A forgotten 40-ft tall mural by late Pop Art pioneer Keith Haring has been discovered in Amsterdam at former storage site of the Stedelijk Museum.
The late American artist went to Amsterdam in 1986 to create a series of artworks for a solo exhibition of his work at the museum. As well as a large-scale canvas artwork he gifted to the museum, he created the colossal mural on the outside of the institution’s storage facility for the public to enjoy, depicting a mythical part-dog, part-fish creature and signed ‘XXXKH8’.
Haring’s artwork was on display until the museum relocated from the property in 1989, and has been hidden behind aluminium insulation panels since then, following the building’s conversion into a cold-storage facility.
Dutch graffiti artist Aileen Middel, aka Mick La Rock, discovered a photograph of the artwork four years ago and mounted a petition with the Haring Foundation, gallerist Olivier Varossieau, and the Stedelijk to remove the panels.
Conservationists Will Shank and Antonio Rava will now restore the artwork, which is in remarkably good condition.
And in other Haring news, Tate Liverpool has announced it will mount the first major UK exhibition of the artist’s work in 2019.
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