A crowdpleasing exhibition of inflatable works by Yayoi Kusama at Aviva Studios—the centrepiece of the Manchester International Festival (until 16 July)—is full of treats for those devoted to the polka-dot pioneer. You, Me and the Balloons (until 28 August) gratifies with giant dolls, tendrilled landscapes and comfy furniture (or sculptural forms) known as Clouds that visitors can sink into (this is truly immersive art). Another highlight is a rare video work showing the artist singing poignantly about her experience dealing with depression (Song of a Manhattan Suicide Addict, 2007). The words, translated from Japanese into English, are rather sobering, reflecting Kusama’s mental health issues: “Swallow antidepressants and it will be gone, Tear down the gate of hallucinations, Amidst the agony of flowers, the present never ends.” Manhattan Suicide is also the title of Kusama’s 1978 novel, written after she voluntarily moved into a psychiatric hospital in Tokyo. How does she cope with an obsessive-compulsive illness? “In my work, I’m giving a system to my life,” she has said, proving that art conquers all.
