1 December 2019 to 13 April 2020 | NGV International | Admission fees apply
To celebrate the opening weekend of the world-exclusive exhibition Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines, the National Gallery of Victoria will present a selection of public programs designed to offer fresh perspectives on the work of two of the most significant and influential artists of the late 20th century.
Highlights of the exhibition’s extensive public program include the NGV Gala on 30 November, celebrating the opening night of the exhibition; international guest curator Dr Dieter Buchhart presenting a lecture on the lasting legacies of Haring and Basquiat; and international reflections on the 1980s New York art scene by art critic and curator Carlo McCormick, publisher and art collector Larry Warsh, and photographer Ben Buchanan.
Coinciding with World AIDS Day on 1 December, the opening day of the exhibition features a program of talks and panel discussions, presented in collaboration with Thorne Harbour Health, Living Positive and the Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives. Exploring the significant role art has played in HIV and AIDS education, awareness and commemoration, the program looks at the story of the red ribbon, the AIDS Memorial Quilt, and health promotion through art.
Exhibition opening weekend events
Bookings via the NGV website
NGV Gala
Sat 30 Nov, 6pm-1am, NGV International
An unforgettable night of art, performance, fine food and wine at the third annual NGV Gala, celebrating the opening night of the exhibition Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines, with food by Paul Carmichael, Executive Chef of Momofuku Seiōbo.
From Party to Art: Area Nightclub
Sun 1 Dec, 12pm, NGV International
London-based photographer and fine art conservator Ben Buchanan reflects on Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat’s involvement in legendary 1980s nightclub Area, a creative melting pot for artists, musicians and filmmakers in New York City where Buchanan was in-house photographer.
Community of Creatives
Sun 1 Dec, 12.30pm, NGV International
New York City-based art critic and curator Carlo McCormick, and publisher and art collector Larry Warsh share stories about the community of creatives that formed close friendships in 1980s New York City and the influence this had on the work of both Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.
Legacies: Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat
Sun 1 Dec, 1pm – 1.45pm, NGV International
Guest curator Dr Dieter Buchhart considers the short but profound careers of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, the intersections between their life and their art, and the lasting impact they had on the art world.
Unconventional Supports
Sun 1 Dec, 2.30pm, NGV International
Early on in their careers Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat began to apply their distinct visual language to a range of unusual supports, many of which challenge the convention that artworks should be stretched to fit a frame. NGV curator Meg Slater reflects on several of these works featured in early 1980s exhibitions.
Politics & Activism
Sun 1 Dec, 3pm, NGV International
Keith Haring used public space to distribute his work, insisting that art was for everybody. He raised awareness of issues of atomic warfare, drugs, the AIDS epidemic, and championed the end of apartheid in South Africa. Jean-Michel Basquiat’s work signified strength and resistance in the face of racism, often taking a stand against police violence and persecution. NGV curator Pip Wallis considers a selection of Haring and Basquiat’s works and looks at how both artists engaged with social and political issues of their time.
Art for Change: World AIDS Day
Sun 1 Dec, 2–4pm, NGV International
Presented in collaboration with Australian Lesbian and Gay Archives (ALGA), Thorne Harbour Health and Living Positive Victoria, panellists reflect on how art has played a significant role art in HIV and AIDS education, awareness and commemoration. Free entry but bookings are required.
The world-exclusive exhibition Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines will be on display from 1 December 2019 – 13 April 2020 at NGV International, 180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, Australia. Tickets and information available from the NGV website.
About Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines
Keith Haring (American 1958–90) and Jean-Michel Basquiat (American 1960–88) changed the art world of the 1980s through their idiosyncratic imagery, radical ideas and complex socio-political commentary, creating an indelible legacy that continues to influence contemporary visual art and popular culture today. Each artist is acclaimed for his distinctive visual language, employing signs, symbols and words to convey strong social and political messages in unconventional ways.
Crossing Lines surveys each artist’s tragically short, yet prolific career through more than 200 artworks, including works created in public spaces, painting, sculpture, objects, works on paper, photographs and more, providing local and international audiences with a comprehensive insight into these influential artists’ careers.
Beginning with examples of Haring and Basquiat’s work from the streets and subway stations of New York City, the exhibition presents early collaborations and highlights from each artist’s breakthrough exhibitions alongside many of their most acclaimed artworks, including paintings featuring Basquiat’s crown and head motifs, and Haring’s iconic ‘radiant baby’ and dancing figures. Examining symbols, iconography and their incomparable styles, the exhibition also examines the creative circles they moved in alongside icons such as Andy Warhol, Madonna and Grace Jones.
Keith Haring | Jean-Michel Basquiat: Crossing Lines has been curated for the NGV by Dr Dieter Buchhart, art historian and curator of recent monographic exhibitions on both Jean-Michel Basquiat (Fondation Louis Vuitton, Barbican Art Gallery) and Keith Haring (Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris).
An accompanying publication features an essay by Dr Dieter Buchhart, as well as additional contributions by publisher and art collector Larry Warsh, author and academic Ricardo Montez, NGV curator Myles Russell-Cook and journalist Linda Yablonsky. Along with a republication of Rene Ricard’s seminal 1981 text on Haring and Basquiat, this richly illustrated book also features interviews with North American contributors: artists Jenny Holzer and George Condo, curator Diego Cortez, and performer Patti Astor.
