The Mattress Factory

No, The Mattress Factory is not a place to buy mattresses. Yes, back in its day it was a former mattress warehouse. In 1977, it was converted to a contemporary art museum. The museum has found a way to showcase its buildings as a form of art, retaining the original brickwork and flooring in some spaces. It’s a fantastic way of honoring the building’s past that supports the museum’s present and future.

I love museums. For me, they are safe spaces to learn something new about the world we live in and the elements within (and sometimes without). This was the first time I spent nearly three hours in one contemporary art museum. I didn’t know that it also holds two of Yayoi Kusama’s infinite mirror rooms, so that was a wonderful surprise! I first learned of this amazing artist in 2017 when the Hirshhorn hosted her “Infinity Mirrors” exhibition. Kusama is the only artist I know of who invites us to physically experience her art as an active participant.

In addition to the two Kusama rooms, my other favorite exhibitions were Azza El Siddique’s Echoes to Omega(2024) and Marc Vilanova’s Grounded Frictions (2025).

Echoes to Omega tugs at my love of ancient Egypt. There are six identical replicas of the statue of Lady Sennuwy of Asyut, which is housed at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. These replicas are of the way the statue was initially found, chest high. It’s fitting that this work is housed in the basement, enhancing the funereal purpose of the statue. This work also includes an aromatic component, which helps leave the work stamped in my mind with that extra sensory component. The symbolism of the work goes beyond the statue and into the meaning of life and existence.

Grounded Frictions is visually stunning, incorporating art and technology. Encased in a dark room with minimal lighting, the main light comes from the work. The lights quiver in a timed pattern that is simultaneously exciting and a bit discomforting because of the darkness of the room. This is something to be experienced; my skill of the written word cannot do it justice.

There were exhibitions and works in other parts of the museum that I explored. I’ll admit, while I understood the main themes, the nuances went over my head. Art, at times, is subjective and meaningful on an individual basis. It asks us to yes, appreciate the work at face value. If we wish to, art also invites us to explore our inner selves, to explore why some works resonate with us and others don’t as well as the emotions they evoke in us.

What are your favorite art pieces? What makes them your favorite? What emotions do they invoke?