Yayoi Kusama (NGV)

Whilst at the NGV I happened upon Yayoi Kusama's Tender Are the Stairs to Heaven (2004). It is tucked away in a small room in the middle of another. The piece consists of a fibre optic cable bent to create a floor to ceiling ladder. Beneath the ladder is a large circular mirror that holds it to the floor, there is another mirror above holding the ladder to the ceiling. The fibre optic cable of the ladder is constantly changing colour giving the otherwise dark room and ambient glow. When you enter the room there is a buzzing emanating from the ladder; this combined with the changing lights gives the room a unique atmosphere that removes you from the rest of the gallery.

This piece is more than something to look at; it is an interactive experience that depends on your interaction with the elements of the piece. If you stand and look from a distance the ladder appears to disappear a small distance into the ceiling and floor. As you get closer and look down into the mirror the floor appears to drop and the ladder appears to continue eternally into the ground. Similarly as you look up the ladder appears to continue rising and leading up to infinity. To really grasp the power of this piece is has to be experienced, and it is the experience that matters.