Yayoi Kusama: Where the Lights in My Heart Go

For nearly seventy years, Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has focused on themes of eternity, the sublime, and cosmic infinity across a wide range of media and genres. Central to Kusama’s practice is her acclaimed Infinity Mirror Rooms series—immersive environments in which mirrors create the illusion of an expansive, infinite space. Transcending the Pop, Minimalist, Happenings, and feminist movements of the 1960s, Kusama continues to create works that straddle the tenets central to each of these movements. Her output often incorporates polka dots, reflective surfaces, and all matter of bulbous and natural forms.

The AAM presents Where the Lights in My Heart Go (2016), a ten-by-ten-foot polished stainless-steel room with a mirrored interior. Small holes in the walls and ceiling allow ambient light to penetrate the darkened room. Multiplied by the reflective mirrored surfaces, these pinholes of light create an immersive kaleidoscopic experience inside the room. Its mirrored exterior creates the illusion of a continuously expanding universe, toying with our sense of visual perception.

Visitor Interaction Guidelines

Your free admission includes access to Where the Lights in My Heart Go during regular museum hours. No additional tickets are needed to visit this presentation. However, lines may be lengthy, so please plan your visit accordingly.

This sculpture is activated by ambient light and thus visitor experiences may vary depending on conditions.
The installation is designed to accommodate up to two visitors at a time. When a line to enter the installation has formed, viewing time is limited to one minute.
Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult inside the installation.
To preserve this fragile artwork, visitors will be required to wear protective booties over their shoes. Gloves may also be provided and required for entry.
Purses, handbags, backpacks, and other personal items will not be allowed inside the installation. Visitors will be able to temporarily and safely store these items outside of the installation.
Cell phones and handheld cameras are allowed inside the installation at the discretion of our Guide staff. Please be aware that the interior floor and walls are delicate and can be damaged if a device is dropped.
While the AAM is committed to providing accessibility to all visitors and welcomes people using wheelchairs throughout the Museum, this specific installation is not accessible by wheelchair. We apologize for the inconvenience.
No animals of any kind, including service animals, are allowed inside this work.

Due to the special nature of the Yayoi Kusama presentation, the AAM’s passenger elevator will not stop on Level 2 between December 20, 2019 and February 23, 2020. If elevator access is needed to the Oscar Murillo exhibition or the Kusama Infinity Mirror Room, please let us know so that we may assist you.

Yayoi Kusama: Where the Lights in My Heart Go

Related Programs

Opening Reception Yayoi Kusama: Where the Lights in My Heart Go

Opening Reception
Yayoi Kusama: Where the Lights in My Heart Go