The summer of 1987 saw the launch of an arts carnival
featuring rides designed by artists Salvador Dali,
Roy Lichtenstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others.
Now Canadian rapper Drake is working with founder Andre
Heller to bring it back to life, finds Magali Robathan
Visitors entered Luna Luna in 1987 via an arch designed by artist Sonia Delaunay / Photo: Sabina Sarnitz, courtesy Luna Luna LLC
In the summer of 1987, around 250,000 curious visitors flocked to Luna Luna in Hamburg, Germany – described as the world’s first travelling art amusement park. It featured fairground attractions that were also works of art by the likes of Salvador Dali, Roy Lichtenstein, Sonia Delaunay, Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hockney, as well as music, games and performances.
Luna Luna was the brainchild of Austrian artist Andre Heller. Now, more than 35 years later, Heller has teamed up with musician Drake and his production company DreamCrew to relaunch Luna Luna with new commissions by contemporary artists alongside restored works from the original attraction.
It’s an incredible story, that started with an idea by Heller inspired by childhood visits to traditional luna amusement parks. His vision was to create an attraction that could act as a “big bridge between the so-called avant-garde — the artists who were a little snobbish sometimes and didn’t connect with the masses — and the so-called normal people,” as Heller told The New York Times.
Heller used his growing success as an artist to bring his vision to life – in 1985, he was awarded a grant of around US$350,000 from German magazine Neue Revue, and he travelled around the world trying to persuade artists to take part.
Heller’s powers of persuasion clearly worked – he collaborated with 32 of some of the world’s most exciting artists – reportedly paying them $10,000 each – to create attractions for the open-air park, which opened to visitors from 4 June to 31 August 1987 in Hamburg.
A dizzying spectacle Visitors arriving at the park were greeted by a welcome sign and entrance archway by French artist Sonia Delaunay. Once inside, they could explore attractions and amusements designed by some of the world’s most exciting artists, including a pavilion wrapped with Roy Lichtenstein’s paintings housing a mirrored glass labyrinth, a ferris wheel created by Jean-Michel Basquiat composed of his drawings, and a geometric forest pavilion designed by David Hockney.
Salvador Dali created a dome with a mirrored geodesic funhouse interior designed to induce ‘spatial hallucinations,’ August Walla contributed a hand-painted circus wagon, and every attraction had its own music, some of it specially composed for the project.
Long before ‘immersive art shows’ became a trend, Luna Luna plunged visitors into a spectacle of creativity and imagination described by Life magazine as the “most dizzying, dazzling art show on Earth”.
The plan was for Luna Luna to tour Europe and the US after its summer in Hamburg, and the city of Vienna hoped to buy and permanently exhibit the attraction, but a series of lawsuits and political concerns thwarted these efforts and the park was forced to close.
Brought back to life For more than 35 years, the unique attractions sat in storage, most recently in a warehouse in rural Texas, where they have been since 2007.
Now creative director Michael Goldberg and founder of creative agency Something Special – who stumbled on the story of Luna Luna when browsing the web – has teamed up with Drake and his arts and entertainment company DreamCrew to restore the artworks and bring the carnival back to life.
Drake has reportedly pledged $100m (£84m) of his fortune to the project. “When I first heard about Luna Luna I was blown away,” Drake said in a statement. “It’s such a unique and special way to experience art. This is a big idea and opportunity that centres around what we love most: bringing people together.”
The original attractions left Texas in January 2022 in a series of crates and containers bound for an industrial warehouse in Los Angeles, where they are currently being restored by a team of experts.
As well as exhibiting the original rides and attractions, the team behind Luna Luna’s new incarnation promises to launch a collection of “rideable, playable fairground attractions” designed for the carnival by influential contemporary artists. The project is also set to include art workshops, film screenings and other events, concert and parties, interactive experiences, food and drink. The curatorial team reportedly includes experts from the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Shed.
A multi-city tour is planned for 2024, beginning in the US before touring globally. The tour is being produced by live entertainment company Live Nation.
Details of the tour and the new artists taking part haven’t yet been announced, but this is definitely one to watch.
Photo: Sabina Sarnitz, courtesy Luna Luna LLC
"I wanted to build a bridge between
the so-called avant-garde — the artists
who were a little snobbish sometimes and
didn’t connect with the masses — and the
so-called normal people" – Andre Heller
LUNA LUNA – THE TEAM
• The new Luna Luna tour – which is set for 2024 – is being made possible by a team of creatives led by rapper Drake’s arts and entertainment company DreamCrew.
• Other partners in the project are founder of creative agency Something Special Studios, Michael Goldberg, international art attorney, Daniel McClean and art, culture and technology entrepreneur, Justin Wills.
• Anthony Gonzales is the new CEO of Luna Luna and a partner in DreamCrew.
• The tour is being produced by Live Nation.
"It’s such a unique
and special way to
experience art" – Drake
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: People power
The pandemic has been disruptive for the people in our industry. A new report shares how operators are getting creative to overcome issues
Letters: Write to reply
Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen tells us 2023 will celebrate the past, but also be the start of something new, while BALPPA CEO Paul Kelly explains why the organisation has launched individual memberships
People: Sarah Roots
The countdown is on to the opening of Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo. We hear the latest
People: David Camp
With Puy du Fou, Eden International and Europa-Park among its clients, D&J International Consulting has done exciting work in its first decade
Interview: Scott O'Neil
US sports and entertainment veteran O’Neil is now CEO of Merlin Entertainments and he has big plans for the company. Magali Robathan sat down with him
Ethics: Reckoning with history
As a ground-breaking project aims to digitally unite Benin Bronzes for the first time, the Horniman Museum becomes the latest institution to return looted artefacts
Research: Elizabeth Merritt
What are the biggest trends affecting the museum sector? The VP of the Center for the Future of Museums shares her thoughts
Research: TrendsWatch: Building the future
A digital revolution, reparations and repatriation, partisan wars and the future of the workplace – key trends highlighted by this year’s TrendsWatch report
Research: China theme parks: New era
China is the world’s second largest market for theme parks and still has huge potential for growth, as a McKinsey report explains
Visitor centre: A golden age: Ad Gefrin
A new multi-million pound Anglo Saxon museum and whiskey distillery tells an old story in a new way. AM talks to the founders
Immersive art: House of Fun: Luna Luna
Works from Luna Luna, a ground-breaking ‘art amusement park’ have languished in storage for 30 years. Now rapper Drake is bringing them back to life
The summer of 1987 saw the launch of an arts carnival
featuring rides designed by artists Salvador Dali,
Roy Lichtenstein and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others.
Now Canadian rapper Drake is working with founder Andre
Heller to bring it back to life, finds Magali Robathan
Visitors entered Luna Luna in 1987 via an arch designed by artist Sonia Delaunay / Photo: Sabina Sarnitz, courtesy Luna Luna LLC
In the summer of 1987, around 250,000 curious visitors flocked to Luna Luna in Hamburg, Germany – described as the world’s first travelling art amusement park. It featured fairground attractions that were also works of art by the likes of Salvador Dali, Roy Lichtenstein, Sonia Delaunay, Jean-Michel Basquiat and David Hockney, as well as music, games and performances.
Luna Luna was the brainchild of Austrian artist Andre Heller. Now, more than 35 years later, Heller has teamed up with musician Drake and his production company DreamCrew to relaunch Luna Luna with new commissions by contemporary artists alongside restored works from the original attraction.
It’s an incredible story, that started with an idea by Heller inspired by childhood visits to traditional luna amusement parks. His vision was to create an attraction that could act as a “big bridge between the so-called avant-garde — the artists who were a little snobbish sometimes and didn’t connect with the masses — and the so-called normal people,” as Heller told The New York Times.
Heller used his growing success as an artist to bring his vision to life – in 1985, he was awarded a grant of around US$350,000 from German magazine Neue Revue, and he travelled around the world trying to persuade artists to take part.
Heller’s powers of persuasion clearly worked – he collaborated with 32 of some of the world’s most exciting artists – reportedly paying them $10,000 each – to create attractions for the open-air park, which opened to visitors from 4 June to 31 August 1987 in Hamburg.
A dizzying spectacle Visitors arriving at the park were greeted by a welcome sign and entrance archway by French artist Sonia Delaunay. Once inside, they could explore attractions and amusements designed by some of the world’s most exciting artists, including a pavilion wrapped with Roy Lichtenstein’s paintings housing a mirrored glass labyrinth, a ferris wheel created by Jean-Michel Basquiat composed of his drawings, and a geometric forest pavilion designed by David Hockney.
Salvador Dali created a dome with a mirrored geodesic funhouse interior designed to induce ‘spatial hallucinations,’ August Walla contributed a hand-painted circus wagon, and every attraction had its own music, some of it specially composed for the project.
Long before ‘immersive art shows’ became a trend, Luna Luna plunged visitors into a spectacle of creativity and imagination described by Life magazine as the “most dizzying, dazzling art show on Earth”.
The plan was for Luna Luna to tour Europe and the US after its summer in Hamburg, and the city of Vienna hoped to buy and permanently exhibit the attraction, but a series of lawsuits and political concerns thwarted these efforts and the park was forced to close.
Brought back to life For more than 35 years, the unique attractions sat in storage, most recently in a warehouse in rural Texas, where they have been since 2007.
Now creative director Michael Goldberg and founder of creative agency Something Special – who stumbled on the story of Luna Luna when browsing the web – has teamed up with Drake and his arts and entertainment company DreamCrew to restore the artworks and bring the carnival back to life.
Drake has reportedly pledged $100m (£84m) of his fortune to the project. “When I first heard about Luna Luna I was blown away,” Drake said in a statement. “It’s such a unique and special way to experience art. This is a big idea and opportunity that centres around what we love most: bringing people together.”
The original attractions left Texas in January 2022 in a series of crates and containers bound for an industrial warehouse in Los Angeles, where they are currently being restored by a team of experts.
As well as exhibiting the original rides and attractions, the team behind Luna Luna’s new incarnation promises to launch a collection of “rideable, playable fairground attractions” designed for the carnival by influential contemporary artists. The project is also set to include art workshops, film screenings and other events, concert and parties, interactive experiences, food and drink. The curatorial team reportedly includes experts from the Museum of Contemporary Art and The Shed.
A multi-city tour is planned for 2024, beginning in the US before touring globally. The tour is being produced by live entertainment company Live Nation.
Details of the tour and the new artists taking part haven’t yet been announced, but this is definitely one to watch.
Photo: Sabina Sarnitz, courtesy Luna Luna LLC
"I wanted to build a bridge between
the so-called avant-garde — the artists
who were a little snobbish sometimes and
didn’t connect with the masses — and the
so-called normal people" – Andre Heller
LUNA LUNA – THE TEAM
• The new Luna Luna tour – which is set for 2024 – is being made possible by a team of creatives led by rapper Drake’s arts and entertainment company DreamCrew.
• Other partners in the project are founder of creative agency Something Special Studios, Michael Goldberg, international art attorney, Daniel McClean and art, culture and technology entrepreneur, Justin Wills.
• Anthony Gonzales is the new CEO of Luna Luna and a partner in DreamCrew.
• The tour is being produced by Live Nation.
"It’s such a unique
and special way to
experience art" – Drake
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: People power
The pandemic has been disruptive for the people in our industry. A new report shares how operators are getting creative to overcome issues
Letters: Write to reply
Liseberg CEO Andreas Andersen tells us 2023 will celebrate the past, but also be the start of something new, while BALPPA CEO Paul Kelly explains why the organisation has launched individual memberships
People: Sarah Roots
The countdown is on to the opening of Warner Bros Studio Tour Tokyo. We hear the latest
People: David Camp
With Puy du Fou, Eden International and Europa-Park among its clients, D&J International Consulting has done exciting work in its first decade
Interview: Scott O'Neil
US sports and entertainment veteran O’Neil is now CEO of Merlin Entertainments and he has big plans for the company. Magali Robathan sat down with him
Ethics: Reckoning with history
As a ground-breaking project aims to digitally unite Benin Bronzes for the first time, the Horniman Museum becomes the latest institution to return looted artefacts
Research: Elizabeth Merritt
What are the biggest trends affecting the museum sector? The VP of the Center for the Future of Museums shares her thoughts
Research: TrendsWatch: Building the future
A digital revolution, reparations and repatriation, partisan wars and the future of the workplace – key trends highlighted by this year’s TrendsWatch report
Research: China theme parks: New era
China is the world’s second largest market for theme parks and still has huge potential for growth, as a McKinsey report explains
Visitor centre: A golden age: Ad Gefrin
A new multi-million pound Anglo Saxon museum and whiskey distillery tells an old story in a new way. AM talks to the founders
Immersive art: House of Fun: Luna Luna
Works from Luna Luna, a ground-breaking ‘art amusement park’ have languished in storage for 30 years. Now rapper Drake is bringing them back to life
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
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