Being Part of the Artwork @ The Broad
In Greek roots, "to photograph" means "to draw in light". As a photographer, I create images and artwork through what I can see and capture with light-sensitive media and/or devices.
However, at the Broad, world-renowned artist Yayoi Kusama "draws in light" in a different dimension -- the Infinity Mirrored Room -- The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away (2013) allows the viewer to become part of the artwork. Made with wood, metal, glass mirrors, plastic, acrylic panel, rubber, LED lighting system, acrylic balls and water, the room houses a unique experience: as lights reflect off the mirrors and water, the space multiplies and expands infinitely.
INSIDE Yayoi Kusama's Infinity MIrrored Room -- The Souls of Millions of Light Years Away, 2013
It is a very personal experience; a guest can decide to be in the room alone or with another person (up to 2 people). As I stepped into the room, I felt peace, as if I was standing under a canopy of stars at night or viewing a city's skyline at a distance. Yet, when some bright lights flashed from above, I was invigorated and was transported to a cosmic dimension, in which I felt how little I was among "all the souls light years away", in time and in space. The museum's website says it best, "[Inside the exhibit], Kusama's world is the viewer's world."
The experience is also short-lived. Each group is allowed 45 seconds to a minute. (Yes, the staff at the door has a stop-watch in hand.) I had preset my camera and video settings before getting into the room. I decided ahead of time that I would concentrate on enjoying the experience, and any pictures or video would be a bonus. In the end, I did have some minor hiccups, but I fully enjoyed Kusama's work, which made the long wait worthwhile. I am looking forward to Kusama's special exhibition at the Broad coming Fall 2017!
Information
The Broad www.thebroad.org
Free general admission. Advanced tickets available online (recommended), or same-day standby at the museum.
Please note that the queue for this mirrored room is separate from general admission and paid special exhibition. Last time, it was a 6-hour wait, and this time, the queue was closed but eventually opened up when people cancelled or the queue moved faster than expected. It is a free, timed, same-day reservation available at a kiosk outside the exhibit and cannot be reserved in advance of your visit. By entering your phone number, you get an SMS with a reservation confirmation with a link to view queue status and another SMS when it is time. Since ticket to the museum is also timed (a 3pm ticket can only enter at 3pm or later), I would suggest book a ticket for early in the day, so that you can get into the museum early to get into the queue for the mirror room early. After that, you can have unlimited re-entries into the museum within the day. That gives you flexibility to visit other landmarks in the area or have lunch or tea in nearby restaurants while waiting for your turn into the mirror room. Also beware: parking at the museum is $15 with validation; however, that's limited to 3 hours. The daily maximum is $22.
Note: All photos on this page are for personal enjoyment only.
