Artist Date | Infinity Room

During my recent trip to London for the EMEA Women to Watch conference, I made time for visiting the Tate Modern, always at the top of my list for Artist Dates.

The Tate presented a rare and mesmerizing experience Yayoi Kusama’s renowned Infinity Mirror Rooms. I’ve always been drawn to immersive installations and stepping into these rooms felt like entering a dreamscape, where reality and illusion danced in a delicate balance. The artificial landscape, made with mirrrored walls and orbs of light, is experienced while delicately balanced on a thin walkway surrounded by water. The time in the room is short, but memorable, made even more precious by its timed entry/exit. In the darkness, the glowing lights change colors. While immersed in the room, one’s own reflection is part of the landscape – so that the personal reflection itself is covered in dots, the artist’s personal theme.

My artist eye also landed on a few other works on display, including Bob and Roberta Smith’s “Thamesmead Codex,” the gorgeous panels by El Anatsui’s called “Behind the Red Moon” in the entrance hall, and the creative and thought-provoking sculpture of radios, “Babel”, by Cildo Meireles. A sketch by Christo also fascinated, his vision of fabrice amidst landscapes never tires.

Leaving London and the Tate, my imagination was intrigued, prompting reflections on possibilities for some larger scale, immersive works in the future.