Drake‘s love for art is almost as well-known as his penchant for appearing in memes making fun of his emo tendencies. Recently, though, he took that hobby to a whole new level. Instead of buying a new piece to prominently display in one of his many mansions dotted around the globe, he’s invested in an entire art amusement park, according to a feature in New York Times.
Housed in a 50,000-square-foot warehouse, Luna Luna, conceived by the Viennese artist André Heller in 1987, contained works from the likes of contemporary art greats like Keith Haring, Roy Lichtenstein, Salvador Dalí, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, but closed down shortly after its opening in 1990. While the project was greeted with enthusiasm by art connoisseurs in West Germany, it didn’t make much money, and plans to sell it to the city of Vienna and tour Europe with it fell through.
And so, for the past 30 years, was consigned to the realm of the historical footnote, gathering dust in Texas for around 15 years. However, when Michael Goldberg, the creative director at American Eagle, found out about Luna Luna online, he became obsessed with the idea of resurrecting it. It was Goldberg who reached out to Drake, who said in a statement: “When I first heard about Luna Luna I was blown away. 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.”
With Drake onboard, a sale was finalized pretty quickly. The works comprising Luna Luna have been restored and a worldwide tour has been planned for the relaunch, akin to similar traveling exhibits like the ones that you always see being advertised on Instagram. And with Drake’s name attached, this time, the hope is that it’ll turn out to be as profitable as everything else his brand has produced.
You can read the fascinating full story here.