(Above) Dots Obsession by Yayoi Kusama. Photo provided by WNDR Museum. (Click on images to view larger versions.)

By Pamela Dittmer McKuen

12-Jun-23 – A bold three-story composition of dandelion-yellow spheres sprinkled with black polka dots, the appropriately-titled Dots Obsession is the latest headliner in the West Loop’s quirky art gallery of creativity and technology. The installation at WNDR Museum is another iteration of Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama’s immersive “infinity rooms” that whisk viewers into forever-ness.

In the museum’s atrium (left), a galaxy of globes in varying sizes is suspended from the ceiling and staged on the floor. One has a peephole where jet-black dots are reflected far into, well, infinity. That effect is replicated in life-size form when you step inside a walk-in “room” or bubble. You are immersed in dangling balls and fields of speckles, multiplied exponentially by mirrored walls. Take it all in but do so quickly. You have only 60 seconds before you are politely escorted out of the space. On the bright side, those 60 seconds are yours alone, so your photos won’t be bombed by people you don’t know.

Born in Matsumoto, Japan, in 1929, Yayoi Kusama (right) is a contemporary painter and sculptor who is internationally recognized and beloved for her affinity for repetitive polka dots. Her vast body of work includes more than 20 infinity rooms worldwide, myriad commissions, several novels, and collections of Louis Vuitton handbags.

Dots Obsession replaces the previous Yayoi Kusama infinity room, Let’s Survive Forever, which was decked out in wall-to-wall mirrors and gleaming silver balls. Fans will be happy to learn the installation lives on. It has been moved to the new WNDR Museum in Boston, which is scheduled to open this summer. WNDR Museum also has locations in San Diego and Seattle with more to come.

The ever-evolving WNDR Museum at 1130 West Monroe Street has engaged and fascinated visitors of all ages with a joyful fusion of contemporary art and digital magic since first arriving in Chicago five years ago. The 20-plus interactive, multi-dimensional installations are the works of cutting-edge makers, collectives, studios, animators, and techies. In 2022, WNDR Museum was named by USA Today as one of the country’s 10 best immersive art experiences.