Jeff Koons’ Moon Odyssey: The Return of Post-Minimal Sculpture

Abstract

The two-year epic of sending a sculpture by Jeff Koons to the Moon on an expedition aboard the Odysseus spaceship is almost over: the module with the world’s first authorized public sculpture on the surface of another extraterrestrial body of the Solar System made a landing but overturned, entering the phase of hibernation. It is not yet clear whether and when it will be possible to directly land the sculpture on the surface of the Earth’s satellite. However, despite the obstacles of its inhospitable field conditions, the project has, in addition to the orbital conquistador mission, two other functional parts that are quite effective: ground collection consisting of approximated elements of the object, which are advertised in media, and digital NFT site-specific sculpture. Expert analysis of the available information allowed us to state another recycling of the sculptural ideas of the 1960s–1970s, known in art history under the definition of “postminimalism” or “systemic art,” which were associated with the “Art in Public Place” programs of the National Council on Arts and the NASA-compatible program “Space City. USA.” Therefore, a much talked-about breakthrough into new horizons of quasi-modern plastic art has not taken place.