Your favourite idiosyncratic installation artist is back! Yayoi Kusama’s delayed NYBG show, Cosmic Nature, is set to open this April.
In 2019 it was announced that the New York Botanical Garden would be hosting a new show by the famous Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama. Art afficionados were especially excited to hear that it would be her first participatory installation, set to change with the seasons across the exhibition. The show was touted as “a multisensory presentation of the artist’s connection with nature”.
Unfortunately, the proposed 2020 run was cancelled due to coronavirus restrictions. But finally, it seems that the show is back on track. The NYBG has announced that Kusama: Cosmic Nature will open on April 10. And the event will of course be run in line with social distancing guidelines.
President of NYBG, Carrie Rebora Barratt, said in a statement,
“We are thrilled to present this unprecedented installation of Yayoi Kusama’s work, including new sculptures made especially for our site. In a lifetime of finding inspiration in nature and pushing against boundaries and biases, she developed a unique lexicon for artistic expression.”
Cosmic Nature
The exhibition will include a participatory greenhouse installation, as well as one of her famed pumpkin sculptures made specifically for the site. Excitingly, the show will also include the iconic Infinity Rooms, large floral sculptures and more.
As Carrie Rebora Barratt explains,
“While these works appear as mostly abstract forms to viewers, they are manifestations of how she sees the universe, specifically the natural world. We are grateful to her for sharing her vision and helping us realise this once-in-a-lifetime display at the Garden for our visitors.”
It remains to be seen whether the Botanical Garden can host visitors inside the installation, due to COVID-19 regulations. In the meantime, it will still be visible from the outside.
Check out NPR’s video showcasing Kusama’s Infinity Rooms below:
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