Luna Luna: The Art Amusement Park

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a b Yarrow, Andrew L. (August 8, 1987). "A Bird? A Plane? Flying Art!". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2021-05-12. Gruen, John (1992). Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography. Simon and Schuster. p.175. ISBN 978-0-671-78150-7. 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

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. Buchhart, Dieter (2016). Jean-Michel Basquiat (PDF). Translated by Brian Currid. Holzhausen, Austria: W&K - Wienerroither & Kohlbacher, Vienna / New York. a b c d e f g h " "Zur höheren Ehre der Phantasie" ". Der Spiegel (in German). May 3, 1987 . Retrieved 2021-05-12. Luna Luna was only displayed once at the Moorweide in Hamburg from June 4 to August 31, 1987. [11] The entry fee was 20 Deutsche Marks (children free on weekdays). [5] The exhibition had been expected to travel to the Netherlands later in 1987 and then the United States in 1988. [7] In 1991, it was reported that Luna Luna, described as an outdoor contemporary art museum, would be temporarily installed at Balboa Park's Inspiration Point in San Diego, California. [4] It was scheduled to be in San Diego for 18 months as a gift from the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation, based in Wilmington, Delaware. [4] Ensuing litigation due to a claimed breach of contract prevented Luna Luna from being exhibited. [12] [13] Keith Haring, Luna Luna Karussell (A Poetic Extravaganza!) 1986". www.auction.fr . Retrieved 2021-08-08.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.

Born in New York in 1960, self-taught artist Jean-Michel Basquiat became one of the 20th century’s most significant artists. He only agreed to design this Ferris wheel for Luna Luna after Heller got permission to use Miles Davis’s 1986 song “Tutu,” which played during the ride. Sabina Sarnitz, courtesy Phaidon 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. 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. Named after Luna Park in Coney Island, Luna Luna was an international collaboration involving the biggest titans in contemporary art, from Salvador Dalí to Roy Lichtenstein. It was a contemporary showcase of art and music as well as a functioning amusement park. Its unique place in art history has finally been rediscovered. Luna Luna: The Art Amusement Park is a handsome coffee-table book, serving as both an introduction and a retrospective. Luna Luna: The Art Amusement Park by André Heller. DreamCrew, the arts and entertainment firm co-founded by rapper Drake, has acquired all remnants of Luna Luna, an otherworldly art carnival that debuted to the public just once in Hamburg in 1987 with attractions created by a number of notable artists. Among the highlights were a ferris wheel by Jean-Michel Basquiat, a mirrored fun house designed by Salvador Dalí, and a carousel hand-painted by Keith Haring.

Luna Luna was a unique art amusement park staged in 1987 in Hamburg, Germany.

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. 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. 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.