Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama receives a permanent exhibition at Inhotim, with two works.

As the twentieth permanent gallery of the Institute, two immersive works by the artist are in the collection of Inhotim: “I'm Here, But Nothing” (2000) and “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity” (2009). Known for her art involving balls and dots, she is a multimedia artist and has even collaborated with Louis Vuitton.

The Japanese artist and writer Yayoi Kusama, born in 1929, is a singular figure who has been revered by art historians for her pioneering career that spans multiple artistic movements from the 1960s to the present and has achieved the status of a global cultural icon. Over the last seven decades, Kusama has pursued her avant-garde vision with conviction and honed her personal aesthetic, which reflects her philosophy of life.

Due to the mental illness she has carried since childhood, Yayoi has lived in a psychiatric hospital for more than forty years.

In 1975, the artist decided to voluntarily live in a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo. Currently, she has a studio near the hospital where she works daily.

“My art originates from hallucinations that only I can see. I translate the hallucinations and obsessive images into sculptures and paintings. However, I create works even when I do not see hallucinations (...) My work is an expression of my life, particularly of my mental illness.”

“I'm Here But Nothing” (2000)

After using people as canvases for her paintings, the artist begins to transform perception through immersive environments, as in I’m Here, But Nothing [ I’m here, but nothing]. In this installation, Kusama creates an ordinary domestic room, but illuminated by black light and sprinkled with colorful glowing dots.

As we enter, as part of the title suggests (I’m here), the artist or someone seems about to enter through the door. Paradoxically, one senses the absence (But nothing) and the notion of closeness that the concept of fullness can have to emptiness.

“Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity” (2009)

When you visit this installation, you are invited to enter the room and stand on the central platform. Over time, a delicate and shimmering mirage unfolds as the lights turn on and are reflected on all surfaces. In less than a minute, however, all the lights disappear — and then the cycle restarts.

"In the human world, what awakens our body and feeling of vitality is Eternity. I have lived in this Eternity, where an immense love for humanity flows, and the vast brightness of life is infinitely reflected... We keep blinking, disappearing, and blooming again in this Eternity." — Yayoi Kusama

At Inhotim, the two works will be available for visitation starting July 16 and will be the first gallery dedicated to Yayoi Kusama in all of Latin America.