really accomplished something”. It was especially notable that during this period Haring also actively produced work outside the museum, throughout the city. He took to the streets with young graffiti artists, and painted the wall of the museum depot at that time, on the grounds of the Central Market Hall in one day. This mural of a mythical animal is Haring’s second largest preserved mural in the public space of Europe and consists of one thick, white line. The size is approximately 12 by 15 meters. To improve the climate inside the depot, a metal screen was installed on the wall in 1994, which made the artwork disappear from view. After almost twenty-five years it was unveiled in 2018.