Keith Haring: Art and Activism in 1980s New York
Tate Liverpool & Liverpool John Moores University

Keith Haring developed his practice during a time of major social change. From the end of the cold war to the rise of neoliberalism, Haring honed his craft. He became an artist who would actively campaign for social justice. This is exemplified in many of his iconic works, such as Poster for Nuclear Disarmament, 1982.

Haring is known for his deceptively simple visual language. He was inspired by cultures and traditions he was immersed in, such as street art, hip-hop, video games and robotics. Haring engaged with both uptown high art and downtown street culture. He expanded the legacies of pop art and addressed urgent political social issues of his time.

This major international conference explores Haring’s life through the presentation of new scholarship from leading academics, writers and artists in the field. It explores Haring’s life in the context of the 1980s, as well as the lasting legacy of his work in contemporary society. The conference will explore the following topics: alternative communities; cultural production around HIV/AIDS; museum practice; queer genealogies; merchandise and design; video activism; and the African-American Vernacular.


PROGRAMME

Day 1: 7th November at Tate Liverpool, Auditorium

9.30-10am: Registration

10.00: Welcome: Lindsey Fryer, Head of Learning, Tate Liverpool;
Dr Michael Birchall, Tate Liverpool and Liverpool John Moores University & Dr Emma Vickers, Liverpool John Moores University

10.30-11.15
An Alternative to the Alternatives: Keith Haring and the Politics of Community Engagement
Dr Leah Pires, Nancy L. Buc Postdoctoral Fellow Pembroke Centre for Teaching and Research on Women Brown University

11.15-12.00
What you don’t know about aids could fill a museum: Keith Haring and the Legacy of Early Crisis Cultural Interventions
Ted Kerr, The New School, What would a HIV an Doula Do?

12.00-13.15: Lunch

13.15-14.30: Panel Discussion moderated by Ted Kerr

14.30-14.45: Comfort Break

14.45-15.30
Art Merchandise as Activism: Keith Haring and his Legacy
Dr Amy Raffel, Independent Scholar

15.30-16.15
The Pop Apocalypse: The Continuing Legacy of Keith Haring’s Apocalyptic Creations
Dr Natalie Phillips, Ball State University, Munice, Indiana, USA.

16.15-16.30: Comfort Break

16.30-17.15
Patrick Staff, Keith Haring Archive Research.

17.15- 17.45
Closing Remarks


Day 2: 8th November at Liverpool John Moores University

9.45: Registration (Tea and Coffee available)

10.15: Welcome

10.30-11.15
Do Not Tape Over: AIDs Activist Video in the UK
Dr Ed Webb-Ingall

11.15-12.30
Queer contagion: Keith Haring and New York’s canine imaginary
Dr Fiona Anderson, Newcastle University

12.00-13.30: Lunch

13.30-14.30
Breakout sessions hosted by conference speakers

14.30-15.15
Keith Haring and Black Vernacular
Dr Dagmawi Dagmawi Woubshet, Ahuja Family Presidential Associate Professor of English

15.15-15.30: Comfort Break

15.30-16.15
What’s in a Line?: Race, Desire and a Queer Genealogy of Keith Haring’s Writing
Dr Ricardo Montez, Associate Professor of Performance Studies, Schools of Public Engagement, The New School University, New York, NY

16.15-17.00
Closing remarks


Tickets: £25 and £10 concession
We are grateful to the Keith Haring archive for supporting this conference, and Liverpool John Moores University.
Please note this schedule is subject to change, for more information visit Tate Liverpool's website.