Images and thoughts from a recent visit to the Tate Modern to see the Infinity Mirror rooms by Yayoi Kusama.
All photographs ©ShaunArmstrong2022
Yayoi Kusama, Tate Modern - April 2022
I first came across the name Kusama in 2010 as a result of the so-titled 10” EP by The Duke Spirit in 2010 as the Japanese multi-media artist was a muse to lead singer Leila Moss. Whilst I’d seen some of her polka-dot work over the years I thought I’d find out more when Tate Modern opened an exhibition last year.
The Infinity Rooms opened in May 2021, but with Covid impacts and an unprecedented ability for tickets to sell out months in advance, even for Members, a visit had been a while coming. The exhibit is now in its third block of extension and now sold out until September 2022.
Having seen a few images of the main room “Filled with The Brilliance of Life” and it being described as “one of Kusama’s largest installations to date” I was expecting something grand that I could immerse myself in and be transported to otherworldly planes of reflection (none intended) and contemplation…
Filled With The Brilliance of Life. Image ©ShaunArmstrong
You get two (it seems less) ushered-in-and-out minutes in an approx 5m x 5m box, it may be less, with a few other folk. Oh, and mind where you step.
No, really.
Well, to be fair you get two minutes in two 5m x 5m boxes as the exhibit (in one room) also has another mirror space “Chandelier of Grief” worked on a similar basis which I enjoyed (not really) with a young couple and a toddler.
The effect of the lights and mirrors to create the infinite patterns you expect to see is very clever in such a tight space but the, unfortunately necessary experience-management, coupled with my inability to not be inspired to photograph artwork spaces, meant it was all over pretty quickly. I could have spent a long while - this was one installation where a VR headset, some headphones with paired audio and a nice chair would have made all the difference.
The objective and sensibility of what the work aims to communicate and challenge is very much understood and appreciated but neutered through the viewing process, in my opinion.
To be fair you can go around and queue again, as much as you like, not that this is made overly apparent, but I never felt that ability to engage with an immersive artwork or space like I hoped I would. Twice was fine.
In addition to these spaces, there was some film and photography on the long and extraordinary life of Yayoi Kusama which was enlightening. Her ability to stay living (just) close to the edge of mental health whilst producing many ground-breaking works over her 90 years is indeed amazing.
The visit, as always, brought more opportunity to add to my At The Gallery project, observing the interplay between visitor and visited, not only at the Kusama exhibit, but the new and extensive Surrealism Beyond Borders exhibit and around Tate Modern generally.
