Yayoi Kusama’s Polka Dot-Covered ‘Obliteration Room’ Shows for the First Time in the U.S.

May 26, 2015

This picture may look familiar to you, as the installation at the David Zwirner Gallery has been making the rounds on Instagram. The work of artist Yayoi Kasuma, “The Obliteration Room” is part of the larger exhibit “Give Me Love.” It’s the first time the wildly popular polka dot-covered room has been shown in the U.S., and New Yorkers are excited to be part of the interactive experience.

The backdrop for “The Obliteration Room” is an all-white, familiar domestic setting located within a prefabricated suburban home. As guests enter the room they’re handed stickers, round dots in various sizes and bright colors, and asked to place them anywhere they’d like.

The Obliteration Room, Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner Gallery, Give Me Love

“The Obliteration Room” was first shown in 2002, but over the years it’s occupied existing gallery spaces. This is the first time it’s being shown within an actual prefabricated home.

The Obliteration Room, Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner Gallery, Give Me Love

The Obliteration Room, Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner Gallery, Give Me Love

As designboom notes, “the space gradually transforms as a result of the interaction, and the mass accumulation of the dots ultimately changes the white interior until it becomes an unrecognizable blur of colors.”

The Obliteration Room, Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner Gallery, Give Me Love

As more guests cover the room with dots, everything from the tea kettle to the couch to the potted plants becomes a wonderful mishmash of colors.

The Obliteration Room, Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner Gallery, Give Me Love

The Obliteration Room, Yayoi Kusama, David Zwirner Gallery, Give Me Love

In addition to “The Obliteration Room,” the exhibit features corresponding polka dot-covered pumpkin sculptures, as well as new paintings from Kusama’s “My Eternal Soul” series. The entire “Give Me Love” exhibit is on view at David Zwirner until June 13th, and if you’re planning to Instagram the scene, the hashtag is #obliterationroom.

[Via designboom]

Images © yayoi kusama

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