“Moon Phase”: Jeff Koons shoots his art at the moon – culture

US artist Jeff Koons wants his mini metal spheres to be the first work of art on the moon. But: Andy Warhol beat him to it.

Jeff Koons art is on its way to the moon. How come? The American artist Jeff Koons sent 125 stainless steel sculptures into space yesterday. One of the most expensive contemporary artists is supported by a like-minded person: Elon Musk. The rocket comes from his company SpaceX. The lunar landers containing the balls were developed by the private space company Intuitive Machines. NASA measuring instruments are also on board. They are increasingly supporting private flights to transport their cargo. The flight should last eight days – provided the landing is successful. A private company has never achieved this before.

What does Koon’s artwork look like? Silver Ferrero Rocher chocolates? No! The stainless steel balls, with a diameter of almost three centimeters, represent the different phases of the moon. The work of art is called “Moon Phases”. The eccentric Koons loves staging: That’s why each mini moon has a name – such as “Buddha”, “Leonardo da Vinci”, “Confucius” or “Grace Kelly”. It wouldn’t be a Koons project if it wasn’t also financially extraordinary: In addition to the space moons, Koons also sells larger moon sculptures for the home and NFTs so that you can follow the moon’s charge.

What did Koons do on the moon?? There are video statements, tweets and Instagram posts from Koons about his project – but they are all relatively cryptic. In a video on his gallery’s website, the 69-year-old says the project is about “celebrating and developing humanity’s quest for more – beyond our planet, into the universe.” According to Artnet Koons thought about flying to the moon himself. But his schedule is too full for that.

Who is the artist anyway? Jeff Koons is known for his oversized works of art such as “Balloon Dog” and “Rabbit”. The silver hare was sold in a 2019 sale for more than $91 million. What does this action bring him now? Above all, attention and money, as critical voices say.

Legend:

Jeff Koons created different versions of the “Balloon Dog”: in the colors blue, magenta, yellow, orange and red.

IMAGO / Andia

Is it the first work of art on the moon? If Koons’ mission succeeds, it would be the first authorized work of art on the moon. But: It is not the first work of art on the moon. In 1969, during a secret operation, an initiated NASA engineer is said to have attached a tiny ceramic plate with drawings by six artists to the Apollo 12 landing module. Including the infamous penis drawing by Andy Warhol. It is unclear whether the ceramic plate survived. Another mini-sculpture, an armless aluminum astronaut, by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck is also said to have been on the moon since 1971. A memorial to deceased astronauts. Again, NASA knew nothing about it; it was commissioned by the crew.

Do other artists want to send their art into space? If Koons fails to land on the moon, Sacha Jafri’s artwork could be the first official one on the moon. At the same time as Koons, the British artist tries to send a gold plate with a heart motif to the mouth. His flight is scheduled to take off in March.