Your Guide to the Kusama Infinity Mirror Exhibit at CMA

Update: Beginning September 30, 2018, this exhibit is no longer on display at the Cleveland Museum of Art. 

I have been looking forward to the Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirrors exhibit for months. From the moment I saw the first instagrammable photo on my news feed, I knew I had to go. Plus, I have a Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) membership and one ticket was included with my $65 membership. Without a CMA membership, the exhibit costs $30 (and is well worth the investment).

So, a couple months ago I reserved my spot, wrote it in my planner (yes, I still use a paper planner) and promptly forgot about it. Fast forward to July and it was finally my time to visit the exhibit. It lived up to my expectations and then some. The infinity mirrors are even more spectacular than the photographs depict and there is more to the exhibit than the rooms. To be completely honest, I’m already planning to try and go back before the exhibit leaves Cleveland at the end of September.

Tips to help you make the most of your visit:

• Arrive at CMA at least a half hour early. You won’t be stressed out about parking, you’ll have time to check in, maybe grab a coffee at Provenance and get in line.
• Don’t worry about where you are in the line. The museum has two lines going, up to a half hour before your entry time. I thought that I would want to be at the beginning or the end, but your placement only applies to the first room in the Atrium and then you’re mixed in with the rest of the crowd from earlier start times.
• Only two or three people are allowed in each exhibit room at a time. I happened to go to the museum by myself and got to experience each room on my own. Depending on the number of people in line, you may be combined with other people.
• Speaking of the rooms, there are a total of six that you enter and they are small. The rooms are only 10 x 10 or so. They seem larger with the mirrors, but there isn’t a lot of room to move around.
• You’re only in the exhibit rooms for 20-30 seconds and there is someone with an actual stopwatch timing you outside the door. This is intentionally designed by the artist. 
• Put your phone down. That one is going to be damn near impossible, but I promise you that the 20-30 seconds you have in each room goes by really fast. And how can you really experience the exhibit if you’re trying to take the perfect picture? If you can’t refrain completely, take one quick pic and then do a 360 so you can truly appreciate the exhibit.
• If you’re going to take a picture, sometimes the view looking back at the door is the most impressive. Who am I kidding? All of the views are amazing.
• Don’t rush through the exhibit. There is more to see from the artist than the mirrored rooms. While I will definitely say those are the highlight, there is so much to see, read and absorb. Take your time between each exhibit room because you can only go through once.
• Have fun. This is a whimsical and unique exhibit, unlike anything I’ve ever gotten to experience and we’re lucky to have it available in Cleveland!  

If you haven’t already bought tickets, you have until the end of September to see the infinity mirrors. Tickets for this exhibit are not sold on site, so you have to buy them in advance online or over the phone. Tickets can be bought each Monday for that upcoming week only. 

“Our earth is only one polka dot among a million stars in the cosmos.” – Yayoi Kusama, 1968