The Gateway: Korea has just received an unlikely addition to its lineup of artists: Keith Haring.
Today (Sept. 5), Christie’s announced an exclusive auction, “Keith Haring: Pixel Pioneer,” featuring five rare digital drawings by renowned artist Keith Haring, each created on an Amiga computer in the 1980s.
The posthumous online auction will open Sept. 12-20, with a world premiere exhibit at The Gateway: Korea in Seoul Sept. 6-8, followed by an exhibit at Christie’s New York Sept. 14-19.
According to auction site Christie’s, estimates for each piece run between $200,000 and $500,000.
Keith Haring’s legacy, often combined with street and gallery art, remains undeniable. In the 1980s, he beautifully blurred the boundaries between contrasting artistic spheres, marking a significant shift in the art’s reach to a wider audience. Haring’s unique ability to bridge the realms of traditional physical art and the emerging digital age is especially resonant today, in a world rapidly embracing Web3.
Haring’s fascination for the digital is not unknown; he was among the early adopters, similar to his mentor and legendary artist Andy Warhol. A vivid representation of this is Haring’s depiction of the Apple Macintosh computer in some of his works. His Amiga drawings are a testament to his genius, seamlessly integrating his signature bold lines and pop color aesthetic. They mark the beginning of a new medium that dominates commercial design and the digital art of the 21st century.
The auction aims to follow in the footsteps of the auction house’s highly successful 2021 Warhol auction, which saw recovered digital works by the iconic pop artist sell for $3.8 million.
Nicole Sales Giles, Christie’s Vice President and Director of Digital Art Sales, said, “It has been an honor to work with the Keith Haring Foundation on this project. Haring’s work epitomized an era when art was creeping outside the traditional gallery walls onto the streets. I believe that as an early adopter of the digital age and a strong believer in bridging art and mass culture, Haring would have been at the forefront of the Web3 community. With an aesthetic that translates naturally to the digital medium, Haring’s Amiga drawings will be a coveted addition to any best-in-class collection of contemporary art.”
The venture was realized in collaboration with the Keith Haring Studio, a subsidiary of the Keith Haring Foundation. The foundation works tirelessly to preserve and enhance Haring’s art and principles, and actively supports non-profit organizations focused on children and AIDS-related education, prevention, and care.
“The creation of five original digital masterpieces by Keith Haring, created on the Commodore Amiga computer in 1987 as NFTs by Christie’s auction house, has tremendous significance in digital art and NFTs,” added Gil Vazquez, executive director and president of the Keith Haring Foundation , please. “This Haring collection represents a pivotal moment in identifying Haring as a pioneer in the digital art space and a groundbreaking convergence of art and technology. Haring’s distinct visual language, characterized by his iconic motifs and energetic lines, translates seamlessly to the digital art world, underlining the enduring relevance of his artistic legacy. These works honor that legacy, affirm the enduring significance of Haring’s art and highlight the limitless possibilities of art’s digital future.”
To bring this landmark initiative to life, Christie’s teamed up with Artestar, a global licensing and creative consultancy.
As the lines between traditional and digital art continue to blur, this auction is poised to become a landmark event, further cementing Keith Haring’s enduring legacy in the global art narrative.
Editor’s note: This article was written by a staff member of nft now in collaboration with OpenAI’s GPT-4.