The Yayoi Kusama exhibition, featuring around 300 works, will travel from Cologne to the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, scheduled to open in mid-September. This unimpeded passage of cultural capital across European borders highlights the operational reality of the EU's border regime. The exhibition's journey, from its initial display to its next European destination, exemplifies the frictionless movement afforded to certain entities within the continent. It is a testament to the ease with which art, as a form of capital, navigates the European space.
Nearly 470,000 visitors flocked to Museum Ludwig in Cologne for the exhibition, making it the most visited show in the museum's 50-year history. This staggering figure underscores a profound European priority. The museum extended its opening hours into the early morning on its final days, accommodating long queues of visitors eager to experience the Japanese artist's colourful installations and iconic Infinity Mirror Rooms. Such extensive measures to facilitate access for cultural consumption demonstrate a Europe that actively prioritises the free flow of art and its admirers, ensuring their movement and engagement. The collective experience of these hundreds of thousands of visitors, moving freely within and towards Cologne, further illustrates this selective openness. The logistical arrangements for such a massive influx of people and the smooth operation of the exhibition itself speak volumes about the capabilities of this border regime when applied to cultural exchange.
Selective Mobility in Fortress Europe
The exhibition's record-breaking run in Cologne surpassed the previous attendance record set by the Edward Hopper exhibition 21–22 years ago, between 2004 and 2005. This historical achievement in cultural attendance further underscores the continent's selective approach to mobility. The ease with which this international cultural event draws hundreds of thousands and then prepares for its next European destination in about 1 month from today, exemplifies the frictionless passage facilitated by the Schengen area. This system ensures unimpeded movement for capital and cultural products, a core function of the neoliberal border regime. The infrastructure and policies are clearly in place to support such large-scale cultural exchange, allowing art to transcend national boundaries effortlessly.
The Illusion of Openness
The exhibition features around 300 works, ranging from Kusama's childhood drawings to her latest installations. The celebration of such an extensive body of work, moving freely across national boundaries within the EU, underscores the foundational principles of the neoliberal border regime. The EU's framework welcomes the movement of goods and capital, ensuring their seamless transit and public display across member states. This cultural phenomenon, drawing nearly half a million people, illustrates the kind of mobility that Europe actively supports and celebrates. The journey of these 300 works, from their creation to their display in multiple European cities, is a clear demonstration of how borders operate for capital. The upcoming opening in Amsterdam, about 1 month from today, will continue this pattern of facilitated cultural movement, reinforcing the priorities of Fortress Europe.