Montrealers will soon be able to step into several magical creations by contemporary artist Yayoi Kusama. A new exhibition at the PHI Foundation in Montreal's Old Port will showcase the Japanese pop artist's vibrant paintings and signature bronze pumpkin sculptures, along with two of her world-famous 'Infinity Mirrors.' The illuminated installations will immerse viewers in Kusama's intricate designs, reflected on mirrored walls to create the illusion that they go on forever.
To view the masterpieces, visitors will have to enter a room that's stark and white on the outside, but filled with glowing spheres that illuminate and change colour before abruptly going dark. Viewers are left in darkness for a moment before the hanging globes flicker back on, restarting a cycle that's meant to evoke death and rebirth.
The Infinity Mirrors that will be on display are part of her 'Dancing Lights that Flew Up to the Universe' exhibition that uses repetition and reflection to replicate the vastness of the universe.
Kusama’s artistic practices has long featured uncanny combinations of colour, light, and design to encourage viewers to consider their place in the world.
The PHI Foundation show marks the artist’s first solo exhibition in the province. In previous years, the closest that one of Kusama's Infinity Mirrors came to Montreal was five hours away back in 2019. That same year, Toronto's Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) also acquired one of her immersive installations for its permanent collection.
The PHI Foundation showcase will include a reading room with more information about the artist's prolific career. She began producing her works in 1965 and has since reached worldwide fame with many of her Infinity Mirrors going viral on social media.
While admission to see Kusama's work is free, visitors must make a reservation ahead of time.
Yayoi Kusama: Dancing Lights That Flew Up To The Universe
Artist Yayoi Kusama sits in a room filled with colourful circles.
When: July 6, 2022 until January 15, 2023
Where: PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art, 451 & 465 rue Saint-Jean
Cost: Free, but ticket reservations must be made in advance.