Working across media, Mariko Mori investigates ideas inspired by the universe, science fiction, technology, spirituality, and pop culture. Her two- and three-dimensional artworks address these eclectic topics through fluid shapes that seem to irradiate from within. In her sculptures, Mori often references infinity symbols by creating structures made of smooth, interconnecting strands. Despite their delicate appearance, resembling the inside of a nautilus shell or swirling particles, the objects are made of sturdy material, such as steel or aluminum. The works seem to pulse with reflective energy, even as they conform to Earth’s gravity.

The sculpture Cyclic II exemplifies Mori’s ongoing fascination with the cosmos and theories explicating its origin. Composed of a continuous loop of aluminum with a luminous, pearl-like finish, the sculpture embodies her interest in Möbius forms and cyclic cosmology. This theory suggests that the universe was not created by one singular event but is made of continuously repeating phases of evolution, evoking the possible existence of parallel worlds and new galaxies. The sculpture draws its formal aspect from the infinite loop of the Möbius strip, representing the never-ending renewal of invisible energy. Without a beginning, middle, or end, the sculpture symbolizes the continual motion in nature and space. Referencing rotating elements and radiating lights, Cyclic II emphasizes interconnectedness and a symbiosis between art and technology. 

About the artist: Mariko Mori (b. 1967 Tokyo, Japan) studied and worked in the field of fashion design in the 1980s before moving to London where she enrolled at the Chelsea College of Art and Design. She then attended the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art from 1992­–93. In her earlier work, Mori assumed various roles, including futuristic avatars, then documented through photography and film the staged performance of her altered physical appearance.

Mori’s work has been featured in various solo exhibitions at institutions worldwide including the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, Japan; Espace Louis Vuitton, Tokyo; the Japan Society in New York; the Brooklyn Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, California; the Royal Academy of Arts, London, United Kingdom; the Aros Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus, Denmark; the Groninger Museum, Groningen, Netherlands; Kunsthaus Bregenz, Bregenz, Austria; the Centre Pompidou, Paris; and the Prada Foundation, Milan, Italy. She also participated in major biennales around the globe, notably in Venice, Istanbul, Sydney, Shanghai, São Paolo and Singapore. Her works are in the collections of the Art Institute of Chicago; The Museum of Modern Art, New York; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; and the Centre Pompidou, Paris, among others. Mori lives and works in New York and London.