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New Yorkers madly in love with all things Yayoi Kusama should head to the midtown Louis Vuitton store, where a life-like robot version of the iconic 93-year-old Japanese contemporary artist is currently painting her famous spots from inside of the shop’s window.
The gimmick is part of a larger partnership between Kusama and the luxury brand, one that has birthed over 450 pieces that range from bags to fragrances—and a new pop-up space in the Meatpacking District.
In addition to the automaton at the Louis Vuitton store in midtown, the swanky Fifth Avenue store pays homage to Kusama through a giant installation that decorates the front of the shop. The facade of the building, until now depicting a large Christmas tree in honor of the holidays, features a photo of Kusama holding onto one of the bags from the new collection while painting multi-colored dots. Clearly, there’s a theme.
And the new pop-up, located right across the street from the Whitney Museum, reminds us of Kusama’s legendary Infinity Room Mirrors, with mirrored balls of different sizes found all over the space, which is also covered in the infinity dots that the artist is known for. The pop-up carries items from the new collection and will stay put through the end of April (a second drop of merchandise is scheduled for March).
This isn't the first time that New Yorkers are treated to a collaboration between the art and fashion giants. In fact, back in 2012, Louis Vuitton sponsored the Kusama retrospective at the Whitney's original location uptown.
If you’ve still got a Kusama itch to scratch, though, you might want to visit the new Grand Central Madison Terminal when it finally opens sometime this or next month, where a giant mosaic by the artist will adorn the space.
If you want to see the Kusama bot, you can find it at 1 East 57th Street by Fifth Avenue…or take a look right here:
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