Yayoi Kusama at the Fondation Beyeler.
08.10.2025From 12 October 2025 to 25 January 2026, the Fondation Beyeler will present the first retrospective in Switzerland of the renowned Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama (born 1929 in Matsumoto). She lived mainly in New York between 1958 and 1972. Her most famous artworks, actions and happenings were created during this period. Organised in close collaboration with the artist and her studio, the exhibition provides a comprehensive insight into Kusama’s artistic work spanning seven decades.
MOMA New York writes about her and her work: “A vital part of New York’s avant-garde art scene from the late 1950s to the early 1970s, Yayoi Kusama developed a distinctive style utilizing approaches associated with Abstract Expressionism, Minimalism, Pop art, Feminist art, and Institutional Critique – but she always defined herself in her own terms. “I am an obsessional artist,” she once said. “People may call me otherwise, but … I consider myself a heretic of the art world.”
According to MOMA, Kusama returned to Japan in 1973. Two years later, she entered a facility for treatment of her obsessive-compulsive disorder, where she continues to live and work today. She continues to create paintings and sculptures and expanded her creative work to include poetry and fiction in the 1980s.
The Fondation Beyeler is showing both iconic works and older pieces that have never been seen in Europe before, as well as new productions and one of her popular Infinity Mirror Rooms. The artist, who is one of the superstars of contemporary art, has achieved cult status with her exploration of repetitive patterns and structures – notably through her characteristic polka dots and mirror rooms, which transport viewers into infinite worlds. The exhibition highlights the diversity of artistic media Kusama has worked with over the years, including painting, sculpture, installations, drawing, collage, happenings, live performances, fashion and literature.
Tickets for the eagerly awaited exhibition “Yayoi Kusama” (12 October 2025 – 25 January 2026) are already available for advance purchase here.