Thanks to a nearly $100 million contribution, Drake has brought a 35-year-old art-themed carnival back to life.
The New York Times reports that in 1987, a carnival ride complex called Luna Luna, which was modeled after Luna Park in Coney Island, New York, opened in Hamburg, Germany. It featured rides created by well-known artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Salvador Dali, and Keith Haring.
The Austrian artist André Heller’s carnival was rapidly plagued by financial problems, and the numerous pieces have been in storage for more than 30 years.
With the carnival, Heller claimed he hoped to “create a large bridge between the so-called avant-garde — the artists who were occasionally a little snooty and didn’t connect with the masses — and the so-called average people.”
When the concept was brought to Drake’s creative venture company, DreamCrew, he became involved, and the rest is history.
“When I first heard about Luna Luna I was blown away,” Drake told the Times. “It’s such a unique and special way to experience art. This is a big idea and opportunity that centers around what we love most: bringing people together.”
Heller has given up all management of Luna Luna as Drizzy’s DreamCrew has taken over the business. The carnival equipment has been moved, and the restoration in Los Angeles is now fully operational.
If all goes as planned, an official tour run is planned for the fall of 2023, and Luna Luna will then be carried abroad in 2024 with a combination of original artwork pieces along with freshly commissioned structures.
“It feels miraculous that the artworks from Luna Luna will again see the light of day, and I am honored that a new generation around the world will experience the wonder of Luna Luna for many years to come,” Heller added.
With their collaborative album Her Loss, Drake, and 21 Savage took the top place on the Billboard 200 and sold 411,000 equivalent units in its first week. According to reports, one of the largest streaming weeks ever was produced by Drake and 21’s collaborative album, with over 500 million streams.
Drake had previously debuted at the top of the Billboard 200 with his seventh studio album, Honestly, Nevermind, which was released in June.
