An exhibition dedicated to American artist Keith Haring opened at the Museo di Roma in Palazzo Braschi on Tuesday, 6 October, and will run until 11 April 2027.
According to Museo di Roma, the display brings together more than 140 works and materials borrowed from the Nakamura Keith Haring Collection and other public and private collections.
The museum says the exhibition follows Haring’s career from his early work in New York to his political posters, sculptures, paintings and final pieces. It also examines his belief that art should be accessible to everyone.
From New York’s subway to Rome
Museo di Roma lists Haring’s Subway Drawings among the exhibits. He created these chalk drawings on unused advertising panels in New York’s underground stations, bringing his work into spaces used by everyday commuters.
The exhibition also features panels he spray-painted along Manhattan’s FDR Drive in 1984, alongside prints, posters, drawings and sculptures.
A Yamaha motorcycle painted by Haring during his visit to Rome in 1984 is another object on display, according to the museum. These pieces show how his work extended beyond paper and canvas into public spaces and everyday objects.
His connections with Italy
Rai News reports that the exhibition begins by exploring Haring’s relationship with Italy. His first solo exhibition in the country took place at the Galleria Lucio Amelio in Naples in 1983.
He also painted the Fiorucci flagship shop in Milan. During his visit to Rome the following year, he created a mural outside the Palazzo delle Esposizioni that has since been lost.
According to Rai News, the exhibition then follows the development of Haring’s familiar figures, including the radiant baby, barking dog, angel and winged man. Their simple forms helped him communicate with audiences beyond conventional art galleries.
Art and social activism
Rai News says the display also examines Haring’s engagement with racism, apartheid, nuclear weapons, drugs and AIDS through posters and other works.
Separate sections explore the body, music and New York club culture, as well as the religious and spiritual imagery in his art.
The final rooms include Apocalypse and Altarpiece: The Life of Christ, reflecting his engagement with illness and death. Haring died in 1990, aged 31.
Opening hours and admission
Turismo Roma, the city’s official tourism website, identifies the curators as Kaoru Yanase, Ilaria Miarelli Mariani and Claudio Zambianchi. Guided tours and educational activities for young people and schools accompany the exhibition.
The website lists opening hours as Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 7pm, with final admission one hour before closing. The museum is closed on Mondays and Christmas Day, with shorter hours on 24 and 31 December.
According to Museo di Roma’s official ticket information, exhibition-only admission costs €17, or €15 for eligible concession holders. A combined ticket for the exhibition and permanent collection costs €25, with a reduced rate of €19.
Booking options and concession conditions are available through the museum’s website.
