Yayoi Kusama, Love Is Calling, 2013, wood, metal, glass mirrors, tile, acrylic panel, rubber, blowers, lighting element, speakers, and sound, courtesy of David Zwirner, New York; Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; KUSAMA Enterprise. Image © Yayoi Kusama
‘Kusama: At the End of the Universe’ – MFAH Houston On view at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston from June 12 to September 18, 2016, ‘Kusama: At the End of the Universe’ displays two of the artist’s signature infinity rooms —Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity (2009) and Love Is Calling (2013)]]>
Source: Museum of Fine Arts Houston
Kusama, recently named one of TIME magazine’s “100 Most Influential People,” has worked in an expansive array of media since the 1950s, including painting, drawing, sculpture, film, performance art, and design. Her infinity rooms—environments lined with mirrors that confound viewers’ perception of spatial limits—are among her most beloved works, and are the focus of the present exhibition. Kusama: At the End of the Universe also reflects the two complementary aspects of Kusama’s career. “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity,” newly acquired by the MFAH, reflects the artist’s fascination with the intangible, while “Love Is Calling” demonstrates Kusama’s engagement with our physical environment. The exhibition is further supplemented by one of Kusama’s monumental yellow and black polka-dotted fiberglass pumpkins, which will welcome visitors at the entrance to the gallery.
“We’re especially thrilled to welcome Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity to its permanent home so swiftly following its acquisition this spring,” said director Gary Tinterow. “This exhibition will offer visitors to the Museum this summer a chance to experience its magic for the first time, in contemplative counterpoint to the exuberance of Kusama’s Love Is Calling.”
“Aftermath of Obliteration of Infinity” (2009) is an intimate space illuminated by an array of golden lights that ignite and then fade into darkness. Viewers enter and stand in the center of the room, finding themselves enveloped by a seemingly infinite horizon and then confronted by an equally infinite void. “Love Is Calling” (2013) greets viewers who pass through the room with glowing, tentacle-like forms that shoot up from the floor and hang down from the ceiling. Covered in the artist’s signature polka dots, these soft sculptures constantly change color. Further amplifying the experience is a sound recording of Kusama’s voice as she recites a love poem in Japanese, which echoes through the installation.
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Yayoi Kusama – Retrospective at the Whitney Museum (exhibition, 2012)
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