Whimsical Wonderland: Luna Luna Review Unveils a Surreal Carnival Imagined by Basquiat, Dali, and Hockney as the Art Event of the Year

Dreams Resurrected: Luna Luna Review Unveils a Surreal Carnival of Basquiat, Dali, and Hockney-Inspired Art, Lost for Decades

Luna Luna, a dreamlike carnival conceived by Austrian pop-star-turned-artist André Heller in 1987, reemerges from the depths of memory and decades in Texas storage containers. Heller's vision brought together a roster of artistic giants, including Salvador Dalí, David Hockney, and Roy Lichtenstein, alongside rising stars like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Kenny Scharf, and Keith Haring. For one magical summer in Hamburg, Luna Luna enchanted 300,000 visitors with its kaleidoscopic, radical, and whimsical artistry before vanishing like a fleeting dream.

Stored away in Texas, forgotten by art history, Luna Luna found its unlikely saviors in Drake's entertainment company, DreamCrew. With a $100 million investment, live events expertise, and a passion for art, DreamCrew resurrected Luna Luna. Opening the long-neglected containers revealed a miraculously preserved art treasure amid snakes and scorpions.

Now, in a vast Los Angeles warehouse, the exhibition "Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy" showcases the lovingly restored gems of this buried treasure. The experience evokes a childlike wonder, with visitors of all ages donning curious, delighted smiles. As Kurt Vonnegut once mused, 'If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.' Luna Luna returns, not only as an art event but as a testament to the enduring magic of creativity and the joy it brings.

Sculpted Fantasia: Exploring Luna Luna's Resurrected Wonderland

Embarking on the Luna Luna journey begins even before stepping inside the exhibition space. The car park entrance features André Heller's inflatable Dream Station, resembling a whimsical cross between a Dalek and a bouncy castle, promising an entrance into a realm of enchantment. Upon crossing this threshold, Kenny Scharf's painted swing chair ride beckons visitors with sculptures of psychedelic graffiti faces that exude cartoonish expressions.

Inside, Arik Brauer's fantastical carousel captivates, adorned with creatures like the 'pferdehand,' an orangey-brown hand with an outstretched index finger and the legs of a steed. While the modern value of these art pieces prohibits riding, the allure remains. A standout is Jean-Michel Basquiat's painted ferris wheel, animated to the strains of Miles Davis's 'Tutu,' injecting life into the exhibition.

For those with a VIP Moon Pass, a peek into David Hockney's Enchanted Tree pavilion awaits. Originally designed for a 1981 opera staging, the installation transforms into a captivating experience with a light show and the Berlin Philharmonic's rendition of waltzes by Johann II and Josef Strauss. Hockney's creation evokes the innocence of childhood, inviting visitors to wander through a towering forest.

Austrian artist Manfred Deix's Palace of the Winds adds a whimsical touch, appealing to the mischievous school kid in everyone. Originally crafted for Luna Luna's amplified farting performance, the exhibit features gorgeously illustrated murals depicting flatulence, accompanied by TV screens showcasing a concert violinist juxtaposed with bare-cheeked flatulists performing Strauss' 'The Blue Danube' waltz. The fusion of highbrow and lowbrow art, along with the timeless humor of witnessing an arse addressing a microphone, adds a joyful and entertaining dimension to Luna Luna's reimagined wonderland.

Fables in Motion: Luna Luna's Artistic Odyssey

Delving deeper into the tapestry of Luna Luna's rich history, a video installation curated by Keith Haring sheds light on the origins of this fantastical realm. When André Heller approached Haring with the notion of contributing something for children, the artist eagerly embraced the concept, relishing the opportunity to embark on what he called a "fantasy project." Haring's visit to Germany saw him collaborate with ride designer Peter Petz, hand-painting his iconic characters and crafting 3D renditions of crawling babies, crocodiles, and dog-men. While the nostalgia of climbing aboard these creations is lost in the present, Haring's industrially fabricated tarps find new resonance in the age of Instagram, offering captivating backdrops.

The exhibition's second spacious room hosts monumental artworks, including Salvador Dalí's Dalídom pavilion, an ethereal geodesic dome inviting exploration for a kaleidoscopic encounter with infinity, accompanied by Gregorian chants by Blue Chip Orchestra. Roy Lichtenstein's Luna Luna Pavilion, a glass labyrinth adorned with Lichtenstein-designed panels and a soundtrack by Minimalist composer Philip Glass, offers another immersive experience.

The pinnacle of the exhibition is undeniably Jean-Michel Basquiat's painted ferris wheel, brought to life periodically by the strains of Miles Davis's 1986 song 'Tutu.' The lore surrounding its creation involves Heller securing Davis's rights to soundtrack the ride, a condition for Basquiat's involvement. Viennese artisans meticulously painted the antique wooden wheel based on Basquiat's directives, showcasing the artist's idiosyncratic slogans, street art illustrations of spaghetti plates, and quirky phrases like 'BLEEDING FINGERS' and 'PORNOGRAPHY.' Adding a touch of the provocative, the back of the wheel features a spinning monkey's rear end, tail aloft, and butthole exposed—an audacious flourish from Basquiat's irreverent brushstroke.

An Irreverent Finale: Luna Luna's Defiant Coda

In a fitting conclusion to the whimsical odyssey that is Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, the exhibition introduces Swiss artist Daniel Spoerri's Crap Chancellery. In Hamburg, this structure served as the entrance to the toilets, and its facade mimics Albert Speer's designs for Adolf Hitler's Reich Chancellery—an architectural emblem of Nazi grandeur. Spoerri, with biting satire, drags Speer's neoclassical design into the realm of absurdity, adorning columns with massive mounds of plastic excrement. The artist, whose father fell victim to Nazis during World War II, mercilessly ridicules the fascist aesthetic.

Much like Luna Luna's overall ambiance—grand, whimsical, and irreverent—Spoerri's creation, despite its lewdness, holds a strangely moving quality when witnessed in its full glory. As this magical fairground teetered on the brink of obscurity, Spoerri's mockery serves as a poignant reminder that challenging and defying the legacy of oppressive ideologies should never be forgotten.

'Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy' stands as a testament to the resilience of art and creativity, now on display at 1601 E 6th St, Los Angeles. In the spirit of Luna Luna, a celebration of irreverence, tickets and further information can be found at lunaluna.com, inviting visitors to partake in this captivating journey that transcends time and convention.

In conclusion, 'Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy' emerges not only as an art exhibition but as a transcendent journey through time, seamlessly blending grandeur, whimsy, and irreverence. From the surreal landscapes of Basquiat's Ferris wheel to the kaleidoscopic wonders within Hockney's Enchanted Tree pavilion, Luna Luna resurfaces as a testament to the enduring magic of creativity. The exhibition's finale, Spoerri's Crap Chancellery, boldly confronts history and tyranny with biting satire, encapsulating Luna Luna's defiant spirit.

As this extraordinary fairground, once on the verge of obscurity, graces Los Angeles with its presence, it serves as a reminder of the resilience of art and its power to challenge oppressive legacies. Luna Luna invites visitors to revel in its irreverent celebration, transcending conventional boundaries and offering a glimpse into a fantastical realm where whimsy and defiance coalesce. In the heart of the City of Angels, Luna Luna invites all to embark on a journey that defies time, challenges norms, and celebrates the enduring enchantment of artistic expression.

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