Luna Luna, heralded as “the world’s first art amusement park” and believed lost since 1987, has been revived in Los Angeles. The park’s artist-designed rides and installations, long forgotten in 44 shipping containers in Texas, are brought together in...
Luna Luna, heralded as “the world’s first art amusement park” and believed lost since 1987, has been revived in Los Angeles. The park’s artist-designed rides and installations, long forgotten in 44 shipping containers in Texas, are brought together in a grand, interactive exhibition titled “Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy,” is located in a 60,000-square-foot warehouse on the Eastside of Los Angeles. It offers a rare opportunity for visitors to experience amusement park rides envisioned by 15 internationally celebrated artists, including Sonia Delaunay, Salvador Dalí, and Keith Haring.
Luna Luna was originally staged in Hamburg, Germany, in 1987. The amusement park was set to travel to San Diego after its debut, but due to internal disagreements and a litigation battle, the park became defunct. The revival is led by New York–based creative director Michael Goldberg, who retrieved the long-lost Luna Luna with the help of Drake, whose company Dreamcrew contributed an undisclosed amount to purchase the containers in 2022.
The exhibition is divided into two sections that are connected by a majestic archway designed by Delaunay. The first room showcases Kenny Scharf’s chair swing, David Hockney’s Enchanted Tree, and Haring’s colorful carousel. It also houses Manfred Deix’s Palace of the Winds and Arik Brauer’s carousel.
One of the highlights of the exhibition is Jean-Michel Basquiat’s Ferris wheel. Set to the music of jazz legend Miles Davis, this 1933 antique wheel bears the unique distinction of being painted by Viennese artisans, who meticulously followed Basquiat’s designs.