One of Keith Haring's most significant public artworks is making a rare return to New York City this fall. Martos Gallery on Elizabeth Street in downtown Manhattan is presenting an extraordinary exhibition featuring 14 of the original 30 panels from Haring's legendary FDR Drive mural, which was created on-site in 1984 along a 300-foot stretch of highway facing the East River.
The panels, long thought to be lost, fragmented, or scattered across private collections, are now appearing together again in a gallery setting for the first time in four decades. The artwork is displayed at the same height as its original installation – approximately 4.5 feet from the ground – exactly as drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians first encountered it 40 years ago.
Unlike Haring's more widely recognized subway chalk drawings or indoor works, the FDR mural was specifically designed for constant movement and motion. It functioned as a kinetic frieze, featuring a panoramic strip of Haring's signature dancing figures, radiating outlines, barking dogs, winged bodies, and oversized lightbulbs, all rendered in his unmistakable graphic style. The original mural existed in dynamic conversation with the city's own rhythms, responding to traffic flowing in both directions, headlights streaking by after dark, and the East River moving parallel to the highway.
This exhibition follows Martos Gallery's previous Haring show "Surface to Air" by just a few months. The current presentation is accompanied by an essay from critic and curator Bob Nickas, who analyzes the mural as both a social bulletin and a private burst of artistic expression. Nickas contextualizes the work within a moment of significant cultural tension in New York during the 1980s.
Haring created this monumental work in 1984, during a pivotal year marked by President Reagan's re-election and the acceleration of the AIDS crisis. This was years before Haring himself would be diagnosed with AIDS and become one of the most visible artists involved in AIDS activism. Despite the challenging political and social climate of the time, the mural maintains an optimistic spirit and, like all of Haring's work, insists on movement and celebrates life rather than dwelling in mourning.
What makes the return of these panels particularly striking is their weathered, authentic character that remains decidedly un-museum-like. After spending a full year exposed to New York City weather conditions and diesel exhaust from highway traffic, the panels bear the distinctive marks of urban wear that give them a uniquely New York City patina. This weathering adds to their authenticity and historical significance as true street art.
The exhibition will be available for public viewing at Martos Gallery from November 13, 2025, through January 15, 2026, offering art enthusiasts and the general public a rare opportunity to experience this important piece of New York's cultural history up close.
