bruised fruit

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Rami Kadi

“Narcissus Garden” by Yayoi Kusama (1966)

Yayoi Kusama, a Japanese artist and writer, created the “garden” in 1966 which was then shown in the 33rd Venice Biennale. The installation holds 1,500 metallic balls that reflect and distort the landscape around them as well as the person who views them. During the opening week, Kusama placed two signs at the installation. The first sign read “NARCISSUS GARDEN, KUSAMA” while the other said “YOUR NARCISSISM FOR SALE”. While wearing a gold kimono and emphasizing her “otherness” of being an artist from Japan making an entrance into the American art scene she acted as a street peddler and went around selling the balls to anyone willing to buy them for $2. She also distributed flyers with complimentary remarks about her work from Herbert Read, an art critic and co-founder of the Institute of Contemporary Arts  The Biennale officials eventually stepped in and put and end to her “side-business” but the installation remained.