
Fondation
EXHIBITION

Yayoi Kusama: DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE
- Exhibition
- Free
- Contemporary Art
PHI Foundation
451 Saint-Jean Street
Montréal, Québec H2Y 2R5
July 6, 2022—January 15, 2023
Wednesday to Friday: 12 PM—7 PM
Saturday and Sunday: 11 AM—6 PM
Reservations required
Free admission
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Fully booked for August
Tickets for the month of September will be released on August 15 at 12 PM EST.
Due to the high volume of visitors, we are unable to accept walk-ins.
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*Subscribe to our newsletter to be notified when new timed tickets will be released.
Please note that a new block of tickets will become available on the fifteenth day of every month at 12 PM EST.
Yayoi Kusama: DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE is included in reservations for Pathway 1: Yayoi Kusama.
• Certain artworks contain sequences of flashing lights that may cause discomfort for people with photosensitive epilepsy.
• The wearing of masks is no longer mandatory. However, we strongly encourage visitors to keep wearing masks for the continued safety and security of all
• One-way visiting path
• Gel hand sanitizing stations
• A specialized air filtration system
• Cleaning of spaces during opening hours
If you have symptoms associated with COVID-19, please postpone your visit.
Curator
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art is pleased to present Yayoi Kusama: DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE.
Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Yayoi Kusama is one of the most popular living contemporary artists in the world today. Over the past seven decades, she has created painting, sculpture, installation, drawing, and film, as well as performance, fashion, design, literature, and immersive installations such as her celebrated Infinity Mirrored Rooms. Bolstered by social media and the artist’s acclaim, these works have drawn massive audiences globally over the last ten years. However, beyond the intensive publicity surrounding the installations, Kusama’s practice has consistently engaged with the vastness of the cosmic realm and her—as well as our—place within it: a concept imbued with both disquiet and wonder.
This exhibition will introduce visitors to the spiritual and philosophical depth of the artist’s work. Since her early forays into painting, sculpture, and performance, Kusama has long explored the conceptual and formal aspects of phenomenology and immersion in her work. At a time when the digital and virtual have overwhelmed our sensibilities, Kusama’s environments proffer analog experiences that both situate viewers within and beyond our universes. The exhibition in Montréal will present three of her signature bronze pumpkin sculptures in different sizes, two new 'peep-in' mirrored rooms, a grid of her vibrant My Eternal Soul paintings, as well as two striking Infinity Mirrored Rooms. Infinity Mirrored Room - DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE (2019), from which the show takes its title, is filled with hanging light globes that alternate colors before abruptly going dark. The viewer is absorbed into darkness for a moment before the glowing spheres slowly flicker back on, initiating again a cycle akin to life and rebirth.
The exhibition will also include a reading room with a historical timeline of the artist’s life and career. Kusama has made prodigious contributions to the history of art through her work, and she continues to operate as a key figure in contemporary art. At this difficult and turbulent time, compounded by the isolation and uncertainty of the last two years, her body of work facilitates feelings of comfort and peace.
This will be the artist’s first solo exhibition in Québec. We expect that this will be a highly anticipated event for the Montréal and Québec public, as well as a major draw for local and international tourists.
While admission is free, a reservation for timed entry will be required in order to ensure low waiting times and a pleasant passage through the exhibition.
With special thanks to Yayoi Kusama and the team at David Zwirner and Ota Fine Arts.
Events


Papier Art Fair 2022: Making Contradictions Visible: Artistic Practices in the Public Sphere
→ Learn more

doux soft club: bleu de lieu
Education Program

Group Visits and Online Discussions
Our online educational programming is available for the exhibition Yayoi Kusama: DANCING LIGHTS THAT FLEW UP TO THE UNIVERSE, and can be adapted to your situation and needs. These online presentations are tailored for elementary, high school, CEGEPs, university and community groups.
→ Book now

Public Engagement Project
bleu de lieu is a participatory installation by doux soft club that invites the public to stay, to rest, to meditate and to interact with the different elements found in our Education Room.
→ Learn more

Activity Kit
This activity kit is addressed to children and youth, as well as the adults sharing their experience. It offers exploration of Yayoi Kusama’s artworks, as well as creative activities. It can be used as a family, in school or as a community group.
→ Learn more
Audio Guide
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Introduction and G1 – Pumpkins
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G2 – Peep-in Rooms
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G3 – Timeline
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G6 – Paintings
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G5 – Infinity Mirrored Rooms
Catalogues

ISBN: 978-0847868391
$65

ISBN: 9781941701812
$55

ISBN: 9781941701218
$ 55

ISBN: 9781849762137
$30

ISBN: 9783791378824
$85
5 Ways to Access the Yayoi Kusama Exhibition
Tickets for Pathway 1: Yayoi Kusama are now gone, but don’t worry! There are other ways to see the legendary artist’s work!
1. Tickets for September
A new batch of tickets for Pathway 1: Yayoi Kusama will be released on August 15 at 12 PM (EST) for the month of September. New tickets will be released online on the fifteenth of every subsequent month.
2. Pathway 3: Horizons VR
Pathway 3: Horizons VR gives you access to two installations by Yayoi Kusama—the Infinity Mirrored Rooms—in addition to Marco Brambilla: Heaven’s Gate, Horizons VR, and INVERSE at the PHI Centre. Please get in touch with the box office at 514 225-0525 to reserve your time slot.
3. Sunday Special Hour!
Every Sunday for the month of August, reservations are not required from 11 AM to 12 PM. First-come, first-served, as capacity is limited.
4. Guided Group Visits
Have any friends or family you want to bring along? You can form a group of 10-15 people and contact us at [email protected] for an hour-long group tour with one of our educators from the PHI Foundation’s Education team. Capacity is limited, and we apologize in advance if your request can’t be accommodated.
5. Contests & Giveaways
Follow us on Instagram at @direphi @fondationphi and @phicentre to keep an eye out for ticket giveaways starting next week!


Free
Water Road
Nov 24 → Apr 1
The PHI Centre building comes to life with an interactive multimedia installation of a motion-activated river on its four-story windows on Saint-Pierre Street

Collaboration
Marguerite: la pierre – Soundwalk
Jun 6 → Oct 30
The PHI Foundation, in collaboration with Onishka Productions and the Centre du Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui (CTD’A), presents the sound walk Marguerite: la pierre.

Free
INVERSE
Jun 30 → Aug 28
An experimental documentary in three parts, by Nicolas Jenkins, that aims to question the prevailing assimilation of 2SLGBTQIA+ identities

Marco Brambilla:
Heaven's Gate
Jun 30 → Oct 24
Two immersive Renaissance tableaux for our hyper-mediated digital era, these artworks by Marco Brambilla will engulf you in landscapes of pop-culture iconography

Horizons VR
Jun 30 → Oct 24
A special selection of award-winning VR works that will draw you into four distinct worlds sharing unique and powerful stories

Free
doux soft club: bleu de lieu
Jul 6 → Jan 15
bleu de lieu is a participatory installation that invites the public to stay, to rest, to meditate and to interact with the different elements found in our Education Room

Papier Art Fair 2022: Making Contradictions Visible: Artistic Practices in the Public Sphere
Aug 26
As part of the Papier 2022 Art Fair programming, the PHI Foundation for Contemporary Art presents the panel discussion Making Contradictions Visible: Artistic Practices in the Public Sphere

Collaboration
Kusama: Infinity
Sep 1 → Sep 30
In collaboration, the PHI Foundation and FIFA (International Festival of Films on Art) present Kusama: Infinity, a documentary on the life and work of artist Yayoi Kusama