World's largest public sculpture by Yayoi Kusama installed in London

A large permanent sculpture by Yayoi Kusama has been welcoming travelers to the UK’s busiest train station, London Liverpool Street in London, for the past few days. The Japanese artist’s work is titled Infinite Accumulation. The sculpture is designed to complement the architecture of the station’s new entrance and surrounding area, and was commissioned as part of the Crossrail Art Foundation’s public art program for the Elizabeth Line, the urban and suburban rail service for the English capital and its metropolitan area, with support from Victoria Miro. The operation was made possible by Transport for London (TfL), London’s public transport company, British Land (a large public investment company) and City of London Corporation, which co-funded the venture. Finally Accumulation is moreover the artist’s first permanent public artwork in the United Kingdom and his largest public sculpture in the world.

"Commuters and visitors will enjoy a real treat when they arrive at Liverpool Street and are greeted by Kusama’s Infinite Accumulation," said Justine Simons, deputy mayor of London with responsibility for culture and creative industries. “Kusama is among the world’s leading artists and so it is fitting that this is the final work in a brilliant series of contemporary art commissions for the Elizabeth Line. The arts are a key part of London’s success, helping to transform our spaces and connect our communities as we build a better London for all.”

Yayoi Kusama is best known for her use of repeated, clustered polka dots, which first emerged in her work in the 1960s and became one of her signature motifs. Polka dots cover the surfaces of many of her paintings, sculptures and multimedia installations: for the Japanese artist, polka dots express both the underlying unity and instability of the cosmos, as well as the Earth’s often precarious place within it. As part of Finally Accumulation, Kusama revisited her typical polka dots by expanding them into connected forms that interact with and define the public spaces outside the new Elizabeth Line entrance to Liverpool Street Station. These arches were created intuitively by Kusama, hand-woven threads on the original patterns for the artwork.

Infinite Accumulation is a work more than 10 meters high and 12 meters wide, spanning a length of about 100 meters. Its shimmering silver spheres hover above the ground and are polished to reflect everything around them. This dynamic and highly reflective architectural form, which mirrors the observer and the world around them, is meant to signify that Infinite Accumulation responds to both individual and collective experience within the changing spaces of London’s urban landscape.

“London is a huge metropolis with people of all cultures constantly on the move,” said Yayoi Kusama. The spheres symbolize unique personalities while the supporting curvilinear lines allow us to imagine a supporting social structure."

"Infinite Accumulation," says Eleanor Pinfield, head of art for TfL, "is a monumental addition to London’s public art and marks the first permanent installation of Yayoi Kusama’s work in the UK. With this artwork, millions of people will have the opportunity to encounter Kusama’s dynamic and rhythmic sculpture, which reflects on the changing city around them." Gareth Roberts, development manager-science and technology and autonomous projects at British Land, said, “Kusama’s work will be a fantastic addition to one of London’s busiest areas, bringing joy and inspiration to the many people who pass through Liverpool Street station every day.” Crossrail Arts Foundation chairman Michael Cassidy said, "Celebrating the vibrant tapestry of London’s cultural mosaic, the City of London Corporation proudly supports Yayoi Kusama’s sculpture, Infinite Accumulation, as part of the Crossrail Art Program. We are privileged to fund this important public art project, which enhances the urban landscape and inspires reflection among visitors from around the world."

New data from the Office of Rail and Road show that the new Elizabeth Line has dramatically increased the number of people using central London stations. London’s Liverpool Street station, where Kusama’s artwork is located, has now replaced Waterloo station as the busiest station in the country. People, thanks to the artwork program, will be able to see more artworks during their travels in London, as six new artworks are set to be launched on the Underground network this year as part of the Art on the Underground program. These include a series of artworks located in the Heathrow Terminal 4 Underground station rotunda by British artist and photographer Joy Gregory, a new sound piece by Joe Namy with the Mayor of London’s Culture and Community Spaces at Risk program, and a permanent mosaic in the historic St James’s Park station by artist duo Hannah Quinlan and Rosie Hastings, which will be launched this fall.

This is not the first time a public work by Yayoi Kusama has been discovered in London. Just this year, a public installation by Yayoi Kusama for London is presented by Serpentine and Royal Parks in Kensington Gardens. It is Pumpkin, a large bronze sculpture and is on display this summer. The work on display in Kensington Gardens is Kusama’s tallest bronze sculpture in the form of a pumpkin to date, standing 6 meters tall and 5.5 meters in diameter.

World's largest public sculpture by Yayoi Kusama installed in London

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