New York Superstars, curated by Dieter Buchhart and Anna Karina Hofbauer, takes visitors into the heart of this extraordinary era through the works and stories of its leading figures, who are recognized today not only as some of the most influential artists of the 1980s but also as defining figures in contemporary art: Andy Warhol, the visionary who redefined the role of the artist and became a mentor to a new generation in New York; Jean-Michel Basquiat, the painter, poet, DJ, actor, and musician whose densely layered compositions anticipated today's overwhelming flow of information; and Keith Haring, whose instantly recognizable visual language of signs and symbols foreshadowed our emoji culture. Alongside them, Francesco Clemente, George Condo, Julian Schnabel, Kenny Scharf, Jenny Holzer, and Lady Pink reveal the extraordinary diversity and creative energy of New York's artistic scene during these transformative years.
One of the exhibition's central themes is collaboration. The celebrated works created jointly by Warhol and Basquiat, alongside paintings made by both artists with Francesco Clemente, demonstrate how the exchange between different personalities and artistic languages gave rise to some of the most innovative images of the 20th century.
The exhibition also explores graffiti and hip-hop, the underground club scene, Maripol’s photographs of the people who shaped the era, and pioneering experiments with digital imagery that foreshadowed developments in contemporary visual culture.
New York Superstars explores a vibrant creative ecosystem shaped by encounters, friendships, and exchanges across artistic disciplines. The ideas and images born of this extraordinary cultural moment continue to influence art, music, fashion, and visual communication, shaping the ways we create, communicate, and imagine the future.
