The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne unveiled a world-premiere Infinity Mirrored Room by Yayoi Kusama as part of its landmark retrospective, opening on 15 December 2024. Titled “My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light (2024),” the new infinity room represents the artist’s latest exploration of boundless visual realms through reflective surfaces. Transforming a gallery at NGV International, the installation envelops visitors in a spatial illusion of a celestial universe. The experience places visitors at the heart of Kusama’s artistic universe, bridging the gap between physical presence and the infinite.
the Yayoi Kusama exhibition at NGV International, Melbourne until 21 April
2025. Collection of the artist © YAYOI KUSAMA Photo: Sean Fennessy
The exhibition celebrates Yayoi Kusama’s remarkable eight-decade journey, presenting an impressive collection of 200 works, including ten immersive installations that invite viewers into her vibrant world. In addition to the main showcase, NGV’s Great Hall will feature Dots Obsession, an eye-catching installation of enormous inflated spheres. Meanwhile, over 60 trees lining St Kilda Road have been adorned in whimsical pink-and-white polka dots as part of the enchanting Ascension of Polka Dots on the Trees.
along St Kilda Road, Melbourne for the National Gallery of Victoria’s Yayoi
Kusama exhibition until 21 April 2025. © YAYOI KUSAMA. Photo: Tobias Titz
One of the standout features of the exhibition is My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light (2024). In this captivating installation, Kusama invites the audience to enter a mesmerizing world where light and reflection seamlessly merge. Utilizing mirrored surfaces, she crafts an illusion of an infinite celestial landscape, drawing viewers into a realm that feels both boundless and enchanting.
National Gallery of Victoria’s Yayoi Kusama exhibition from 15 December 2024 – 21 April 2025. © YAYOI KUSAMA Photo: Sean Fennessy
The meticulously arranged points of light create a dynamic interplay of brightness and shadow, encouraging contemplation of one’s existence within an endless universe. This latest work builds upon Kusama’s renowned use of mirrors, a technique she first explored in her mirrored environments during the 1960s, effectively blurring the boundaries of spatial perception and inviting deeper introspection.
The NGV presentation proudly marks the global debut of My Heart is Filled to the Brim with Sparkling Light, adding a fresh chapter to Kusama’s renowned series of infinity rooms. Additionally, the exhibition showcases the Australian premiere of her monumental Dancing Pumpkin (2020), a striking 5-meter-tall sculpture adorned in yellow and black polka dots, alongside The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity Will Eternally Cover the Universe (2019), a towering installation featuring intricate tentacular forms.