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Visit the Infinity Rooms: A Free and Fun Gallery Exhibit In Chelsea
We pay a gazillion dollars in rent, brave the crowded subways and work long hours in order to live in NYC. So when a celebrated exhibit like Yayoi Kusama's enchanting I Who Have Arrived in Heaven comes around, it's almost mandatory to check it out, even if it means standing on inevitable lines. Access to magical FREE art experiences like this is why we live here after all.
This playful exhibition at the David Zwirner Gallery in Chelsea features two unique infinity rooms, a bunch of paintings and a video installation. Read on to find out if it's appropriate for your children, tips on how to avoid the crowds and everything else you need to know before you go with kids.
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Don't worry if you've never heard of Yayoi Kusama, the avant-garde artist from Japan who is famous for influencing many American pop artists, including Andy Warhol. You don't need an art background to enjoy her latest exhibit, I Who Have Arrived in Heaven at David Zwirner's three consecutive galleries on West 19th Street.
The exhibit includes 27 large-scale colorful paintings, but the stars of the show are two mirrored infinity rooms, one with twinkling star-like lights and the other filled with playful polka-dotted tentacles. These installations are definitely look, don't touch, which might be as hard for grown-ups as for kids since the vibrant tentacles are so inviting. The gallery staff reminds all visitors about this strict rule before they enter, which should help make the exhibit a little easier to navigate with kids—don't they always listen to strangers more than to us?
As you enter, you're told to leave any large bags outside the exhibit and that you only have one minute in the gallery. It's a short time, but it does keep the lines moving and means your kids won't have the chance to get into any trouble. Photos are allowed, but I recommend keeping your phone in your pocket and spending your 60 seconds just experiencing the environment. If you are busy taking pictures you don't really get to enjoy it in the same way.
There are separate lines for each of the three galleries, so if you want to see both infinity rooms, you'll need to wait on one line and then another. The installations are a big hit and are attracting crowds but the lines move pretty quickly, so don't be discouraged. If you want to avoid the lines, the best time to go would be a Tuesday or Wednesday morning. Also, there are never any lines to see the paintings, which are in the middle gallery.
Please note: The last time we wrote about a cool exhibit like this, so many families went to check it out, the gallery ended up banning children under 12. We love inspiring families to go out and experience cool art with kids, but you are the only ones who know what your children can handle. Please be courteous and make sure that your kids understand how to treat art with respect before you enter the gallery.
I Who Have Arrived in Heaven is at the David Zwirner Gallery on the north side of 19th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues through Saturday, December 21. The gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm but getting in after 4pm is not guaranteed. Admission is FREE.
Make a day of it: Explore everything Chelsea has to offer families. Hit Chelsea Market for snacks and climb up to the High Line to play and use our FREE Mommy Poppins App to find more fun stuff to do on the fly nearby.
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David Zwirner Gallery
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