February 25, 2017

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, February 23 – May 14, 2017

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors is the first exhibition to explore the evolution of the celebrated Japanese artist’s immersive, kaleidoscopic Infinity Mirror Rooms, alongside a selection of her other key works, some never before seen in the U.S. The works include six of Kusama’s Infinity Mirror, as well as large-scale paintings, whimsical installations, sculpture and rare archival material from her 65-year-career. From her radical performances in the 1960’s, when she staged underground polka dot Happenings on the streets of New York, to her latest Infinity Mirror Room, All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, 2016, the Hirshhorn exhibition showcases Kusama’s full range of talent for the first time in D.C.

“Yayoi Kusama, who, at this stage of her career, is a worldwide phenomenon, has the ability to inspire audiences of all ages with the power of her art. It is a privlege and an honor to collaborate with our four partnering institutions to offer audiences across North America the opportunity to experience more than six decades of her artistic output,” said Melissa Chiu, the Hirshhorn’s director.

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The Hill, 1953 A (No. 30), 1953. Gouache, pastel, oil paint, and wax on paper, 14 3/8 x 12 3/8 in. (36.3 x 31.4 cm). Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC. Museum Purchase, 1996 (96.6). © Yayoi Kusama. Photo credit: Cathy Carver

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Infinity Nets Yellow, 1960. Oil paint on canvas, 94 1/2 x 116 in. (240 x 294.6 cm). National Gallery of Art, Washington. Gift of the Collectors Committee (2002.37.1). © Yayoi Kusama

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Flower Overcoat, 1964. Cloth overcoat, plastic flowers, metallic paint, and wood hanger, 50 3/4 x 28 7/8 x 5 3/4 in. (128.9 x 73.3 x 14.6 cm). Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, DC. Joseph H. Hirshhorn Bequest and Purchase Funds, 1998 (98.38). © Yayoi Kusama. Photo credit: Lee Stalsworth

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Installation view of Infinity Mirror Room—Phalli’s Field, 1965, in Floor Show, Castellane Gallery, New York, 1965. Sewn stuffed cotton fabric, board, and mirrors. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. © Yayoi Kusama. Photo: Eikoh Hosoe

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Flower, 1975. Collage with pastel, ink, fabric on paper, 15 5/8 x 21 3/8 in. (39.8 x 54.3 cm). Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. © Yayoi Kusama

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The Obliteration Room, 2002 to present. Furniture, white paint, and dot stickers. Dimensions variable. Collaboration between Yayoi Kusama and Queensland Art Gallery. Commissioned Queensland Art Gallery, Australia. Gift of the artist through the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation 2012. Collection: Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia. Photograph: QAGOMA Photography. © Yayoi Kusama

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Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity, 2009. Wood, mirror, plastic, acrylic, LED, black glass, and aluminum. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. © Yayoi Kusama

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Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, 2013. Wood, metal, glass mirrors, plastic, acrylic panel, rubber, LED lighting system, acrylic balls, and water, 113 1/4 x 163 1/2 x 163 1/2 in. Courtesy of David Zwirner, N.Y. © Yayoi Kusama

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Searching for Love, 2013. Acrylic on canva. Collection of Miyoung Lee and Neil Simpkins. Image © Yayoi Kusama. Courtesy of David Zwirner, New York; Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo / Singapore; Victoria Miro, London

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Pumpkin, 2014. Plastic and polyurethane paint Installation at Benesse Art Site Naoshima, Kagawa. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. © Yayoi Kusama

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All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, 2016. Wood, mirror, plastic, black glass, LED Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo / Singapore and Victoria Miro, London. © Yayoi Kusama

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All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins, 2016. Wood, mirror, plastic, black glass, LED Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo / Singapore and Victoria Miro, London. © Yayoi Kusama

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Yayoi Kusama with recent works in Tokyo, 2016. Photo by Tomoaki Makino. Courtesy of the artist © Yayoi Kusama

“As Yayoi Kusama’s work is realized in different spaces, each venue will offer a unique sensory journey through Kusama’s world,” said Hirshhorn Associate Curator Mika Yoshitake, who organized the exhibition. “When visitors explore the exhibition, they will inevitably become part of the works themselves, challenging their preconceived notions of autonomy, time and space.”

Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors is organized by the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. The exhibition will travel to five major museums in the United States and Canada, including the Seattle Art Museum (June 30–Sept. 10, 2017), The Broad in Los Angeles (Oct. 21, 2017–Jan. 10, 2018), the Art Gallery of Ontario (March 3—May 27, 2018), the Cleveland Museum of Art (July 9–Sept. 30, 2018), and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta (Nov. 18, 2018–Feb. 17, 2019)

Images courtesy Hirshhorn Museum.