Fight Aids Worldwide
Medium: Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Year: 1990
Sheet: 11 x 8 1/2 inches (27.9 x 21.6 cm)
Edition: 1,000
Printer: Emiliano Sorini Studio, New York
Publisher: World Federation of United Nations Associations, New-York
Literature: Littmann pp. 168-169
Keith Haring Estate ink stamp on verso with the publisher’s blindstamp
Signed by Julia Gruen (executor of the Keith Haring Estate)
Fight AIDS Worldwide was released in March 1990, just one month following Keith Haring’s tragic death due to AIDS-related complications. This work, maybe more than any other, stands as a testament to his personal battle with AIDS and his efforts to raise awareness about the epidemic that swept the 1980s.
With its stark imagery, the lithograph portrays a colossal, gender-neutral figure, burdened and bowed under the weight of numerous smaller figures piled on top. This central imagery, captured in Haring’s signature bold lines, symbolizes those marginalized and tormented by AIDS, seemingly abandoned by society and confined within the bounds of the artwork. Accentuated by emanating lines, Haring introduces an element of urgency and kinetic energy, emphasizing the pressing need for action and understanding. Furthermore, it is enveloped in a vibrant, hand-drawn red rectangle.
Haring’s Fight AIDS Worldwide was not just a work of art; it became a banner of activism. The image graced the first day edition of a United Nations stamp series, further amplifying its message on a global scale. Created with Haring’s characteristic playful yet profound visual lexicon, the lithograph was released in an edition of 1000 signed pieces. Beyond its aesthetic appeal, it serves as a lasting reminder of Haring’s legacy—his commitment to life, love, and the betterment of society, even in the face of his own adversity.
Auction Results
Estimated: USD 2,000 – 3,000
USD 3,048
Signed by the executor of the Keith Haring Estate to estate stamp verso ‘Julia Gruen 5/2/90’
Estimated: USD 4,000 – 6,000
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Signed in pencil on the reverse by Julia Gruen
Executor of the Keith Haring Estate
On the stamped Certificate of Authenticity
Dated ‘5/2/90’ and numbered ‘381/1000’
Forum Auctions: 19 March 2025
Estimated: GBP 2,500 – 3,000
GBP 3,200 (Hammer)
GBP 4,200 / USD 5,440
KEITH HARING (1958-1990)
Fight Aids Worldwide (Littmann p.168), 1990
Lithograph printed in colors on Arches paper
Numbered from the edition of 1000 in pencil
With the Keith Haring Estate inkstamp verso
Signed by the executor Julia Gruen verso
Estimated: USD 2,500 – 3,500
USD 3,780
Signed by the executor of the Keith Haring Estate to estate stamp verso ‘Julia Gruen 5/2/90’
Heritage Auctions: 17 May 2023
USD 4,250
KEITH HARING
Fight Aids Worldwide (United Nations), 1990
Lithograph in colors on wove paper
Numbered ‘371/1000’ in pencil lower left
Waddington’s Toronto: 24 March 2022
Estimated: CAD 2,000 – 3,000
CAD 5,100 / USD 4,035
KEITH HARING (1958-1990), American
FIGHT AIDS WORLDWIDE, 1990
Color lithograph on white wove paper
Numbered 615/1000 in pencil to margin
Also with Certification of Authenticity Stamp verso
Signed by Julia Gruen, Executor for the Keith Haring Estate, and dated 5/2/90 in pencil
Swann Galleries: 10 June 2021
Estimated: USD 1,500 – 2,500
USD 2,470
KEITH HARING
Fight Aids Worldwide (Littmann page 168.), 1990
Color lithograph on white wove paper
Numbered 188/1000 in pencil, lower left
Sotheby’s London: 17 March 2021
Estimated: GBP 1,500 – 2,000
GBP 3,528 / USD4,930
KEITH HARING (1958 – 1990)
Fight AIDS Worldwide (see L. p. 168), 1990
Lithograph printed in black and orange
Numbered 618/1000
With the Keith Haring Estate inkstamp verso signed by the executor Julia Gruen