Moon phases
Jeff Koons sends art to the moon
Artwork by Jeff Koons is now on the moon. photo
© Armin Weigel/dpa
He is a superstar of the international art scene; his works are among the most expensive in the world. With his new project, Jeff Koons has achieved a completely different superlative.
The 69-year-old is known, among other things, for his “Balloon Dog” sculptures. In 2019, his rabbit sculpture achieved a price record for a work by a living artist at an auction in New York with almost $91.1 million.
From Bowie to Gandhi
The “Moon Phases” series – consisting of 125 mini moons made of stainless steel – depict different phases of the earth’s satellite. They each have a diameter of about 2.5 centimeters. The work of art will be installed in a transparent cube on the moon, as the company Intuitive Machines and the online gallery Pace Verso announced before the mission began. Each moon bears the name of an important person in human history, including Aristotle, David Bowie, Leonardo da Vinci and Gandhi.
“Moon Phases deals with humanity’s global quest beyond Earth into the universe,” Koons explained the work of art on his website. In addition to the sculptures on the moon, a larger version of the “Moon Phases” remains on Earth. It was a “great honor” that his artwork was part of the lunar mission, Koons wrote on Instagram.
Moon becomes a “museum”
However, “Moon Phases” is not the first work of art on Earth’s satellite. A work of art has been lying in the moondust since 1971. At that time, Apollo 15 crew members left behind a small aluminum figure by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck and a memorial plaque for 14 astronauts and cosmonauts who died in the line of duty.
The “Nova-C” lander, nicknamed “Odysseus,” was launched into space about a week ago. With the arrival of “Odysseus” on the moon, a commercial moon landing was successful for the first time in the history of space travel.