If you’ve ever come across photos with the concept of infinite mirrors and lights on Instagram, you’re already familiar with the work of acclaimed Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. The 91-year old’s famous installation ‘Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life’ and another equally striking artwork, ‘Chandelier of Grief’ is all set to be exhibited in the Tate Modern Museum in the spring of 2021.
The show was initially supposed to open this year for Tate Modern’s 20th anniversary but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since its inception, Tate has become synonymous with accessible art and is responsible for changing stereotypical art perceptions. It is now the most visited museum of modern and contemporary art. Tate has fostered legendary artists like Kusama and also given space for budding artists to showcase their work.
The first installation, Infinity Mirror Rooms, was first exhibited in the gallery in the year 2012 and has been brought back due to popular demand. It features hundreds of small flickering LED lights in different colour configurations giving the illusion of infinity. The other Mirror Room features a chandelier that hangs on a rotating mechanism along with pulsating lights. It creates the illusion of an endless universe of rotating crystal chandeliers.
Kusama rose to fame in the tough male-dominated 1960s New York Avant-Garde scene and today is probably one of the most influential artists. She has handled subjects like anti-war sentiments and women’s rights with her bright polka dot style throughout the years. Apart from being interested in social issues, she has also used art as a medium to start a discourse about mental health, as she faced these issues herself. Her inspiration for the repeated dot patterns comes from her hallucinations of flashes of light, auras, or dense fields of dots. She started with abstract expressionism in paintings and sculptures and now has successfully transitioned into mesmerizing immersive installations like the Infinity Mirror Rooms. Fans will get to see Kusama’s work In Tate till the spring of 2022. Tickets will cost non-members £5.
