Luna Luna: The Art Amusement Park

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Luna Luna, which also featured interactive installations, games, and artist performances, was born from Heller’s belief that “art should come in unconventional guises and be brought to those who might not ordinarily seek it out in more predictable settings.” The selection leans more heavily towards the twentieth century onwards, and as is the case with modern art, some of them are better than others. It’s ultimately subjective at the end of the day, and the variety on offer means that the widest range of tastes is still catered to. Luna Luna: The Art Amusement Park by André Heller.

This February Phaidon Press will publish Luna Luna by André Heller, a book about the world’s first art amusement park with fully operational rides, attractions and visceral experiences designed by artists like Salvador Dalí and Keith Haring. The book, which was first published in German in 1987, marks the first English translation of the story of Luna Luna. It also coincides with the return of the original attractions to the world. In January 2022, a team of creatives rescued the project from obscurity and is currently restoring the original works ahead of a global tour in 2024 which will feature a new set of commissions from today’s most influential and innovative artists. In 1987, Heller released book Luna Luna, published by Wilhelm Heyne Verlag in Munich, which features all of the attractions. For the book cover, Heller asked the participating artists to draw a moon and add a sentence they found fitting. [3] As of November 2022, the original Luna Luna works are being restored and new works being commissioned for a global tour funded by DreamCrew. [2] History [ edit ] DreamCrew partner Anthony Gonzales now serves as chief executive at Luna Luna, overseeing the restoration of its historical components (which are now too fragile to ride), alongside the creation of new rides, interactive experiences, dining, music events, and educational programming. A curatorial team, its members hailing from the Tate Modern, Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Shed, will pitch in under lead advisor and art historian Helen Molesworth. There seems to be an inexhaustible hunger for details on Haring’s sadly truncated life. Last month Phaidon published Luna Luna, André Heller’s book looking at the ’80s art theme park in Hamburg to which Haring was a key contributor. Currently the New York Public Library has more than 100 books in its archive featuring Keith Haring in the title. While critics may believe his estate is all too free and easy with licensing, there’s clearly a demand and an appreciation for the work, and there’s evidence to suggest this was exactly what he wanted.

And now, for the first time, the English translation of the original text published about the event had been made available. LUNA LUNA: The Art Amusement Park, published by Phaidon, includes a preface by creator and author André Heller. Aside from photographs of the installation, the book also includes the moon graphics and short text that each artist was asked to create for the promotion of the event. Thankfully, those works have now been dusted off and can be viewed once again. DreamCrew, which has produced shows like HBO television series Euphoria, is documenting the lead up to Luna Luna’s relaunch for a film. Next February, it is re-releasing an English translation of the original Luna Luna monograph.

In 2007, Luna Luna’s pieces moved to a storage unit in rural Texas. Goldberg stumbled upon its story in 2019. At the same time, Heller had been toying with a relaunch, encouraged by Basquiat scholar Dieter Buchhart. Phaidon's book is a wonderful way to reintroduce the landmark event to the public, especially considering the history of Luna Luna. Originally conceived as a touring exhibition destined for multiple countries, a change in leadership and subsequent litigation made for a sad end. Instead of traveling the world, these incredible pieces of art were shuttered away for over three decades. Keith Haring, Luna Luna Karussell (A Poetic Extravaganza!) 1986". www.auction.fr . Retrieved 2021-08-08. There are 30 pavilions in this international carnival of the avant-garde, and each one simultaneously elevates the mind and makes the jaw drop,” a 1987 Life magazine article wrote. The art park was the brainchild of Vienna-born multimedia artist André Heller, the culmination of his yearslong odyssey to bring together the public and the avant-garde art world. But the lights went out—suddenly and unexpectedly—on Luna Luna. A performer dressed as the moon interacts with visitors outside the pavilion that American Pop Art icon Roy Lichtenstein covered with his “Perfect/Imperfect Paintings.” Sabina Sarnitz, courtesy Luna Luna LLC I think we’re actually built better than any other resource to make this a reality,” Gonzales told NYT. “We exist in live events, we exist in culture, we understand the art world and being artist-friendly.”In 1987, an amusement park appeared in Hamburg, Germany. Luna Lunahad all the hallmarks of a traditional fairground, featuring carousels, games, and walk-in attractions. However, it held a second purpose as an especially ambitious art exhibition. Buchhart, Dieter (2016). Jean-Michel Basquiat (PDF). Translated by Brian Currid. Holzhausen, Austria: W&K - Wienerroither & Kohlbacher, Vienna / New York. Alongside majority holder DreamCrew, new Luna Luna partners include art attorney Daniel McClean, Something Special Studios founder Michael Goldberg, and tech entrepreneur Justin Wills. The team is restoring Luna Luna’s rides and adding entirely new attractions, all in preparation for the carnival’s first American tour next fall. A global jaunt will follow in 2024.