Whether it’s her larger-than-life pumpkin sculptures or whimsical infinity mirror rooms, one can’t deny the magnetic force the ‘princess of polka dots’ brings to her work. Come December 2024, art enthusiasts will be able to witness this up close at the aptly titled Yayoi Kusama exhibition that will be exclusively held at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne. 

The retrospective exhibition will take up the entire ground floor of the NGV, displaying over 180 works in various mediums the multidisciplinary artist has created throughout her illustrious career – paintings, sculptures, collages, experimental fashion designs, films, installations and more. In addition, rare photographs, film, letters, and other objects from the artist’s personal archives will be showcased to offer a more intimate glimpse into Kusama’s childhood and personal life. This includes a recreation of her New York studio and the psychedelic parties – or ‘happenings’ as she called them – she threw in her exploration of radical ideas. Truly, NGV’s Yayoi Kusama exhibition will be one of the world’s most extensive curations of the Japanese artist’s work. It would certainly be the largest in Australia, at the very least. 

The exhibition’s main attraction will centre on Kusama’s new, never-before-seen kaleidoscopic infinity mirror room. A project that was developed specifically for this collaboration with NGV, it will make its world premiere in Melbourne when the Yayoi Kusama exhibition opens in December. Her other immersive infinity rooms will also be set up along with the new installation. 

This particular Yayoi Kusama exhibition also marks the Australian debut of two other iconic large-scale installations. The first is a towering ‘Dancing Pumpkin’ bronze sculpture at five metres tall and the other features six-metre-high tentacular forms decked in yellow-and-black polka dots occupying a space to create ‘The Hope Of The Polka Dots Buried In Infinity Will Eternally Cover The Universe’.

Those familiar with Kusama’s works from the earlier years of her career might recall this next anticipated sculptural piece which floods the ground with over 1,400 reflective mirrored balls. She named this installation ‘Narcissus Garden’ and first presented it unofficially at the 1966 Venice Biennale – without an invitation. The amusing anecdote goes on to tell the tale of how she, clad in a golden kimono, sold the silver spheres to visitors for a mere US$2 each until the organisers stopped her and even involved the police. While visitors to the Melbourne exhibition might not be able to purchase the shiny orbs, they can instead assist NGV to acquire the whole installation for its Collection through donations. 

The Yayoi Kusama exhibition will follow a thematic chronology, detailing her timeline from her childhood in Matsumoto to her 1957 move to the United States. Elsewhere outside of the showcase of personal artefacts, large-scale sculptures and celebrated room installations, visitors will be treated to a visual, sensory feast of Kusama’s signature polka dots around NGV’s public spaces such as the iconic Waterfall and a sea of ‘Dots Obsession’ (massive balloons) floating around the ceiling of the Great Hall. Parents can also drop by the free children’s galleries for the ‘Kusama for Kids’ experience. 

Yayoi Kusama will open on 15 December 2024 and run until 21 April 2025. Ticket prices start at AUD$38 for adults and can be purchased online via NGV’s website.