The Art of Spectacle at Luna Luna
Are we here for the Art or for the Selfies?
Forgotten Fantasy, the revival of Andre Heller's ambitious 1987 art amusement park Luna Luna, is currently showcased in Los Angeles after spending decades locked away in remote Texas. The goal of the original park sought to bridge the gap between avant-garde art and the public. Featuring luminaries like Basquiat, Haring, Hockney, and Dali, Luna Luna offered interactive installations and amusement rides with the “desire to harness the power of art to ensure that fascism could never again take hold of the public imagination”.
Wandering through the expansive warehouse, amidst staff donning moon costumes and the melancholic rotation of empty swing sets and carousel rides, the experience fell short of its promise. I felt overwhelmed by the need to capture content as everyone around me was looking at the art through their phones or ushers taking every moment to nudge me on to the next or the insane cost of the ticket (I upgraded to the Moon Pass in the name of research to access a few VIP exhibits which cost me about $90 including parking - so much for “accessible”). I left the show feeling less connected to the art and the movement it stood for and more concerned about the spectacle of consuming art in today’s world.
Heller, along with the more than 30 artists he commissioned from around the world, envisioned a world where art can inspire and move people, of all ages. From Ferris Wheels to interactive exhibitions and performances, each piece of art invited visitors into a fantasy that gave them permission to lean into their imagination and curiosity. Arik Brauer's carousel, where children could transform into mermaids, butterflies, and she-wolves, was such a whimsical and beautiful take on a classic ride. Basquiat's Ferris Wheel, with its poignant message on racism in American policies, wasn't watered down for a wider audience; it maintained the integrity and message of his artwork. These pieces threaded together the story of what it meant to create and share your voice outside of the traditional white cube - without expecting anything in return.
This is a far cry from where we are today. The rise of selfies and social media has shifted the parameters of art and amusement. The viewer now inserts themselves into the narrative, seeking social capital rather than connection or action. Selfie “museums,” from immersive Van Gogh exhibits to The Museum of Ice Cream, epitomize a culture of being seen at the expense of collective experience and genuine interaction. Basquiat’s Ferris Wheel is lauded as relic of the past while the message is as relevant as ever and would never make it on a roster for a real amusement park (and definitely not for children) - it is not candy coated enough.
Forgotten Fantasy, caught between its ambitious artistic vision and the reality of its commercial revival—lest we forget, with Drake as the major backer of Forgotten Fantasy—mirrors a broader critique of the art world today. It highlights an uncomfortable truth: art (and perhaps, capital C- Culture more broadly) has increasingly become a playground for elitism and spectacle, optimized for consumption rather than inspiration. Clive Martin's observations in The Face on “Organised Fun” resonate deeply here, illustrating how such endeavors, while profitable and appealing on the surface, contribute to a culture of alienation and superficial engagement.
As Forgotten Fantasy straddles the line between an art exhibit and a selfie museum, it forces us to reconsider our relationship with art. Are we here for the art or are we here for the spectacle? Are we willing to do the collective work - with our time, our money, and even our clicks to support, engage, and foster a world that forces us to consume, engage, and create new ideas? I really hope so, because I’d love to see a reimagined Luna Luna where we can all can play without worrying about capturing the moment or making sure everyone knew I was here. I’d love to feel pushed and pulled by things I viscerally respond to and would have never encountered by artists that are building and questioning big beautiful ideas that leave me in awe. I’d love to leave inspired.