Keith Haring (1958–1990) was a pioneer of his generation, defining an era where art called to the masses. In the 1980s, his art beautifully blended two cultures that had historically sat apart, bringing urban culture into art galleries. It is, thus, a natural extension of his legacy for his art to continue to bridge today’s artistic cultures – fusing the traditional art world with the world of Web3.

Christie’s is honoured to present Keith Haring: Pixel Pioneer, an online auction of five unique digital drawings created on an Amiga computer in the mid-1980s. Much like his friend and mentor Andy Warhol, Keith Haring was an early admirer and adopter of the digital age, even depicting the first Apple Macintosh computer in his work. In keeping with his signature style of bold lines and Pop colour, Haring’s Amiga drawings show the artist’s early interest and involvement in the medium, which has since become pervasive in commercial design and 21st-century digital art.

To accurately preserve the natively digital material created on a now-vintage computer system, the Keith Haring Foundation has minted the Amiga artworks — previously only viewable via floppy disks — on the Ethereum blockchain. For the first time, the unique digital drawings can now be collected, exhibited and even printed.

The auction is open for bidding from 12–20 September, with an exhibition at Christie’s New York from 14–19 September and in Seoul from 7–8 September.

This collaboration is with the Keith Haring Studio, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Keith Haring Foundation. The Keith Haring Foundation's mission is to sustain, expand, and protect the legacy of Keith Haring, his art, and his ideals. The Foundation supports not-for-profit organizations that assist children, as well as organizations involved in education, prevention, and care related to AIDS. The Keith Haring Foundation is a private non-operating foundation.  It does not solicit or receive funds from the public.

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