“The Shed’s architecture offers incredible possibilities in terms of space, light, sound, privacy and scale to realize the full potential of Luna Luna,” describes the institution’s artistic director, Alex Poots. “Our ability to open up a connecting wall between the largest gallery space, The Shed, and our monumental 17,000-square-foot, 115-foot-tall McCourt space allows audiences to begin their Luna Luna experience in the gallery and flow seamlessly in a carnival environment, creating a 30,000 square meter contiguous Experience.” To create this atmosphere, Poots enlisted new creative partners: British theater company Punchdrunk, Puerto Rican performance artist collective Poncilí Creación, and New York lighting designer Jon Torres. New music will be curated by Mattis With (Philip Glass composed the original soundtrack), and organizers are promising yet-to-be-announced “special concerts.”

David Hockney is working on it Enchanted tree model, Los Angeles, California, 1986.

Photo: SabinaSarnitz, courtesy of Luna Luna, LLC

Originally conceived as something between an exhibition and a festival, Heller’s Luna Luna set out to democratize the work of some of the greatest artists of the 1980s. “By creating a group exhibition in the format of a fair, Heller advanced the idea of what the exhibition could be,” explains Poots. Ticket prices for Luna Luna: The Forgotten Fantasywhich start at $44 plus fees for an adult entry, are much higher than they were in Hamburg. However, Goldberg and the team hope that his new life shares the same feeling for the audience.

Photo: Courtesy of Luna Luna

By now, “visitors are not just curious about the art, but deeply engaged with the story and history behind Luna Luna,” notes Goldberg. “Our long-term goal is to collaborate with contemporary artists to create new, walkable attractions, expanding the Luna Luna collection with today’s most prolific talent.”