Of the Moon and Chandeliers
Tate Modern
While at the Tate Modern, I had the chance to catch Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirror Rooms, which was just about the coolest exhibition I’ve ever seen.
The exhibitions consisted of immersive installations using lights and mirrors to create the illusion of wide spaces spreading infinitely around you. The exhibition included two installations: Chandelier of Grief and Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life.
Chandelier of Grief was originally created in 2016. You’re allowed to enter a room with a hexagonal structure at the center, which uses the chandelier and its reflections to create a landscape that is replicated across what looks like infinity.
Infinity Mirrored Room – Filled with the Brilliance of Life was created in 2011, and for this one you actually traverse a space.
The trick is that the space is very narrow, and to step off the path means stepping onto a shallow pool of water that helps in adding to the reflections in the installation.
Here, the lights pulsate, change colors, and even briefly (and sort of terrifyingly) blink out for a few seconds, leaving you in utter darkness.
Gold Colored Fox 