Jeff Koons’ Moon Phases project is a collection of 125 unique works of art that center on the Moon as a symbol of human curiosity and the desire to achieve. Each work consists of three components: a sculpture that will be installed on the Moon in perpetuity, a sculpture that will stay on Earth, and an NFT that corresponds with the sculptures on the Moon and Earth.
The project is a bold and ambitious undertaking that represents Koons’s vision of art as a way to celebrate human achievement and inspire us to dream big. It is a reminder of our shared humanity and our potential to explore the unknown. His hopeful and transcendent work offers viewers a sense of perspective about their place in the vast universe, encouraging profound reflection and contemplation.
In late 2023, sculptures will make a lunar landing on an Intuitive Machines Nova-C Lunar Lander, which will be launched from the Kennedy Space Center in a fully autonomous mission.
His most ambitious work to date. The project consists of 125 unique works of art, each corresponding to a distinct phase of the Moon. 62 of the works depict the Moon as seen from Earth, 62 depict the Moon as seen from different vantage points in space, and one depicts a lunar eclipse.
Each work of art is associated with a person who has made an accomplishment in human history. The list of names is universal, including individuals from different parts of the world, fields, and time periods. Some of the names include Plato, Nefertiti, Artemisia Gentileschi, Andy Warhol, Gabriel García Márquez, Mahatma Gandhi, Sojourner Truth, Leonardo da Vinci, Ada Lovelace, David Bowie, and Helen Keller.
The names will be individually displayed in front of the Moon Phases sculptures, memorializing the figures on the occasion of the Moon mission. In this way, Koons honors some of the greatest achievements of the past “to inspire future generations”.
One Artwork, Three Components
Lunar Moon Phases Sculpture
The 125 miniature Moon sculptures, each approximately one inch in diameter, will be displayed together on the Moon in a sustainably built, fully transparent, compartmentalized cube. Grouped together, the different Moon Phases, along with the names associated with each phase, represent a collective.
The NFT
Each unique NFT is paired with a sculpture that will reside on the Moon within the cube and a sculpture that will reside on the Earth, cultivating connections between the digital and physical worlds. The NFT itself will include an image of the sculptures installed on the Moon’s surface, as well as other images. Along with the other two components of Moon Phases, the NFT will feature Jeff Koons’s iconic signature.
Earth Moon Phases Sculpture
The project also includes 125 larger sculptures depicting the Moon that will be approximately 15.5 inches tall and remain on the Earth. These large spheres of the Moon with its detailed surface will be mirror reflective stainless-steel—like Koons’s iconic Rabbit—with transparent colors depicting the colors of the Moon’s surface, enabling viewers to enter a dialogue with the artwork and the individual whose name is associated with each phase of the Moon. With these works, Koons continues to explore themes of connectivity and acceptance, which have become hallmarks of his work. The sculptures remaining on the Earth will feature a precious stone, either a white diamond, yellow diamond, blue sapphire, green emerald, or red ruby. The stone’s position on the sculptures will indicate the location of the landing site on the Moon, which will become a Lunar Heritage Site where the related Moon sculptures will be installed permanently.