Luna Luna, the contemporary art amusement park, opens in New York

The iconic artist-designed amusement park conceived by André Heller in 1987 lands in New York with "Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy", a temporary installation project open to the public from November 20 to January 5, 2025, at The Shed in Manhattan. The project invites visitors to explore original rides designed by some of the greatest artists of the 20th century. Guests can wander through Roy Lichtenstein's mirror maze, originally accompanied by music from Philip Glass; experience the enchantment of Hockney's "Enchanted Tree", a massive cylindrical structure containing a forest rendered in the artist's unmistakable style; ride Basquiat’s unmistakably designed Ferris wheel; and step into the surreal "Dalídom", a room created by Salvador Dalí to destabilize the viewer’s sense of balance. The experience might even culminate in an adrenaline-fueled, last-minute wedding in the "Wedding Chapel", designed by Heller himself. By unveiling the park’s original treasures—long forgotten in abandoned shipping containers in the middle of Texas—the New York pop-up aims to restore its original essence, offering a retrospective on the incredible history of this one-of-a-kind project.

In 1987, André Heller, the Viennese artist known for his ability to blend art and spectacle, created an extraordinary project: Luna Luna, the world’s first amusement park designed by some of the most iconic artists of the era. The goal was to create a space that would bring the artistic elite closer to the general public in the name of fun. Thus, the hedgehog designed by Heller himself, the entrance gate created by Sonia Delaunay, the flying-seat carousel decorated by Kenny Scharf, and many other attractions were born, all built in close collaboration with 220 artisans from the industry. Even the park’s music, like the soundtrack of Hockney’s carousel, was performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Herbert von Karajan. The debut in Hamburg was a huge success, yet the project faced economic and legal obstacles that prevented the planned international tour. In 1990, Heller was forced to sell the works, which ended up abandoned in containers in rural Texas for over 30 years.

In 2019, the story of Luna Luna caught the attention of DreamCrew, the company co-founded by musician Drake. Initially, there was great concern about the condition of the artworks, which had been stored for all those years, but the structures withstood the test of time. The agreements between Heller, the Birch Foundation, and DreamCrew were successfully completed, and with an investment of over 100 million dollars, the attractions were restored and brought back to their original splendor. In December 2023, Luna Luna debuted in Los Angeles, featuring 60,000 square meters of restored rides, performances, and an archive exhibition. The success attracted over 150,000 visitors. Now, as the park prepares to land at The Shed with new works by Rebecca Horn, Daniel Spoerri, and Manfred Deix, anticipation and excitement are through the roof, along with the hope that Luna Luna will eventually make its way to Europe.

Exhibition: Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy. Where: The Shed, Manhattan, Dates: November 20, 2024 - January 5, 2025.