Nov 28, 2018 To Infinity and Beyond: A Love Letter to Yayoi Kusama
Photo credits: Adrian Gutierrez – @illogicaltruths
A line could been seen quietly forming outside the Art Theatre on a cool November night. Unlike most nights, the facade of the nearly 100-year-old art deco building is playfully decorated with red dots indicating that a special event is taking place. On this cool November night, Imprint Culture Lab and POW! WOW! Long Beach screened Kusama: Infinity.
The attendees excitedly waited in line for the doors to open so they could take their seats. Wait listed guests eagerly stood by with the hopes that someone would fail to show. This night, the Art Theatre has completely sold out their 380 seat venue for the first time in its history.
Doors opened slightly earlier than expected in order to get everyone to their seats in time for the film to start. Attendees enjoyed a wine and beer bar complete with a special drink for the night, the “Infinitini,” which contained champagne and fresh red beet juice provided by Salud Juice. Kusama fans funneled through the doors into their seats. Julia Huang, founder of Imprint Culture Lab, graciously welcomed the crowd to the screening and tease the audience with a Q&A by the director herself, Heather Lenz, after the show.
Kusama: Infinity was everything one would have hoped for. An in depth look at an independent, 
freethinking Japanese woman in the 50s who against all odds –be it sexism, racism, mental health or abuse– made her way in the art world. She carved her own path and brought the world along for the ride.
Heather Lenz greeted the audience after the screening expressing genuine thanks for each and every person in the room. She had no idea the size of the venue and the amount of Long Beach locals who would show to support her film. Kusama: Infinity was a labor of love for Lenz as she has been working on Yayoi Kusama’s story for 17 years. With many obstacles, one largely being financial strain, Lenz, much like Kusama, overcame adversity to do what she believed in. The result is a gorgeous and stimulating look inside the life of an international treasure.
Kusama’s work is beloved by the world over with public installations and museum exhibits from Tokyo to Tampa and everywhere in between. She has claimed her place in the art world and her star can no longer be dimmed but will forever shine bright and infinite.
