Yayoi Kusama | Museum Ludwig
Exhibitions
Kusama (born 1929 in Matsumoto) is one of the most renowned artists of our time. Her iconic polka dots, pumpkin sculptures, and mirrored infinity rooms have become a kind of trademark, appearing millions of times on social media. The exhibition takes visitors on a fascinating journey through Kusama's entire oeuvre, featuring over 300 works, from his first drawing around 1934 to the present day, and encompassing a wide range of artistic media, including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation, fashion, performance, and literature.Beyond the entire temporary exhibition space of the Museum Ludwig, the large-scale exhibition will also utilize other areas of the building, such as the rooftop terrace with its view of the cathedral. A new, immersive spatial installation, conceived specifically for the exhibition and featuring an integrated Infinity Mirror Room, will fill the museum's largest hall. In addition, early iconic works, such as Kusama's first installation, Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show, created in 1963 , will be on display.At the heart of Kusama's work lies nature in its constant change, becoming and passing away, as well as the infinity of the universe in which all that exists ultimately dissolves. The polka dot patterns with which the artist covers objects and people are as much an expression of this worldview as her infinity mirrored rooms.Experiences from her childhood, including hallucinations in which she perceived her own body and surroundings as overgrown with dots, blossoms, and other repetitive patterns, permeate Kusama's entire oeuvre. Fragility and annihilation are as much a part of these experiences as participation in and merging with a greater whole. For Kusama, her art is a vital necessity; each of her works is also an exploration of herself.After a childhood and adolescence in rural, patriarchal postwar Japan, Kusama escaped the confines of her homeland and moved to New York in the late 1950s, a time of the Flower Power movement and the Vietnam War. There, she took a political stance and made headlines with provocative happenings. In 1973, Kusama returned to Japan and processed her existential anxieties in often unflinching novels and poems. In her powerful later work, she once again created vibrant and richly colored series of paintings.Kusama describes her guiding principle when she says: “In my more than seventy years as an artist, I have always had awe of the miracle of life. More than anything else, this strong sense of life force has supported me in artistic expression and given me the strength to overcome feelings of depression, hopelessness, and sadness. I have allowed myself to be guided by my belief in this power.”Yayoi Kusama is organized by the Museum Ludwig in collaboration with the Fondation Beyeler, Riehen/Basel (October 12, 2025 – January 25, 2026) and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam (September 12, 2026 – January 17, 2027).The Cologne leg of the exhibition will feature several large installation works that are not part of the Basel exhibition, such as Kusama's first installation, Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show, created in 1963; the environment I'm Here but Nothing (2000/2026), a living room bathed in black light with countless fluorescent adhesive dots ; and the imposing, colorfully painted bronze flowers Flowers That Speak All about My Heart Given to the Sky , which will be installed on the roof terrace of the Museum Ludwig.
