The Dutch Adventures of Keith Haring- Amsterdam Notes

At 27, the young Keith Haring travels to the Netherlands for his first solo museum exhibition, at the Stedelijk. Although little known at the time, the Dutch public soon falls in love with Haring and his work. However, art critics and the Amsterdam artworld are appalled, claiming that street art doesn’t belong on the walls of a museum. One of Haring’s earliest fans, journalist Chris Reinewald, chronicled the artist’s adventures in the new publication The Dutch Adventures of Keith Haring, published by Dutch Graffiti Library.

Keith Haring doesn’t spend all his time at the Stedelijk Museum. He goes out, to into the city, making friends with teenage graffiti-artists near his hotel. With his vibrant bouncy figures and easy going attitude Keith is a perfect match.
Unlike the masses of visitors who flock to the show Dutch art critics and Amsterdam squatters/artists accuse Haring of superficial opportunism, ignoring how he addresses gay culture, AIDS, Apartheid and environmental issues. The theft of a homo-erotic drawing during the opening, followed by blackmail put the Stedelijk Museum and Haring in a tight spot.

An inside story by Chris Reinewald (1955) about Keith Haring (1958-1990) in Holland, just before his worldwide breakthrough. Plus: never shown works by Haring and the Dutch graffiti scene of the 1980’s.