Art historian Dieter Buchhart, known for his expertise on Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring, has organized numerous blockbuster shows over the course of his career. Among them is the 2023 exhibition “Basquiat x Warhol. Painting 4 Hands” which examined the artists’ famed collaboration. Later this month, he will debut a new Basquiat exhibition, “Signs: Connecting Past and Future,” at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul.
For the occasion, Buchhart spoke with Jing Daily, a Chinese luxury publication, about his career path, his influences, and, most notably, the role luxury now plays in the art world, particularly when it comes to getting blockbuster exhibitions off the ground.
Buchhart observed that “branding, fashion, and art” have “grown increasingly close” over the last decade, citing collaborations between artists such as KAWS and Damien Hirst with brands including Vans, Nike, LVMH, Jimmy Choo, and Prada. More significant than those partnerships, he said, has been the role of luxury companies in underwriting major exhibitions.
As an example, he pointed to “Warhol x Basquiat” show, which was backed by LVMH. Buchhart emphasized that the sponsorship came without “special requests from the sponsor.” Still, the exhibition did premiere at the Fondation Louis Vuitton—LVMH’s privately owned Paris museum—before traveling to the Brant Foundation in New York, suggesting the brand’s involvement was not entirely neutral.
Even so, Buchhart singled out LVMH for its consistent commitment to the arts. “They are one of the biggest sponsors in the arts globally,” he told Jing. “They support a wide range of projects—from large-scale ‘blockbuster’ exhibitions to cultural heritage initiatives like the restoration of Notre-Dame in Paris, as well as more experimental art projects.”
“Signs: Connecting Past and Future” opens September 23 and runs through January 31, 2026.
