Smudge Obliteration Room
Start with a blank white space and let dot stickers slowly take it over!
The Set Up
Begin with everything painted white. Old furniture, frames, even pumpkins if you have them. The plainer the better, because it means every dot added will shine.
One of my favourite versions was when we used the wooden frame of a cubby house and wrapped it in clear cellophane. It became a glowing little structure that was covered inside and out with dots. Kids loved crawling in, sticking from the inside, then stepping out and seeing how the colours layered through the clear walls.
The Making
Hand out sheets of colourful dot stickers and let people loose. The stickers can go on walls, across chairs, onto frames, over tables. At first the room looks sparse, but before long the dots begin to take over. The white fades into the background and what you are left with is a buzzing, joyful explosion of colour created by everyone who stepped inside.
Art History Moment
Kusama’s Flower Obsession began as a simple apartment space. By the end of the NGV Triennial, visitors had placed more than half a million stickers. The sofa, the walls, the windows, even the bathroom were transformed. It is a reminder that art doesn’t need to be kept at arm’s length. It becomes so much more powerful when we are invited in.
Variations
Offer dots in a single colour to see how intensity builds through repetition.
Try changing the shapes (maybe hearts, stars, or flowers) to create your own twist on Kusama’s idea.
Photograph the room each day to capture its transformation over time.
Materials
White-painted furniture or props (frames, stools, pumpkins, boxes)
Sheets of dot stickers in various colours and sizes
Drop cloths if you are painting items white beforehand
Optional: blank frames or canvases for a more gallery-like effect
Back to Top
Smudge Obliteration Room
Start with a blank white space and let dot stickers slowly take it over!
Bookmark
Installations
The Set Up
Begin with everything painted white. Old furniture, frames, even pumpkins if you have them. The plainer the better, because it means every dot added will shine.
One of my favourite versions was when we used the wooden frame of a cubby house and wrapped it in clear cellophane. It became a glowing little structure that was covered inside and out with dots. Kids loved crawling in, sticking from the inside, then stepping out and seeing how the colours layered through the clear walls.
The Making
Hand out sheets of colourful dot stickers and let people loose. The stickers can go on walls, across chairs, onto frames, over tables. At first the room looks sparse, but before long the dots begin to take over. The white fades into the background and what you are left with is a buzzing, joyful explosion of colour created by everyone who stepped inside.
Art History Moment
Kusama’s Flower Obsession began as a simple apartment space. By the end of the NGV Triennial, visitors had placed more than half a million stickers. The sofa, the walls, the windows, even the bathroom were transformed. It is a reminder that art doesn’t need to be kept at arm’s length. It becomes so much more powerful when we are invited in.
Variations
Offer dots in a single colour to see how intensity builds through repetition.
Try changing the shapes (maybe hearts, stars, or flowers) to create your own twist on Kusama’s idea.
Photograph the room each day to capture its transformation over time.
Materials
White-painted furniture or props (frames, stools, pumpkins, boxes)
Sheets of dot stickers in various colours and sizes
Drop cloths if you are painting items white beforehand
Optional: blank frames or canvases for a more gallery-like effect
Back to Top
Add this to your favourites
Add this to your favourites
Thoughts?
Would love to hear if youv'e tried this or have any ideas on how to make it even better!
