Yayoi Kusama’s Largest Permanent Public Sculpture Arrives in London

A new sculpture by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has been unveiled at London’s Liverpool Street station. Titled Infinite Accumulation, it’s Kusama’s first permanent public artwork in the United Kingdom—and her largest public sculpture to date. 

The sprawling installation measures roughly 33 feet high, 39 feet wide and 328 feet long. It’s made of reflective silver spheres arranged in an intricate web-like formation, each of the balls mirroring the others.

“London is a massive metropolis with people of all cultures moving constantly,” says Kusama, 95, in a statement. “The spheres symbolize unique personalities, while the supporting curvilinear lines allow us to imagine an underpinning social structure.”

The sculpture was commissioned by the Crossrail Art Foundation in 2017. Now, seven years later, the new artwork complements the surrounding architecture and the entrance of the Elizabeth Line station, which recently became the busiest station in the country.

“It’s a site-specific artwork that responds to the space around us, [and] the architecture, through a series of four stainless steal arches,” Eleanor Pinfield, head of art on the Underground at Transport for London, tells Euronews. “To Kusama, these are a form of the polka dot, which she uses a lot in her work.”

Commuters, locals and tourists passing by the bustling station can stare into Infinite Accumulation’s reflective spheres, seeing not only themselves but the city around them.

“It beckons us to pass beneath, to look up and admire or admonish the Square Mile’s skyline,” writes Londonist’s Matt Brown. “I do so, and it occurs to me that almost every building visible from this spot did not exist a decade ago. The city is forever changing.”

Born in 1929, Kusama has been an artist for most of her life, and her work has been displayed at exhibitions around the world. She is known for her signature immersive artworks featuring unique arrangements of mirrors and bold polka-dotted patterns.

When Kusama started working on Infinite Accumulation, she created the arches “intuitively” by hand-twisting wires on a smaller model, according to the statement. Although this is Kusama’s first permanent sculpture in the city, it is her second large-scale public artwork to arrive in London this summer. Her massive bronze Pumpkin was recently installed in Kensington Gardens, where it will remain through November.

In addition to Kusama’s new sculpture, the Crossrail Art Foundation is installing several other public artworks this year. These pieces include a new sound work by Joe Namy at Waterloo Underground station and a mosaic by Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings at St. James’ Park station.

“Commuters and visitors are in for a real treat when they arrive at Liverpool Street,” says Justine Simons, the city’s deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, in the statement. “Kusama is one of the world's leading artists, and so it is fitting that this is the final work in a brilliant series of contemporary art commissions for the Elizabeth line. The arts are a vital part of London’s success, helping transform our spaces and connect our communities as we build a better London for all.”

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.