In 1986, Haring held his first solo museum exhibition at the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam. As he said about it: “... because it's a major museum in Amsterdam, the show had phenomenal attendance. For me, it was an overwhelming experience, showing at the Stedelijk Museum. I felt I had really accomplished something.” It was especially notable that during this period Haring also actively produced work outside the museum, throughout the city. He took to the streets with young graffiti artists, and painted the wall of the museum depot at that time, on the grounds of the Central Market Hall in one day. This mural of a mythical animal is Haring’s second largest preserved mural in the public space of Europe and consists of one thick, white line. The size is approximately 12 by 15 meters. To improve the climate inside the depot, a metal screen was installed on the wall in 1994, which made the artwork disappear from view. After almost twenty-five years it was unveiled in 2018.
Due to the weather conditions, the restoration will start in April 2020 and will take approximately six weeks. The restoration will be carried out by an international team led by art conservators Will Shank and Antonio Rava. Shank and Rava also restored murals by Haring in Pisa and Paris. After the restoration, a protective coating will seal the painting against weather influences, so that the artwork is preserved for future generations. Marktkwartier and the municipality of Amsterdam are looking for ways to enhance the visibility of the mural after redevelopment of the area.
