As the Odysseus spacecraft made a historic touchdown on the moon last Thursday, Feb. 22, Jeff Koons followed up with his own momentous breakthrough, as his "Moon Phases" sculpture was the first artwork to "officially" find its new home among the craters.
The artist's new piece hitched a ride on "Odie," also known as IM-1, while encapsulated in a translucent box. It first embarked on the journey last Feb. 15 and was launched via the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, as aided by the Houston-based aerospace company, Intuitive Machines.
"Odie's" success marks 50 years since the US first graced the celestial body and is the second attempt at doing so after the failed Peregrine project burned in the atmosphere last month due to a propellant leak.
'Moon Phases,' the First 'Authorized' Art on Lunar Surface
Koons celebrated the once-in-a-lifetime achievement just moments after the IM-1 spacecraft made contact with the moon, posting on Instagram with captions that read: "I am so honored to have my Moon Phases artworks be part of the Odysseus mission!"
Last week, he also described the "spectacular event" of "Odie's" launch, writing, "In person, the scale, the forces, the experience of space being penetrated was unbelievable!"
As for the Koons piece aboard the spacecraft, it contains, as previously mentioned, 125 miniature depictions of its namesake, the "Moon Phases."
Each small part of the sculpture measures just about one inch in diameter, showing the complete 62-phase "transformation" the moon undergoes in two viewpoints, one from space and one from Earth. The piece also includes a depiction of the rare lunar eclipse.
Inscribed in all the small pieces of the artwork are the names of every notable and preeminent figure in various fields, which include Leonardo da Vinci, Gandhi, Billie Holiday, Gabriel García Márquez, Aristotle, David Bowie, Andy Warhol, and Virginia Woolf. The full list of the names can be found here.
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The Meaning Behind 'Moon Phases'
According to the website of Koons' art gallery, Pace, the artist himself "has drawn inspiration from the Moon as a symbol of curiosity and determination."
"Hopeful and transcendent, his new project offers viewers a sense of perspective about their place in the vast universe, encouraging profound reflection and contemplation," it wrote.
While art collectors and investors themselves won't vie to acquire the space-flung artwork, Koons and his team at Pace Verso-the NFT hub of Pace-offer NFTS of each differing "phase" of the sculpture.
In addition, Koons is also preparing to make a larger version of the "Moon Phases," reserved for exhibition here on our planet. This iteration will comprise 15.5-inch-tall pieces from the sculpture and will be made out of the same reflective stainless steel material the one aboard "Odie" was produced from.
