WASHINGTON — If you experienced FOMO the last time the Hirshhorn Museum unveiled the viral phenomenon that is "Infinity Mirrors," mark your calendars for April 4: the immersive art experience is coming back in 2020!
The Hirshhorn announced Monday that a mini exhibit of Yayoi Kusama's work, "One with Eternity: Yayoi Kusama in the Hirshhorn Collection," will be on display April 4 through Sept. 20, 2020. The exhibit includes two Infinity Mirror rooms, including Kusama's 1965 installation "Phalli’s Field" and a new room that will be announced soon.
"After a career spanning almost 80 years, Yayoi Kusama is one of the most influential working artists in the world," Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu said. "Her artwork is inextricably linked with our museum’s history and mission: to present the most exciting art and artists of our time."
An early painting, photographs of Kusama and a 1964 sculpture "Flower Overcoat" will also be part of "One with Eternity." Chiu said the exhibition will help cement the Hirshhorn as a "permanent resource" for art enthusiasts to study the full spectrum of the Japanese artist's career.
Kusama has created more than 20 of the mesmeric rooms, allowing visitors to physically partake in the infinite repetition that her paintings are known for. In 2017, the Hirshhorn presented six of the rooms in "Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors." It was the largest collection of her rooms shown together, and drew nearly 160,000 visitors in less than three months.
The museum's yearly attendance doubled to 1.2 million in 2017. The exhibition hashtag #InfiniteKusama reached 91 million Twitter and Instagram accounts, with 330 million impressions on @hirshhorn.
More than 750,000 dot stickers were added to "The Obliteration Room," which began as an all-white room, between Feb. 23 and May 14, 2017.
The Hirshhorn purchased "Phalli’s Field," Kusama's first Infinity Mirror room, in March 2019, to add to its permanent collection, which also includes her 2016 sculpture "Pumpkin."
Just like in 2017, visitors will need timed passes to see the exhibit. The passes are free, but unlike in 2017, you'll need to snag passes in person rather than online. Same day passes will be distributed daily starting at 9 a.m. until the day's supply is given out. Each person over the age of 12 may claim up to two passes.
Museum members will be able to see the exhibit starting March 25, before it opens to the public. Membership packages start at $100 annually.