Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Mirrors Exhibit
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Health Wellness

What It's Like To Stand In An Infinity Room

Yayoi Kusama's Infinity Rooms has allowed us to travel in a dimension of space and time.

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Yayoi Kusama is one of the world's most celebrated contemporary female artists, most known for her eccentric style of art and her installed sculptures, especially her mirror rooms. Her rooms emit a sense of another world and dimension of space and time. In these mirror rooms, Kusama explores the themes of life, death, love, and where we stand in the universe.

I had the lucky experience of going to one of these infinity mirrors exhibits. Until September 30, 2018, the Cleveland Art Museum is proudly displaying her infinity rooms. Here, guests have the opportunity to stand in six rooms, ranging anywhere from 20-30 seconds.

I took pictures of the rooms that photography was allowed, and I will share them with you here today!


So first off, this is what each room looks like from the outside. They're just a metallic box that shows no windows and seals off any light from the outside. Before you enter each room, there is a station where you can put your purse so that way you won't accidentally spill something or knock some art down.

Outside of First Infinity RoomElizabeth Craft

This first room titled "Where The Lights In My Heart Go" (2016) was a simple small room with white lights protruding from the mirrored walls. When inside, it felt like I was floating in space with a thousand tiny stars surrounding me. This was the "appetizer" room to prepare my family and I for bigger and better rooms.

Where The Lights In My Heart Go (2016)Elizabeth Craft


The second room known as "Phalli's Field" was made in 1965. Kusama hand-sewn each object and then used mirrors to create an endless repetition since sewing a room full of these objects was mentally and physically exhausting. Fun Fact: Kusama was afraid of sexual intercourse, so she coped with her fear by creating artwork around sex, including this room.

Phalli's Field (1965)Elizabeth Craft


The third room was created by Kusama on her 80th birthday, and it features lantern-esque hanging lights that would glow, disappear, and repeat. This cycle represents how we all will eventually die and blossom into eternity. The name of this exhibit is "Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity" (2009).

Aftermath Of Obliteration Of Eternity (2009)Elizabeth Craft


The fourth room titled "Love Transformed Into Dots" (2007) is a hexagonal room filled with vinyl spheres covered in dots, something that Kusama is obsessed with. The room glows with pink light, and there is a psychedelic love feel in the air.

Love Transformed Into Dots (2007)Elizabeth Craft



The fifth room wasn't really a room, per se. You and another individual would stick your head through opposing windows, and you could watch as the other person and you are projected through infinity via "Love Forever" (1966). I wasn't allowed to take pictures of this one, so enjoy this picture of someone else looking through the window.

Love Forever (1966)Alexander Andrew



I wasn't allowed to take a picture of the sixth room either, but this gentleman below has done us the honor of sharing what "All The Eternal Love I Have For The Pumpkins" looks like from the inside. Created in 2016, this room explores Kusama's fascination with kabochas, which are Japanese pumpkins. The exhibit explained that Kusama became fascinated with pumpkins when one spoke to her as a child. To Kusama, pumpkins radiate energy and Kusama's childhood and alter ego.

All The Eternal Love I Have For The Pumpkins (2016)c1.staticflickr.com


The seventh room was my most favorite room of all. "The Souls Of Millions Of Light Years Away" (2013) allowed people to travel through space and explore the cosmos without ever leaving Earth. In Kusama's eyes, this is what the infinite universe and galaxy is like.

The Souls Of Millions Of Light Years Away (2013)Elizabeth Craft


The eighth room was the most fun to spend time in since there was no time limit and everybody got to put stickers on the wall. Below is a sheet of stickers an attendant handed me. This room is known as the "Obliteration Room," first established in 2011 as an interactive kids exhibit. Here, people stick dots on everything in the room to eventually obliterate it with color.

Dot StickersElizabeth Craft

There were everyday furniture pieces in the room such as a lamp, couch, TV, chairs, tables, shelves, and anything you can find in an everyday house.

Obliteration Room (2011)Elizabeth Craft

Obliteration Room (2011)Elizabeth Craft

Obliteration Room (2011)Elizabeth Craft

Obliteration Room (2011)Elizabeth Craft


Overall, this was a great once in a lifetime experience. The tickets were hard to come by; they came on sale every Monday at 9:00 A.M., and you had to wait in line online to purchase a ticket. I logged on at 8:55, and I had to wait about an hour just to grab some tickets. Even though you only spend about 20-30 seconds in each room, the entire experience took about an hour since we had to wait in line for a majority of the time. If you decide to go to this exhibit, make sure you wear comfy shoes, have a battery charger (if your phone runs out of battery quickly), and don't forget to put the phone down and look around in the mirrors instead of taking selfies the whole time. Taking a video might be the best option since you can look around while not having to focus your camera. If you do take selfies, just take one or two. I promise your face will be fine.


If you cannot make it to the Cleveland Art Museum before September 30, the infinity mirrors will be in various other places while on tour. Hopefully you can go and experience this amazing exhibit!

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
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