The Lost Magic: Rediscovering an 1980s Theme Park
Luna Luna, an awe-inspiring 1980s amusement park created by Austrian artist André Heller, has been beautifully restored in Los Angeles, capturing its original magic and wonder Step into a breathtaking world of fantasy and adventure at this extraordinary large-scale installation
A time capsule typically contains a collection of significant items from a specific point in time, such as newspaper clippings, photographs, and cultural artifacts. However, in early 2022, a much larger and more unusual capsule was discovered in Nocona, Texas. Hidden for over three decades inside 44 shipping containers, the capsule turned out to be an entire amusement park.
Luna Luna, which operated as an "art amusement park" in the 1980s and featured rides and attractions designed by artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Salvador DalÃ, Keith Haring, and Sonia Delaunay, is now on display for the first time in 36 years. The immersive installation, known as Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy, made its debut in Los Angeles last Friday.
At the dead of night, eerie images are captured of recreational places, portraying artificial worlds.
As visitors enter the massive 60,000-square-foot warehouse that now houses Luna Luna, they are transported back to the time when the featured artists were at the height of their fame. Keith Haring's vibrant line drawings adorn his hand-painted carousel, while David Hockney's "Enchanted Tree" resembles a prop from a Disney movie. Stilt walkers, costumed characters, and puppeteers from the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, a long-time children's theater company in LA, pay homage to the performers who originally contributed to the spectacle with jugglers, plate spinners, mimes, and other theatrical acts.
Carnival lights illuminate a trippy chair swing ride by Kenny Scharf, one of Luna Land's statement rides.
Joshua White
One of Heller's own contributions to Luna Land: an anarchic wedding chapel, where park-goers can 'marry' whoeveror whateverthey desire.
Joshua White
Designs and drawings by Jean-Michel Basquiat adorn a vintage Ferris wheel (left), pictured among other "Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy" attractions.
In the summer of 1987, the park originally opened in Hamburg, Germany and was the idea of Austrian artist, author, and pop star André Heller. Inspired by the Prater amusement park in his hometown of Vienna, Heller began conceptualizing Luna Luna over a decade earlier. His vision was to create a world where art could be accessible and captivating to all. In a 2022 interview with the New York Times, Heller expressed his desire to bridge the gap between the avant-garde artists and the general public. He aimed to make art more relatable and engaging for everyone.
After reportedly securing a six-figure grant from the German magazine Neue Revue, Heller traveled the world to persuade more than 30 of the era's most renowned creatives—a list that also included Ingmar Bergman and Henry Miller—to contribute to Luna Luna.
Park-goers tour Luna Luna during its installation in the summer of 1987 in Hamburg, Germany.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
British artist David Hockney works on a model for his "Enchanted Tree" attraction in Los Angeles, California, circa 1986.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
Children (and costumed performers) enjoy Kenny Scharf's painted chair swing ride.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
A daytime shot of Scharf's chair ride in motion.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
A celestial entertainer engages with visitors in front of the Luna Luna Pavilion, designed in the signature pop art style of Roy Lichtenstein. Image courtesy of Sabina Sarnitz, © Estate of Roy Lichtenstein, 1987. All rights reserved.
The artist Keith Haring poses with his painted carousel. © Keith Haring Foundation/licensed by Artestar, New York.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
Visitors ride Haring's painted carousel. © Keith Haring Foundation/licensed by Artestar, New York.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
And here, performers pose in front of a mural Haring also contributed to Luna Luna. © Keith Haring Foundation/licensed by Artestar, New York.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
Performersdressed as jockeys riding flamingos, naturallyentertain crowds in front of the Sonia Delaunay-designed archway at the entrance to Luna Luna.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
Visitors line up for a ride on a Ferris wheel painted designs by Jean-Michel Basquiat. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/licensed by Artestar, New York.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
Here, Basquiat is pictured sketching designs for his Ferris wheel. © Estate of Jean-Michel Basquiat/licensed by Artestar, New York.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
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A selfie view of the kaleidoscopic interior in Salvador DalÃ's DalÃdom.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
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An aerial view of Luna Luna installed in Hamburg's Moorweide Park.
Sabina Sarnitz/Courtesy Luna Luna
In photos: André Heller's "art amusement park" Luna Luna
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The reason why these renowned artists agreed to participate for a modest fee was because I invited them to revisit their own childhood, where they eagerly accepted the pleasant challenge. This was revealed by the curator Dieter Buchhart in 2016.
Basquiat contributed designs that referenced his previous work, including anatomical drawings, which were painted onto a white Ferris wheel. The center of the wheel featured a large depiction of a baboon's buttocks. Meanwhile, Dalí constructed Dalídom, a pavilion housing a mirrored geodesic funhouse that served as a follow-up to the surrealist funhouse he created for the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Two art curators were faced with a perplexing mystery: was an unconventional painting attributed to Dalí truly his work?
A worlds fairground
Kenny Scharf created a vibrant chair swing ride adorned with cartoonish characters, while Monika Gilsing designed flags featuring her "Wind Images." In one of the more unconventional exhibits, "Palace of the Winds," Heller collaborated with artist Walter Navratil on a piece that involved performers playing classical music on microphones while an orchestra played.
Heller envisioned a grand plan for Luna Luna, intending for it to embark on a world tour from Hamburg to San Diego before being permanently installed in Vienna. However, legal troubles led to its Stateside debut being canceled. Heller fell into debt, and after a series of disagreements, the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation, which had initially agreed to purchase the park, pulled out of the deal, resulting in years of lawsuits and litigation. Luna Luna was then shut down and largely forgotten, except by Heller himself.
In 2019, creative director Michael Goldberg discovered Luna Luna's lore online and immediately fell in love with the concept. He approached Heller, who had already been discussing reviving Luna Luna with international art attorney Daniel McClean. With the involvement of DreamCrew, an arts and entertainment firm co-founded by rapper Drake and his manager Adel Nur, the entirety of Luna Luna was purchased from the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation for an undisclosed sum.
In January 2022, the shipping crates were opened, allowing the decades-old works to finally see the light of day again. However, after some 35 years in storage, the attractions were no longer functional, although some of the original motors still worked. (In Luna Luna's current form, visitors can step inside some of the installations, but the rides are not approved for human use.) "There was no template for the restoration," explained Lumi Tan, the project's curatorial director. "Because these works were created to be interactive, our conservation approach aims to reflect their use by almost 300,000 visitors in 1987, rather than restoring them to how they looked before the park's opening."
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A visitor to "Luna Land: Forgotten Fantasy" experiences the mirrored interiors of DalÃ's "DalÃdom" installation.
Sinna Nasseri
This project is ongoing, with 16 works currently on view at "Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy," featuring pieces by Basquiat, Haring, and Dalí, while others undergo restoration. In addition to experiencing the original attractions, visitors can explore a photo archive detailing the park's original development and restoration process. Exclusive archival merchandise from the original Luna Luna, including t-shirts and posters designed by Haring, Hockney, and pop artist Roy Lichtenstein, is available for purchase, as well as newly-designed items created for the exhibition.
"We were absolutely amazed by the overwhelming response," Goldberg said in an email to CNN about the opening weekend of the installation. "It's been incredibly touching for the entire team to see a diverse range of visitors, from families and friends to couples and tourists, eagerly waiting in line before we even open, and leaving hours later with beaming smiles."
The exhibition Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy will be showcased until the spring of 2024. Beyond Los Angeles, the new owners of the park plan to collaborate with contemporary artists to create new and fully operational attractions for a global tour, staying true to Heller's original vision. Although no longer involved in the revival himself, Heller admitted to the Austrian magazine Falter last year that he had taken part in the sale of a frame falsely attributed to Basquiat as a "prank."
According to Goldberg, the new exhibition aims to capture the essence of the original by appealing to both art enthusiasts and those unfamiliar with it. "Luna Luna has the potential to inspire creativity or rekindle a connection to it," he explained. "It's designed to evoke joy and emotion for people."
