This weekend I attended an exhibition of carnival rides that were introduced in 1987 and then lost until now. Read on.

Viennese artist Andre Heller became obsessed with the idea of a traveling art carnival, an extension of his interest in art forms like circus and vaudeville. Luna Luna opened to the public in summer of 1987 in Hamburg, Germany. It included carousels, wandering circus acts, a Ferris wheel, and funhouse pavilions. They were created by some of the famous artists of the era, including Salvador Dali, David Hockney, Roy Lichtenstein and Jean-Michael Basquiat.

Andre Heller Jean-Michel Basquiat Salvadore Dali

Electrifying explosion of fun, humor and creativity experienced by nearly 300,000 people. Heller planned for the project to travel around the world but those plans were ultimately foiled by litigation, and the entire park was put in containers and stored away in Texas. It has now been brought back to life and will be taken care of for the future.

The other thing – Interesting experience. There was so much to see that it was hard to remember who created which piece. There was even a wedding chapel, in use as we walked by. The craftsmanship is incredible. Time has made them pretty delicate though, so no riding allowed!