Yayoi Kusama
Light and Color beneath New York
“The extraordinary mosaics by Yayoi Kusama for the new Grand Central Madison terminal are unlike any public work she has ever created before,” said Sandra Bloodworth, Director of MTA Arts & Design, celebrating the uniqueness of a project that unites contemporary art with traditional craftsmanship.
Beneath the streets of New York, light meets color in an artwork that transforms a public space into a journey through imagination.
The monumental mosaics by Yayoi Kusama, created for the new Grand Central Madison terminal, pay tribute to the energy and vitality of the city that never sleeps.
This permanent and visually striking installation was created by Miotto Mosaics Art Studios, in collaboration with Travisanutto Mosaics Srl, partner of Mosaici Donà Murano.
The glass tesserae — fused, shaped, and cut by hand using the centuries-old expertise of Murano artisans — create an explosion of forms and colors that seem to move like waves of pure energy.
Measuring over 120 feet wide and 7 feet high (about 875 square feet / 81 square meters of mosaic), the work expands like a vibrant universe of light and matter, where Kusama’s language of dots, spirals, and cosmic visions is translated into glass, becoming eternal.
Each tile reflects part of the soul of both artist and craftsman —
a dialogue between New York and Murano, between visionary art and the patience of manual work, between infinity and material.