Yayoi Kusama

Ok, so who on earth would ever think "I'm going to hang a heap of coloured ping-pong balls from the ceiling of a dark room lit by ultra-violet light with walls made of mirrors and light them all from the inside". Well evidently Yayoi Kasuma did. She called it Soul under the moon.

As you may have guessed it is currently showing at the fantastic current exhibition at GoMA, 21st Century: Art in the First Decade . You wouldn't be far wrong if you thought this room was located in another world, that is exactly how it feels when you enter. The automatic door slides open and you are transported into a world in which only light exists and everything is a mystery. The ground falls away beneath you and you wonder if you stepped off of the platform you would simply fall into nothingness forever. You are left wondering which of the things you are seeing are real and which are merely creations of light and mirrors. You are confronted with many glowing version of yourself which fade into infinity.

By using mirrors Kusama has created an artwork which is literally never-ending therefore exploring the concept of infinity, which is, naturally, a very hard concept for any human to grasp. Walls in a room are designed to contain something and define the space, however this room does not. Kusama has created a realm in which these mind-boggling oppositions create a rewarding experience and make the viewer truly feel. It's amazing.

References

Photos by myself.

[Gallery of Modern Art, Art in the 21st Century: The 1st Decade, Yayoi Kusama, Soul under the moon.]