The former Fort Tilden train garage now houses Yayoi Kusama's "Narcissus Garden": Gothamist



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The installation of Yayoi Kusama, "Narcissus Garden", was opened to the public Sunday in the Rockaways. Consisting of 1,500 reflective stainless steel spheres, the artwork occupies most of the floor of an old garage at Fort Tilden, a former active US military base. Klaus Biesenbach of MoMA PS1 was present at the Friday unveiling (with musician, author and resident of Rockaway Patti Smith), and said that he hopes to "continue to raise awareness of the ongoing restoration work and efforts for its 39; Ensuring Rockaways Are Prepared for the Future "

" Reflected metal surfaces reflect the industrial environment of the now-abandoned building, drawing attention to the history of Fort Tilden as well as on the devastating damage inflicted on many buildings in the area by Sandy Hurricane in 2012, "Biesenbach also noted that" when Kusama lived in New York, [she] did shows in public places and parks and was not only an anti-war activist, civil rights, but also organized the first gay marriage in the United States and created a brave event all over the city. "These performances have inc Readers bring "Narcissus Garden" to the Body Festival (1967) in Tompkins Square Park, the Bust Out Happening (1969) in Central Park, the Sculpture Garden of the Museum of Modern Art, and more. The play began before all this, however, in Italy:

Narcissus Garden was first introduced in 1966 when Kusama organized an unofficial installation and performance at the 33rd Venice Biennale. The silver spheres, originally made of plastic, were installed on the lawn in front of the Italian pavilion, reflecting the landscape of the exhibition grounds. Kusama herself stood among them, barefoot and dressed in a gold kimono, alongside the words "Narcissus Garden, Kusama" and "Your Narcissism for Sale". Throughout the opening of the exhibition, Kusama remained in the facility. Spheres in the air and offering to sell them to visitors for 1200 lire (about 2 dollars) each. The action, considered both a self-promotion and a criticism of the commercialization of contemporary art, will be considered later as a decisive moment in Kusama's career while she will move from her to the next. 39 installation to public performances radical and politically pregnant. from his work in the late 1960s in New York.

The installation – presented as the third iteration of the art festival Rockaway! – is located at the Gateway National Recreation Area of ​​Fort Tilden. until September 3rd. The building will be open from Friday to Sunday and holidays from 12h to 18h

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