The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne has made history: Yayoi Kusama’s retrospective has officially become the most visited ticketed art exhibition ever held in Australia.
A Blockbuster Draw
From December 15, 2024, to April 21, 2025, the exhibition attracted an astounding 570,537 visitors, shattering the gallery’s previous attendance milestone . This figure not only represents a landmark for the NGV but also cements Kusama’s exhibition as the highest-attended visual art show in Australian history .
A Feast for the Senses
Spanning nearly nine decades of the artist’s career, the installation featured close to 200 works — including her iconic Infinity Mirror Rooms, her vibrant installations of pumpkins and polka dots, and rare early drawings from when Kusama was just nine years old . The breadth of media on display—from painting and collage to fashion, sculpture, and immersive environments—underscored her boundary-defying, multidisciplinary practice .
Global Reach and Economic Impact
Remarkably, over 24% of visitors traveled from interstate or overseas, underscoring the exhibition’s global appeal and its boost to Victoria’s economy .
Why So Popular?
Curator Wayne Crothers attributes the exhibition’s success to Kusama’s universal allure and her knack for creating visually arresting, emotionally resonant environments. The immersive nature of the installations—specially the mirrored infinity rooms—proved irresistible to families and younger audiences, encouraging repeat visits . Despite occasional criticism labeling her work as overly populist, Crothers defends the value of art that resonates broadly, noting that the appeal of art should not be limited to elite circles .
Context in NGV’s Exhibition History
Though the NGV’s annual Triennial drew over a million visitors, Kusama’s solo exhibition stands alone as the most attended ticketed solo-artist show in the gallery’s history . It outstrips prior record-holder Van Gogh and the Seasons (2017), which drew 462,262 visitors .
