EVENT #1: Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions Light Years Away

Before returning home to Colorado, I went to the Broad Art Museum one last time. If you haven’t gone yet, I highly recommend bearing the LA traffic and making the trip downtown. In the two times I’ve gone, I’ve been lucky enough to experience Yayoi Kusama’s “Infinity Mirrored Room – The Souls of Millions Light Years Away.”

Probably the best selfie I've ever taken.

Featuring a mirrored chamber only slightly larger than your average college dorm room, LED lights dangle from ceiling above. Walking out on a platform, you are surrounded by water, and the door is shut behind you. You are left alone completely immersed in the pulsing lights resembling the cosmos. Looking into the mirrors, the size of the room is incomprehensible – you see yourself extending forever. As you look around the room, it’s a truly aesthetic experience; all your senses are stimulated, giving an equally ethereal and meditative vibe.

Though the Infinity Room has acquired great fame and provides a sublime backdrop for the perfect Instagram selfie, I chose it for the psychological experience for each viewer - something that isn’t conveyed by a camera. Though it feels as if you’re transported to outer space, there is an associated uncertainty with this frontier. As the lights flash in and out, occasionally you are left in total darkness. Even if for a brief moment, there is a sense of uneasiness being in the shadows.

Artist Yayoi Kusuma among her creation. 

Outer space remains mysterious, yet a source of exploration for mankind. However, with any outward leap of faith, there is an opportunity for inward reflection. The possibilities in front of you are endless, but which direction to go? Kusuma’s work is often inspired by hallucinations due to mental illness, but she uses her artistic manifestation of outer space (an often science related field) as an outlet for self-expression to capture the “observation of nature, but from an inner mindscape.”

(if you're watching with sound, I apologize for the background noise. I took this right as they were opening the door for me to leave the room. Generally, the room is experienced in silence.)

In a previous post, I discussed the “Two Cultures” of art and science. Both aren’t incredibly different and often follow similar thought processes. At the core of both, an artist or scientist strives for discovery. The essence driving art and science lies not in the product, but the given result and its effect on the lives of others. As we’ve seen through study, when integrated, these results are extraordinary and innovative. Maybe after experiencing infinity, we can reevaluate our current musings and will face the future with an open mind.

Sources:

Grimes, William. "Lights, Mirrors, Instagram! #ArtSensation." New York Times. NYTimes, 1 Dec. 2003. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/02/arts/design/yayoi-kusamas-mirrored-room-at-david-zwirner-gallery.html>.

"Biography." Yayoi Kusuma. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.yayoi-kusama.jp/e/information/index.html>.

"Journey to Mars." NASA. NASA, n.d. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://www.nasa.gov/topics/journeytomars/index.html>.

"Yayoi Kusama Art." Artsy. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.https://www.artsy.net/artist/yayoi-kusama

"Yayoi Kusama - Exhibition at Tate Modern | Tate." Tate Modern. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 June 2016.http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/yayoi-kusama

Images:
Grainda, Gina, perf. Infinity Room. YouTube, 2016. Web. 29 June 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEOFnJXRsj4>.

Infinity Room, The Broad. Personal photograph by author. 9 June 2016.

"Yayoi Kusuma." The Broad. The Broad, 2015. Web. 29 June 2016. <http://www.thebroad.org/art/yayoi-kusama>.