Louise Bourgeois, one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, is the subject of solo exhibition Louise Bourgeois: Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day? at Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. Featuring over 120 works, including large-scale sculptures, fabric works, and watercolors, the exhibition provides a comprehensive overview of Bourgeois’s artistic journey across her seven-decade career, marking the most extensive showcase of her works ever presented in Australia.

Spanning two contrasting spaces, the chronological rooms of 'Day' and 'Night,’ the exhibition unfolds the psychological tensions embedded in Bourgeois’s creations. In the 'Night' space, surrounded by darkness, stand major large-scale works emanating the uniquely peculiar and uncanny beauty characteristic of the artist’s practice. This includes Has the Day Invaded the Night or Has the Night Invaded the Day? (2007), a mirror sculpture from which the exhibition takes its name, and The Destruction of the Father (1974), a womb-like room that reflects her nuanced perspectives on paternity – both which subtly appear under faint lighting, intimately revealing the artist's inner narrative.
Meanwhile, the 'Day' space offers a more intuitive presentation of Bourgeois’s childhood stories that profoundly shaped her artistic expression, resonating with her revelation that "everything I do was inspired by my early life.” Here, exhibited works, including Ode à la Bièvre (2007), a fabric illustration book which reveals connections to her family's tapestry restoration business and memories of the Bièvre River, delve into the context and complexities of the artist’s life, narrating her personal history, familial relationships, and the enduring influence of French culture.

Also featured in the exhibition are projections by Jenny Holzer, an artist who works with text as her primary medium, using excerpts from Bourgeois texts which give voice to her dreams, desires, and personal anxieties. The exhibition continues through April 28, 2024.