The current Yayoi Kusama retrospective at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is attracting sell-out crowds for its mesmerizing exhibits that appeal to all ages
When Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective opened at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (TAMA) last month, tickets for all of November sold out in days -- and ticket sales had to be extended to run through all of December as well. The upshot is that many more Israelis will now get a chance to see what has been “ranked one of the ten biggest and best art exhibitions opening in 2021 around the world.”
TAMA is presenting the first-ever retrospective in this country of renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, one of the most important contemporary artists living today. At the age of 92, the nonagenarian is still creating today, while living voluntarily in a psychiatric institution in her native country.
The impressive retrospective the most monumental ever hosted by TAMA, spanning almost 3,000 square meters in six galleries of the museum’s two buildings (and even outdoors).
The approximately 200 works in the exhibit cover the themes of the six leading creative periods in the seven-decade span of her career, including her iconic Infinity Nets, Spirits of Pumpkins, Ascensions of Polka Dots and Narcissus Gardens.
Kusama is truly an international phenomenon, beginning in the 1950’s in New York City, where she was a peer of Andy Warhol, and extending to her collaboration with the brands of Louis Vuitton in 2012. Her retrospectives have been featured in the leading museums of every major country in the world, drawing more than five million visitors over the last seven years.
Kusama’s body of work runs the gamut of artistic expression, from painting and sculpture to performance and installation. Interesting videos of her life and modes of expression are also being screened as part of the TAMA retrospective. (Note: While the exhibit is definitely recommended for children, whose tickets are discounted, some of the more controversial video content is not appropriate for viewing by minors.)
An introduction to the retrospective, including an online catalogue, may be viewed on the museum’s website. Tickets, to specified dates and times, may be purchased here.
Yayoi Kusama: A Retrospective. The Tel Aviv Museum of Art. 27 Shlomo Hamelekh Blvd, Tel Aviv. Tel. (03) 607-7020.