Luna Luna, the ethereal art carnival, may have been launched in Hamburg, Germany, back in 1987, but its legacy has lived large in 2023. In addition to getting a major reboot in the U.S., publishing house Phaidon has reprinted the original catalogue in English.
“I dreamt up Luna Luna with the determination that art should come in unconventional guises and be brought to those who might not ordinarily seek it out in more predictable settings,” said Austrian artist André Heller in a statement. The carnival was created by Heller, who received a $350,000 grant to build the fair which he hoped would bridge a gap between “the artists who were a little snobbish sometimes and didn’t connect with the masses – and the so-called normal people”.
In June 1987, Luna Luna was visited by over 240,000 attendees during a 13-week run. Guests made their way through 30 pavilions created by cutting-edge artists and more than 200 artisans using vintage equipment. Artists involved included Salvador Dalí who created “the Dalí Dome’ house of mirrors, Keith Haring who created a carousel, Jean-Michel Basquiat who designed the Ferris Wheel, and Philip Glass who provided music for a Glass Labyrinth designed by Roy Lichtenstein.
The book, Luna Luna: The Art Amusement was first published in German in 1987 to accompany the fair. The 2023 reprint by Phaidon documents its 1987 format, and includes behind-the-scenes photographs, original sketches, and preparatory drawings made by the artists.
See a sneak piece of this 336-page tome below.
Susanne Schmögner. Spiral-shaped labyrinth for Luna Luna. Picture credit: Sabina Sarnitz. Once inside the spiral-shaped structure, a sculpture hands you the poem ‘Golden Age’, by Arthur Rimbaud
Gertie Fröhlich. Designs for gingerbread figures pavilion for Luna Luna. Picture credit: Sabina Sarnitz
Kenny Scharf. Artwork from the sculptures leading to the wave swinger for Luna Luna. Picture credit: Sabina Sarnitz
Roy Lichtenstein. Picture credit: Sabina Sarnitz
Erté. Art Deco-style stage set for Luna Luna. Picture credit: Sabina Sarnitz. The Art Deco-style stage housed two installations by André Heller, both with texts by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
Jörg Immendorff, shooting gallery for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
Kenny Scharf. wave swinger for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
André Heller, inflatable café for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
Luna Luna, Hamburg, (1987). Picture by Sabina Sarnitz.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, painted ferris wheel for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
Jean-Michel Basquiat, artwork for painted ferris wheel for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
Keith Haring preparing his carousel for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
David Hockney. Geometric forest pavilion for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
Roy Lichtenstein, facade for pavilion housing a mirrored glass labyrinth for Luna Luna (1987). Photo by Sabina Sarnitz.
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