5 reasons Hirshhorn’s ‘Infinity Mirrors’ exhibit will be your new obsession

WASHINGTON 鈥斅燝iant pumpkins, floating polka dotted orbs and tentacles are growing inside the Hirshhorn Collection as it debuts the latest exhibit by world renowned artist Yayoi Kusama.

Photos and videos taken by visitors as they experience the exhibit’s signature mirrored boxes are already popping up on social media. And museum curators don’t expect that to stop anytime soon.

Just like the Renwick Museum, which experienced a documented bump in visitors due to聽photos of its “Wonder” installations going viral, so too is the likely fate of “Infinity Mirrors.”

Of the top five things visitors must see:

1. “All the Eternal Love I Have for the Pumpkins” infinity mirror room, the artist’s latest installation created in 2016.

2. “Dots Obession–Love Transformed into Dots,” a domed mirror room surrounded by inflatables suspended from the ceiling

3. Infinity Mirror Room–Love Forever” is actually two rooms built nearly thirty years apart where viewers can peer in to see colored flashing lights the reflect endlessly from ceiling to floor

4. “The Obliteration Room,” created in 2002 is an entirely white room mimicking an apartment space where visitors are asked to place colored dots wherever they like to eventually covering the space with color.

5. “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity,” created in 2009 is a mirrored room where suspended lanterns are reflected thousands of times from floor to ceiling to give the visitor the sensation of the infinite.

Yayoi Kusama, "Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity," 2009. Collection of the artist. Courtesy of Ota Fine Arts, Tokyo/Singapore; Victoria Miro, London; David Zwirner, New York. 漏 Yayoi Kusama — Yayoi Kusama’s mirrored room “Aftermath of Obliteration of Eternity” was created in 2009.聽 (Courtesy of the artist)

Inside the Inifinity Mirrored Room, Love Forever. There are two installations in this set, one created in 1965 and the other in 1994. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — Inside the Infinity Mirrored Room, Love Forever. There are two installations in this set, one created in 1965 and the other in 1994. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

One of the Mirrored Rooms in the installation is a field of handpainted glowing pumpkins. Each visitors is allowed inside for 30 seconds to experience the infinity effect. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — One of the Mirrored Rooms in the installation is a field of hand-painted glowing pumpkins. Each visitor is allowed inside for 30 seconds to experience the infinity effect. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

The LED lights inside one of the Love Forever installations change color constantly. Visitors can peer into the octagonal box to feel a part of the experience. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

Because so much of the exhibit incorporates polka dots, the front glass of the museum is covered in red dots. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

Another room contains a giant polka dotted orb which visitors can walk into where they'll find another mirrored room. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — Visitors will find another mirrored room inside of a giant polka dotted orb, which features more polka dotted orbs. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

The entrance into one of the mirrored rooms where visitors will find a series of spotted pink orbs. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — Visitors enter one of the mirrored rooms through a polka dotted orbs. Inside visitors will find a series of spotted pink orbs. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

The Obliteration Room is the final installation where visitors can use the sheet of stickers they were given upon entry to contribute to 'coloring in' the space. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — The Obliteration Room is the final installation. Visitors can use the sheet of stickers they were given upon entry to help ‘color in’ the all-white space. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

A reflection of the Hirshorn Collection's front door in the afternoon sun. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — The Hirshhorn Collection’s front door is reflected in the afternoon sun. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

One of the first installations visitors see is the artist’s “Violet Obsession.” (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

A closer look at "Violet Obsession" reveals the intricate tentacle design of the row boat. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — A closer look at “Violet Obsession” reveals the intricate tentacle design of the row boat. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

This installation is one of associate curator Mika Yoshitake's favorites set between two mirrored rooms in the exhibit. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — This installation is one of associate curator Mika Yoshitake’s favorites. It is set between two mirrored rooms in the exhibit. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

There are two windows into the octagonal Love Forever mirrored room so visitors can interact with each other inside. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

One of the first installations to greet visitors resembles arm chairs but shares the same tentacle-like expressions as the artist's "Violet Obsession." (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty) — One of the first installations to greet visitors resembles arm chairs but shares the same tentacle-like expressions as the artist’s “Violet Obsession.” (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

Associate curator of the exhibit, Mika Yoshitake is thrilled at the early reaction to the very visual presentation. (海角精品黑料/Megan Cloherty)

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The exhibit features a series of mirrored rooms, one which was designed in 1965 by the artist who is now 87-years-old.

“One which has lanterns that have LED lights that flicker like candles. … And there’s another, it’s got pumpkins all along the floor so it looks like a meadow,” said associate curator Mika Yoshitake.

To keep the groups small, Allison Peck with the Hirshhorn said for the first time, the museum will be releasing free, timed tickets. Visitors can for the following week each Monday at noon.

“So it won’t be a mob scene on the weekends. And on a Tuesday, it won’t be empty. We’re able to spread the crowd out so everyone has the best possible experience,” Peck said.