On May 11, the legendary London gallery’s 20th birthday, Tate Modern is launching a year-long exhibition dedicated to the one and only Yayoi Kusama. Best known for her love of dot patterns, the influential Japanese artist will have two of her infamous “infinity rooms” on display as part of the anniversary celebration.
If the concept of an “infinity room” sounds familiar, it’ll be because Kusama’s immersive spaces, filled with mirrors and glowing sculptures, have a distinct reputation as being too Instagrammable for their own good. In early 2017, when one called “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” was on show at Washington D.C.’s Hirshhorn Museum, a visitor to the exhibit tripped and fell while attempting to take a selfie, crushing one of the pumpkin sculptures inside. Haven’t we all been there?
However, the rooms in this year’s showcase are set to be decidedly pumpkin-free. The works on display are the mesmerising Chandelier of Grief, an artwork set up around a rotating, Swarovski crystal chandelier; and Infinity Mirrored Room — Filled With the Brilliance of Life, the miracle product of mixing water, mirrored tiles, and LED lights, which is one of Kusama’s largest ever installations. In addition to the infinity rooms, the exhibit is also said to include photography and footage from the artist’s studio and early performance works.
In a statement about the anniversary celebrations, the Tate Modern’s director Frances Morris said that artists like Kusama “not only represent our commitment to great artists with truly international careers, but they also embody art’s journey from the avant-garde of the early 20th century to the immersive installations being created today.” Aw. But the social media pull is definitely a plus too.