MUSEUM MACAN PRESENTS THE FIRST MAJOR YAYOI KUSAMA EXHIBITION IN INDONESIA

‘YAYOI KUSAMA: LIFE IS THE HEART OF A RAINBOW’ is a survey exhibition that features works spanning over 70 years

 Third and last stop following exhibitions at National Gallery Singapore and Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art in Australia

 Exhibition to feature more than 130 works, including MACAN’s latest acquisition and pieces not shown in the past shows 

(Jakarta, Indonesia – 9 March 2018) – Since opening in November, Indonesia’s first museum dedicated to modern and contemporary art, Museum MACAN, will present ‘YAYOI KUSAMA: LIFE IS THE HEART OF A RAINBOW’, the highly acclaimed survey exhibition by Yayoi Kusama, in Jakarta from 12 May – 9 September 2018.

This exhibition by Yayoi Kusama investigates the development of her practice over the span of almost 70 years, with early works from the 1950s. With over 130 works that illustrate the artist’s creativity and important periods of her career and life, this exhibition will be the first major expression of Kusama’s oeuvre ever seen in Indonesia. Since November 2017, MACAN has presented the iconic Infinity Mirrored Room – Brilliance of the Souls (2014) in the Museum’s Sculpture Garden, that will be part of the upcoming exhibition. Seen by visitors around the world, the work portrays the artist’s interest in the elements of the infinite, repetition and reflection, which is also identified in her paintings, sculptures and installations.

Having recently been shown at National Gallery Singapore (NGS) and at the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), this will be the third and final stop of the survey exhibition. Thus, the exhibition at Museum MACAN will be the last chance for regional and global visitors to experience the essence of Kusama’s art forms. ‘YAYOI KUSAMA: LIFE IS THE HEART OF A RAINBOW‘ features paintings, sculptures and works on paper, and five installations, including Museum MACAN’s recent acquisition: I Want to Love on the Festival Night (2017), as well as pieces not seen in the past shows, among them Flower (1953) and Untitled (Child Mannequin) (1966).

“This is an exceptional opportunity for people to visit a Kusama exhibition and to let themselves into her world, methods, ideas, inspirations and to experience the phenomena that is Yayoi Kusama,” says Aaron Seeto, Director of Museum MACAN. “The Museum is proud to present such an immense exhibition of works to Indonesian and regional audiences, which will feature pieces now part of MACAN’s collection, and I encourage all cultural enthusiasts and art lovers to visit and appreciate this.”

As a focused overview of Kusama’s vast body of work, ‘LIFE IS THE HEART OF A RAINBOW’ explores the development of the artist’s works throughout her career. The public will be able to see her signature use of dots, nets, and pumpkins through work from the 1950s to the present; her engagement with the body and her concept of self-obliteration; and at last, her fascinating approach to space through large-scale installations. The exhibition includes My Eternal Soul, a major painting series, which she began in 2009 and is ongoing, comprising of more than 500 paintings, 24 of which are featured in this exhibition.

Also featured are some of the most widely recognized and globally appreciated works from Kusama’s répertoire: Dots Obsession (2013/2016), Narcissus Garden (1966/2018), THE SPIRITS OF THE PUMPKINS DESCENDED INTO THE HEAVENS (2015) and The Obliteration Room (2002-ongoing) - the interactive installation that has toured to more than 20 venues in 15 countries and viewed by almost 5 million people.

 The exhibition is supported by an exhibition catalogue which will be published in both English and Bahasa Indonesia, as an ongoing effort to reinforce the Museum’s commitment to education and research.

 Art Turns. World Turns. Exploring the Collection of Museum MACAN, the current exhibition which inaugurated the Museum, has welcomed over 100,000 visitors to date, allowing them to encounter art within the contemporary interiors of the purpose-built space. The Museum is one of a kind in the country and redefines the notion of a museum as a permanent arts venue in Jakarta. It offers a platform for viewing and discussing world-class artworks, artists and the importance of art in the Southeast Asian region, and a program of events and activities which further enhance, educate and encourage art appreciation in the community.

‘YAYOI KUSAMA: LIFE IS THE HEART OF A RAINBOW’ was organized by National Gallery Singapore and Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia in collaboration with Museum MACAN. The show makes its last stop in Jakarta where it will not only be the first major exhibition by Kusama, but also the first by an artist of such international caliber presented at this scale to the Indonesian public. The collaboration between Museum MACAN, National Gallery Singapore and Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art illustrates the Museum’s active participation in museum networks within the region to strengthen awareness and understanding of contemporary art and cooperation between regional institution partners.