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The Boxers

The Boxers, also titled Untitled (Boxers) / Die Boxer, is a painted steel sculpture by the US Pop Art artist Keith Haring from 1987. From 1998 to 2025, it stood in Berlin at Potsdamer Platz near the State Library, on a marble-clad pedestal in a water basin at Eichhornstraße/Voxstraße. The sculpture is part of the Mercedes-Benz Art Collection. In 2025, the owner dismantled it and reinstalled it in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim near the Mercedes-Benz Group headquarters.

Keith Haring\'s The Boxers sculpture with two brightly colored figures standing in a shallow pool at Potsdamer Platz, Berlin.
Keith Haring’s The Boxers reflected in a shallow pool at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin.
January 2020 © · CC BY 2.0
The Boxers sculpture by Keith Haring with two intertwined figures in blue and red on a platform in a pond.
The Boxers by Keith Haring, shown with two brightly colored intertwined figures in a shallow pond.
2007 © Andreas Thum · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Boxers sculpture by Keith Haring, showing two brightly colored stylized figures on a dark base near water.
The Boxers by Keith Haring stands outdoors near water in Berlin.
February 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Boxers sculpture with a bright blue and vivid red figure standing on a dark base outdoors.
The Boxers sculpture shown outdoors, with brightly colored interlocking figures against a modern building backdrop.
October 2017 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Bronze plaque for Keith Haring\'s Boxers with raised lettering and vertical text on the right side.
Informational plaque for Keith Haring’s Boxers in Berlin-Tiergarten.
January 2022 © · CC0

Identification

TitleUntitled (Boxers)
Alternative titleDie Boxer
TypeOutdoor sculpture

Historical context

Year of creation1987

Creator

ArtistKeith Haring
Artist nationalityAmerican
Artist movementPop Art

Materials

MaterialPainted steel; steel and lacquer

Discovery and provenance

CollectionMercedes-Benz Art Collection

Location and ownership

New locationStuttgart-Untertürkheim, near the Mercedes-Benz Group headquarters
Display period in Berlin1998 to 2025
Former settingOn a marble-clad pedestal in a water basin
Former locationBerlin, Potsdamer Platz, near the Staatsbibliothek, at Eichhornstraße/Voxstraße
LocationBerlin, Germany

History and restoration

Removal year2025
Removal reasonRemoved by the owner
Reinstallation year2025

Appearance

Depicted figuresSimplified humanoid figures
Figure colorsOne red and one blue
Physical featuresHoles in the head and stomach
Pose / arrangementThe arms are set up to be through the holes

Iconography and meaning

InterpretationThe holes give the impression that they were punched out by the other figure