New York’s Luna Luna | The World’s First Art Carnival 🎡✨

Luna Luna is a dreamlike exhibition that blends contemporary art with the childlike wonder of an amusement park. Conceived by Austrian artist André Heller, it first debuted in Hamburg, Germany, for three months in 1987, inspired by New York’s Coney Island Luna Park in 1903. Heller invited legendary artists like Basquiat, Dalí, Keith Haring, and Hockney to create installation art, rides, and pavilions. However, due to financial and operational issues, this fantastical park was sealed after the exhibition until it was rediscovered and revived in 2020, now on display in New York. 📖 Part 1: The History of Luna Luna The first part of the exhibition revisits the park’s birth through thousands of photos taken by Heller’s wife, Erika, documenting the design, construction, and operation of the park. I’ve never seen so many people queuing up to read wall text so attentively! 🎡 Part 2: Luna Luna Reborn Iconic installations have been recreated, breathing new life into this slumbering park. Every 10 minutes, staff members, dressed as artistic figures or holding art installations, interact with the audience, accompanied by the era’s popular music. It’s truly mesmerizing! 🎡 Basquiat’s Ferris Wheel 🪞 Dalí’s House of Mirrors 🌳 Hockney’s Magic Tree 🎠 Keith Haring’s Carousel 💒 Wedding Chapel: At a time when same-sex marriage was not yet widespread, Luna Luna’s wedding chapel allowed anyone to marry anyone or anything, whether it be lovers, friends, or even someone marrying their bicycle🚲. The day I went, I saw a pair of twin girls holding hands in the chapel. The “priest” asked if they would be best friends forever, and they answered “yes” without hesitation. But when asked if they would be “mom and dad’s little helpers,” they silently understood each other and remained silent, causing the whole room to burst into laughter. After the exhibition, visitors can go to the 2nd floor to draw their own “Luna” symbol. 🧡 The Shed is also concurrently exhibiting a site-specific art piece created in 2005 by Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The work installed 7,503 orange gates along 23 miles of pathways in New York’s Central Park, forming a dreamlike art corridor. There’s also a VR experience of the scene, and many posters in Central Park allow you to experience it by scanning the code. Highly recommended! #ArtCarnival #Basquiat #Dalí #NewYorkExhibition #WeekendActivities #NewYork #ArtExhibition #UniqueExhibition