Yayoi Kusama is known worldwide for her impactful installations and art works! She now brings a fantastic work called Narcissus Garden to the Rockaways, at Fort Tilden, New York!
I love everything Yayoi creates and her avant-garde spirit is truly inspiring!
Starting tomorrow, July 1st, the Rockaways will be bustling this summer with people coming to visit the famous Japanese artist, Yayoi Kusama’s new installation.
Narcissus Garden has 1,500 silver stainless reflective spheres installed inside a former train garage.
This is part of MoMA’s PS1 series named “Rockaways”, a yearly arts festival with the goal of recovering the area after the damage caused by Hurricane Sandy, back in 2012.
The installation will be live up through September 3rd!
Location: Studio 7 Gallery, Fort Tilden, Gateway National Recreation Area, Far Rockaway, NY (Map below)
More about the installation:
“MoMA PS1 presents Yayoi Kusama’s (Japan, b. 1929) site-specific installation of Narcissus Garden (1966–present) as the third iteration of Rockaway!, a free public art festival presented with Rockaway Artists Alliance, Jamaica Bay-Rockaway Parks Conservancy, National Park Service, and Bloomberg Philanthropies in the Gateway National Recreation Area at Fort Tilden.
Comprised of 1,500 mirrored stainless steel spheres, Narcissus Garden is on view in a former train garage that dates to the time when Fort Tilden was an active US military base.
The mirrored metal surfaces reflect the industrial surroundings of the now-abandoned building, drawing attention to Fort Tilden’s history as well as the devastating damage inflicted on many buildings in the area by Hurricane Sandy in 2012.
Narcissus Garden was first presented in 1966, when Kusama staged an unofficial installation and performance at the 33rd Venice Biennale.
The silver spheres, originally made from plastic, were installed on the lawn in front of the Italian Pavilion, reflecting the landscape of the exhibition grounds.
Kusama herself stood among them, barefoot and dressed in a gold kimono, alongside yard signs inscribed with the words “Narcissus Garden, Kusama” and “Your Narcissism for Sale.” Throughout the opening day of the exhibition, Kusama remained in the installation, tossing the spheres in the air and offering to sell them to visitors for 1,200 lire (approximately $2) each.
The action, which was viewed both as self-promotion and a critique on the commercialization of contemporary art, would later be seen as a pivotal moment in Kusama’s career as she transitioned from installation toward the radical, politically charged public performances that would be the focus of her work in the late 1960s in New York City.”
For more infos, see MoMA’s website!
Yayoi’s life has been quite a journey! She is know for having quick a journey with a few mental health issues. But, what keeps her alive is surely her beautiful work!
So, if you also adore everything that Yayoi Kusama creates, than this is a must-go exhibition, so don’t waste your time and plan your day trip to the Rockaways!
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Rachel Hoat
Text Experts: MoMA’s website
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*
