In a reference to the myth of Narcissus, who is charmed by his own image reflected on water, Narcissus Garden Inhotim (2009) gathers 750 stainless steel spheres on a reflecting pool placed in the patio of the Centro de Educação e Cultura Burle Marx, a building designed by Arquitetos Associados. In the artist’s own words, the work behaves as a ‘kinetic carpet’ due to the action of the wind, thus creating different groupings of spheres amid the aquatic plants.

This work is a version of the sculpture presented for the first time at the 33^rd Venice Biennale (1966). On that occasion, Yayoi Kusama sneakily put on sale 1,500 spheres right next to the Italian pavilion, with signs saying: ‘Your narcissism on sale’ and ‘Narcissus Garden, Kusama.’