SCHUNCK presented the exhibition Basquiat – the artist and his New York scene. The exhibition, which took take place from February 2, 2019 to June 2, 2019, was the European premiere of the early work and life of visual artist Jean-Michel Basquiat and his contemporaries. Presenting over 300 works of art, the exhibition told the story of the creation of a young, unknown Basquiat to a world-renowned artist in the bustling New York art scene of the early 1980s. The presentation included the Basquiat Before Basquiat exhibition: East 12th Street 1979-1980, compiled by the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver. I co-curated the exhibition with Cythia Jordens, curated the public program as well as edited and co-authored the book. In doing so, we collaborated with design studio Raw Color. The book publication was awarded the Best Designed Book 2019. The exhibition produced the highest number of visitors since the existence of SCHUNCK as a cultural institution (25.000). More than half of the visitors to the exhibition came from outside the region. Large numbers of young museum visitors, school groups and visitors from the Euregio found their way to the museum in Heerlen.