An exhibition of inflatable works by Yayoi Kusama at Aviva Studios, the centerpiece of the Manchester International Festival (until July 16), is full of delights for those dedicated to the pea pioneer.. You, me and the balloons (until August 28) boasts giant dolls, taut landscapes, and comfortable furniture (or sculptural forms) known as Clouds into which visitors can sink (it really is immersive art). Another highlight is a rare video work showing the artist poignantly singing about his experience with depression (Song of a Suicidal Manhattan Addict, 2007). The words, translated from Japanese to English, are sobering, reflecting Kusama’s mental health issues: “Swallow some antidepressants and it’ll be gone, Knock down the door of hallucinations, Amid the agony of flowers, the present never ends.” Suicide in Manhattan is also the title of Kusama’s 1978 novel, written after she voluntarily moved into a mental hospital in Tokyo. How does she deal with an obsessive-compulsive illness? “In my work, I give a system to my life,” she said, proving that art conquers all.
