Enjoying Folk Crafts and Contemporary Art
Matsumoto City Museum of Art Goes All In on Yayoi Kusama
Next up was more art. I’d been looking forward to finally visiting the Matsumoto City Museum of Art, which I couldn’t get into on my last trip to Matsumoto because it was closed for major renovations. The exterior, decorated with Yayoi Kusama’s artwork, is incredible.
In front of the building stands a gigantic object installation. It’s a work called The Visionary Flowers. It has such an overpowering presence that it looks ready to start moving at any moment—like it might even swallow me whole.
Even the Coca-Cola vending machine and trash bins have been given the Yayoi Kusama treatment.
On the very top row, there are even polka-dot cans—but sadly, you can’t actually buy those… haha.
Even the benches are covered in polka dots.
Then I headed inside. The third floor is devoted to a permanent Yayoi Kusama exhibition, and I really enjoyed the several large-scale installations on display there.
The only work you’re allowed to photograph is Great Gigantic Pumpkin. It’s one of Kusama’s signature pumpkin pieces.
Here, both the floors and the walls are covered in dots, which makes for a very striking space.
At the museum shop, I impulsively bought a cushion cover featuring a pattern designed by Samiro Yunoki. One side has a cat on it…
and the back has a mouse.
I can’t wait to use it!
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