The Museum Ludwig in Cologne is dedicating a comprehensive retrospective to Yayoi Kusama in spring 2026, which will shed light on her work spanning seven decades. The exhibition, which was created in close collaboration with the artist, is the highlight of the Museum Ludwig's 50th anniversary celebrations. In addition to iconic works, it also shows works that have not yet been published in Germany as well as new productions. A particular highlight is one of her famous Infinity Mirror Rooms, which use mirrors and light to simulate infinite spaces. Kusama, an icon of contemporary art, fascinates with her characteristic style of rows of large, evenly spaced circles (polka dots), organic shapes and repetitive patterns that reflect the theme of infinity.
This retrospective highlights Kusama's versatility, which manifests itself in painting, sculpture, installation, performance and literature. Her works, often influenced by personal experiences with hallucinations and obsessions, address the themes of self-dissolution and the cosmos. Kusama's famous mirror rooms and her luminous worlds of color in particular have earned her international cult status. The exhibition in Cologne offers art fans a rare opportunity to experience Kusama's entire oeuvre, from her early avant-garde experiments to her most recent creations, in a new light.
Services - MuseumsCard offer
This offer includes admission to the "Five Friends" exhibition from October 3, 2025 to January 11, 2026 with the MuseumsCard Single for Adults or the MuseumsCard Family. The MuseumsCard can also be used to visit any number of other museums in the city of Cologne on a total of two consecutive opening days. There is a free choice:
- Museum Ludwig
- Wallraf-Richartz-Museum & Fondation Corboud
- Roman-Germanic Museum
- Museum of Applied Arts Cologne
- Museum of East Asian Art
- Museum Schnütgen
- Rautenstrauch-Joest-Museum - Cultures of the World
- Cologne City Museum
- NS Documentation Center
The MuseumsCard is also valid as a ticket on the first day of validity on public transport operated by VRS partner companies within the city of Cologne.