Tate Modern presents the chance to experience two of Yayoi Kusama’s infamous ‘Infinity Mirror Rooms’. Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist and writer, has created a series of beautiful, immersive installations allowing you to become one with the art.
We first entered the infinity room called “Chandelier of Grief”. Surrounded by mirrors, the grand chandelier reflects on each surface symmetrically – it is truly dazzling. However, there is a dark aura in this room, reminding us that we experience both beauty and sadness simultaneously. Kusama has faced mental health problems throughout her life, experiencing visual hallucinations, which have influenced her style of work. The mirrors allow you to visualise and lose yourself within the art, making it unique.
In between the two infinity rooms, there are displays of Kusama’s work from across her career. A collection of photographs and moving images provide the context and timeline building up to the creation of the mirror rooms. Kusama lived in New York for many years, which is where she first started making mirror environments in the 1960s. The photographs allow us to further understand the artist, as she is pictured in various stages of her life. Her style is one that is eccentric and eye-catching, just like her installations.
The second infinity mirror room, ‘Filled with the Brilliance of Life”, is one that is completely mesmerising. It feels as if you are gazing up at a star-filled sky. In this room, you move along a walkway over a shallow pool, surrounded by the glittering, colour-changing lights which hang from above you. In Kusama’s visual hallucinations, she becomes ‘obliterated’ by repeated dots – which she attempts to recreate in this room. The lights pulse and change colour, before completely turning off, leaving you in total darkness. We become sensitive to time whilst experiencing Kusama’s infinite space. The longer you remain in this room, the more entranced you become; I felt as if I could stay there forever. Kusama once again captures an intense duality of emotion: we find ourselves marvelling in awe at this display that has been created through her suffering.
This exhibition was extremely captivating, it allows you to revel in the art. Fully sold out until March, it is definitely worth trying to get your hands on tickets for later this year!
Yayoi Kusama
Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life 2011/2017
Tate
Presented by the artist, Ota Fine Arts and Victoria Miro 2015, accessioned 2019
© YAYOI KUSAMA
Get your tickets at: https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/yayoi-kusama-infinity-mirror-rooms
Reviewed by Ridha Sheikh – Ridha is a volunteer writer for Abundant Art. She is a recent History and Politics graduate from Queen Mary – University of London. Ridha is excited to explore and share her strong passion for London’s art scene.
