The NGV’s iconic water wall will be covered in a reimagined Keith Haring artwork
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14.11.2019

The NGV’s iconic water wall will be covered in a reimagined Keith Haring artwork

Photo: Geoffrey Burke

The original mural first appeared in the early ’80s.

In the lead up to the world premiere of the Keith Haring | Jean-Michael Basquiat: Crossing Lines exhibition, the National Gallery of Victoria’s iconic water wall mural will be covered in a reimagined Haring artwork, similar to the one that was painted over the glass three decades ago.

Based on one of his original designs, the vinyl graphic will be a hat tip to the time Haring was invited to paint a temporary mural on the NGV entrance back in 1984. The US artist’s finished masterpiece was a red, white and black mural featuring a crawling baby, a mushroom cloud, a dolphin and a snake.

Keith Haring
Photo: Geoffrey Burke

“It’s a series of images about life and things which threaten life,” Haring said when speaking to local media back in the day.

“Maybe it’s a kind of play on good and evil, but I prefer people to read it however they want to.”

The tribute to Keith Haring will be on display from Friday November 22. The full exhibition will open just over a week later on Sunday December 1. For more info, check out this essay on Haring’s 1984 mural.

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