Exciting news! The Odysseus spacecraft just landed on the moon, carrying the world’s priciest artist’s work by Jeff Koons. Yep, you heard it right, it’s the first-ever “authorized” art piece on the moon! Jeff Koons swapped the gallery scene for outer space, sending his new sculpture series, “Moon Phases,” on a ride with Odysseus (aka “Odie”).

This historic moment happened on Thursday, and it’s a big deal because it’s the first US moon landing in over 50 years. Odysseus, launched by SpaceX Falcon 9 and managed by Intuitive Machines, made it to the lunar surface after a not-so-successful attempt by the Peregrine spacecraft last month.

Jeff Koons couldn’t contain his excitement, sharing on Instagram how honored he was to be part of this mind-blowing mission. He described the moon landing as an “astounding achievement” and the launch as a “spectacular event,” expressing how unbelievable the whole space experience was.

Now, what did Koons send to decorate the moon? Get ready for it – 125 mini-sculptures of the moon, each about an inch in diameter, named “Moon Phases.” These tiny wonders showcase 62 phases visible from Earth, 62 from other viewpoints in space, and a lunar eclipse. And here’s the cool part – each sculpture is dedicated to a legendary figure like Aristotle, David Bowie, Gandhi, and more.

But wait, there’s more! Koons added a commercial twist to his space project. Pace Verso, the NFT branch of Pace, is selling NFTs of each sculpture, and Koons made larger physical sculptures for us Earthlings. These stand 15.5 inches tall, made from reflective stainless steel, just like his famous $91.1 million “Rabbit” sculpture, and each has a diamond, sapphire, or ruby marking Odie’s landing spot.

This isn’t the first time art touched the moon – in 1971, Apollo 15 astronauts left an aluminum figure by Belgian artist Paul Van Hoeydonck. And rumor has it, in 1969, artists like Andy Warhol and friends sent a tiny ceramic tile with drawings to the moon aboard Apollo 12.

Odie’s landing comes at a time when countries like India and Japan are in their own space race, launching successful lunar missions. But the moon art race is officially over, with Jeff Koons beating Dubai-based artist Sacha Jafri, whose artwork faced a fiery end on the Peregrine last month.

So, there you have it – art has officially touched down on the moon, and Jeff Koons is over the moon about it! 🚀🌕