This is not a drill: Sydney is home to new work by Yayoi Kusama
The fancy new $344 million modern art wing of the Art Gallery NSW has opened to the public with one very colourful addition
Flowers that Bloom In the Cosmos puncturing a grey Sydney sky
The Art Gallery NSW commissioned a number of new pieces for the Sydney Modern Project from both Australian and international artists. Among theses is a playful and organic piece by legendary Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama
Flowers that Bloom In the Cosmos is everything you expect from a Kusama piece. The colour, the motion, and of course, the dots. If you live in Sydney, you will have seen this work on billboards, on the sides of buses, and on all of the local promotional materials.
The day we visited the gallery, the wing had only been open for a few short weeks and the place was packed with curious tourists, modern art lovers, and groups of families finding something for the kids to do on an unseasonably rainy summer day in the school holidays. After checking my bag and entering the new wing, we were greeted by, of course, the gift shop.
The new space is full of light but somehow feels compact. We wanted to explore more, but the first stop was this new installation. We walked across the main foyer and back out into the rain to the back terrace.
We weren’t the only ones spending time with this new piece. There was at least one influencer with her tribe grabbing lots of selfies from all sorts of acrobatic angles. I suspect this will be the most Instragrammed work for Summer 2023.
While I was trying to get a couple of close up shots myself – and still respecting the ‘no touching’ signs – an old fella passing by gave the work a couple of quick wraps with his knuckles. He nodded and said; ‘hmm, fiberglass’ under his breath. Probably not the best thing for him to do, but interesting to know.
After taking in the new work, we spend a bit of time guessing the prices of the yachts moored at the Finger Wharf in Wooloomooloo (the only Sydney suburb with eight “o’s” in it’s name). Because next to discussing interest rates, there is nothing Sydneysiders like doing more than speculating about how the other half live.
The Art Gallery NSW is on Art Gallery Rd, in Sydney. The gallery is open every day 10am - 5pm expect Wednesdays where is stays open until 10pm. Entry to the gallery is free (except for those big, travelling exhibitions. Those usually have some sort of paid entry)
