Over 4,700 supporters of #InfinityAGO help bring Yayoi Kusama Infinity Mirror Room to the AGO; Extraordinary artwork to arrive in spring 2019
TORONTO – Today, the AGO announces the successful completion of the #InfinityAGO crowdfunding campaign to acquire Canada’s first Infinity Mirror Room artwork by internationally renowned artist Yayoi Kusama.
Thanks to over 4,700 #InfinityAGO donors and the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund, Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER, is coming to the AGO forever so art fans today and future generations can experience Kusama’s immersive work. The work, which is currently under construction, is set to arrive in Toronto in spring 2019. Donors will be the first to see it once it’s installed at the AGO.
Launched on November 1, the #InfinityAGO campaign set out to raise funds toward the purchase of this incredible artwork. Featuring mirrored orbs suspended from the ceiling and arranged on the ground, INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM – LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER is bigger than many other Infinity Mirror Rooms. It has never been exhibited in Canada before. From first-time donors to long-time AGO supporters, over 4,700 people supported #InfinityAGO. While gifts ranged from $1 to $25,000, the majority of donations were between $25-$100.
“When I first heard about the #InfinityAGO campaign, I immediately wanted to make a donation because I’m a huge fan of Kusama’s work and the AGO in general,” said Alastair Woods, Toronto, ON. “Part of me thought how neat it would be to walk into the Infinity Mirror Room knowing that I had played a small part in helping bring it to Toronto forever.”
“My wife Alice and I saw Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors this summer as guests of a friend. The exhibition was exhilarating and mind-expanding,” Toronto writer Samuel Peralta said. “Now, by supporting #InfinityAGO, we’re giving back, helping … all of Toronto, and our larger community get access to Kusama’s amazing artwork so even more people get the chance to experience what we did this summer – the brilliance of an artist at her peak.”
As the campaign approached the holiday season, many people chose to give the gift of Kusama – so friends and family can experience this extraordinary artwork first when it arrives at the AGO.
“I saw the Yayoi Kusama exhibition, thanks to my sister-in-law …We had a terrific experience together at the exhibition and were really moved by the art, Yayoi Kusama’s life and philosophy. I happen to have my sister-in-law’s name in our family Christmas draw. When I saw the #InfinityAGO campaign for the permanent Kusama artwork, I knew it was a perfect gift for her – something she’ll really enjoy and appreciate. Plus, it’s exactly the kind of low-environmental impact experience gift I’m trying to do more often,” said Stacey Ritz, Hamilton, ON.
As a charity, the AGO relies on generous donors to acquire new works of art and make exhibitions and programming possible. Before the #InfinityAGO campaign began, the AGO secured $1 million towards the purchase of the Infinity Mirror Room from the David Yuile & Mary Elizabeth Hodgson Fund held in The AGO Foundation. The #InfinityAGO donors together raised an additional $651,183. Inspired by the outpouring of support and recognizing the importance of this work, we reached back into the Hodgson Fund – a fund dedicated to art acquisitions – to complete the campaign to bring the artwork into the AGO Collection. Thank you to everyone who supported #InfinityAGO – we couldn’t have done it without you!
For more information about the campaign, visit www.infinityago.ca
