Why an Empty, White-Walled Room Costs $2 Million

Infinity rooms by contemporary artist Doug Wheeler are now available for commission.
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Artist Doug Wheeler’s best-known artworks are seemingly empty white rooms.

Stepping into one of these milky environments is an experience at once disorienting and sublime. The white floors, ceilings, and walls, whose intersections are smooth and concave, create the illusion of an infinite space. Light pours in from some hidden source. You’d think you were in heaven—were it not for other humans shuffling around in special booties that everyone has to put on before entering, to keep things spotless. Dubbed the 'infinity room,' the installation marked Wheeler’s New York solo debut, at David Zwirner Gallery in 2012, drawing long lines and critical acclaim.