New York City
November 2022
MTA Arts & Design is pleased to announce a spectacular new artwork by Yayoi Kusama commissioned for Grand Central Madison, a new 700,000-square-foot Long Island Rail Road terminal below Grand Central Terminal along Madison Avenue between 43 and 48 Streets in Manhattan. Mosaic artwork by the acclaimed artist, titled A Message of Love, Directly from My Heart unto the Universe (2022), enlivens the Madison Concourse of Long Island Rail Road's new eastside terminus. "Yayoi Kusama's extraordinary mosaics for the new Grand Central Madison terminal is unlike any public work she has created before," said Sandra Bloodworth, Director, MTA Arts Design. "This new, flowing composition, originating from her extensive body of My Eternal Soul paintings spills energy and joy out into the Grand Central Madison passageway. The mural is a journey itself, inspiring incredible moments as you walk along the grand mosaic artwork." Expanding upon Kusama's iconic My Eternal Soul series, the new glass mosaic artwork, located on the Madison Concourse level between 46 and 47 Streets, is an exploration of lines and forms, detailed with bold colors. At once abstract and figurative, the artwork highlights a variety of motifs for visitors to discover. They convey the messages of LOVE, UNIVERSE, PEACE, OWE TO ALL MANKIND, which are central to Kusama's oeuvre. She hopes that the work will bring joy for those who encounter it as they pass through the incredible new space. Kusama began the My Eternal Soul series in 2009. The paintings in the series feature the signature allover qualities of her Infinity Net paintings and echo the obsessive, recurring geometries of her decades-long output. An exploration of form, subject matter, and space, the compositions combine abstract and figurative elements that allude at once to microscopic and macroscopic universes. A Message of Love, Directly from My Heart unto the Universe offers viewers a continuous, flowing expanse that renews these familiar motifs and symbols from My Eternal Soul. The permanent artwork, fabricated by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios, measures 120' W x 7' H, totaling approximately 875 square feet of glass mosaic. A Message of Love, Directly from My Heart unto the Universe is a heartfelt gift to New York City by the internationally renowned artist. An accompanying poem written by Kusama speaks directly to all that will experience her artwork from near and far.
This is Yayoi Kusama. I offer you a message of love, directly from my heart unto the universe. May you all experience the true beauty of loving humanity. Human life is beautiful. My wish is to deliver this vision, with all that is my life, to the people of New York.
Read more about the installation in The New York Times. Learn more at MTA Arts & Design.