Paper short abstract:

Kusama Yayoi’s Italian experiences between 1965 and 1966 received little critical attention on the contrary of other European travels, such as his connection with Netherlands and the Group Zero, or her presence in Germany. This paper would like to put Italian Kusama’s exhibitions in context.

Paper long abstract:

From the fundamental exhibitions of the 1980s to the most recent publications, such as the recent retrospective exhibition in Berlin (2021) or the book Kusama with love from Holland (2021), Kusama Yayoi’s European experiences were investigated, but the Italian context received little attention. Based on extensive archival research and part of a more complex wider project devoted to investigate the relations between Japanese and Italian art during the 1950s and 1960s, the first paper proposed for the One thousand visions of self. Kusama Yayoi through art and literature panel examines in detail the artists and galleries networks of the time, as well as Kusama strategies in Italy and the impact of her presence and of her exhibitions in the local artistic contexts.

Taking into consideration the brief experience of Kusama Yayoi in the Italian context allows us on the one hand to reflect on many aspects of her careers and on the other to reflect on the status of Japanese contemporary art in Italy during the 1960s. From the two phallic armchairs (Accumulations) part of the Zero-Avantgarde exhibition in Milan and Venice, to her solo Driving image show exhibition in Milan, to the pivotal Narcissus Garden organized at the 33 Venice Biennale (1966) this three exhibitions re-present three different stages of her artistic production: from the everyday object covered with protuberances that recalls the more classical sculpture, to the whole gallery transformed in a projection of her annihilated self, which the viewer is invited to explore and interact with, to the Narcissus Garden where hundreds of reflective spheres multiply the self - Kusama’s and the participants’ self - and the gazes. It was after this experience - well documented by photographs and articles - that Kusama embarked in the famous New York “happenings” that involved not only herself, but also other people around her in public performances, in which she tried to project her self on others, a self that is annihilated and annihilating but at the same time all embracing, reaching new challenging results.