Yayoi Kusama’s show of joyful inflatable artworks, ‘You, Me and the Balloons’, opens in Manchester
Yayoi Kusama ‘You, Me and the Balloons’ unites artworks from the last 30 years at Aviva Studios, Manchester

A major new exhibition from Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama has opened as part of Manchester International Festival 2023. ‘You, Me and the Balloons’, Kusama’s largest project to date, is the first to be exhibited inside Factory International’s flagship new venue, Aviva Studios, in Manchester.
It marks the first time many of Kusama’s works have been exhibited together, most of which have never been seen before in the UK. Works, including 2019’s maze of balloons, The Hope of the Polka Dots Buried in Infinity will Eternally Cover the Universe, and 2013’s Dots Obsession, encourage guests to immerse themselves in Kusama’s fantastical world.
Yayoi Kusama on ‘You, Me and the Balloons’
Yayoi-chan, 2012-2023 Installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition Yayoi Kusama 'You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios
‘It would be interesting if people would experience the show as a wonderland,’ says Kusama in the exhibition catalogue. ‘The experience of the scale is what’s important. Inflatable works expanded my creative means in terms of scale that could not have been achieved by stuffed soft sculptures, and the freedom of placing them up in the air. For me, the world is genuinely full of surprises. It is not that I want to inspire a childlike awe or wonder, but to inspire through my genuine perception of the world.’
A Bouquet of Love I Saw in the Universe, 2021, installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition, Yayoi Kusama 'You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios
‘You, Me and the Balloons’ joins city-wide installation The Find by Ryan Gander, the first commission in a project discovering links in art and football by former Manchester United footballer Juan Mata and curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, and a live photographic performance by British photographer Benji Reid, in an eclectic curation for the Manchester International Festival 2023 programme.
‘You, Me & the Balloons’ is presented as part of Manchester International Festival 2023, which returns to the city from 29 June to 16 July
Life of the Pumpkin Recites, All About the Biggest Love for the People, 2019, installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition. Yayoi Kusama 'You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios
Clouds, 2023, installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition Yayoi Kusama 'You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Hannah Silver is the Art, Culture, Watches & Jewellery Editor of Wallpaper*. Since joining in 2019, she has overseen offbeat design trends and in-depth profiles, and written extensively across the worlds of culture and luxury. She enjoys meeting artists and designers, viewing exhibitions and conducting interviews on her frequent travels.
-
Caribbean cool meets mid-century glamour at this new LA hotspot
From golden mirrored chambers to jerk-spiced tomahawk steaks, Lucia reimagines Afro-Caribbean dining and design
-
Tour this fire-resilient minimalist weekend retreat in California
A minimalist weekend retreat was designed as a counterpoint to a San Francisco pied-à-terre; Edmonds + Lee Architects’ Amnesia House in Napa Valley is a place for making memories
-
Love, community, anti-gay laws: the queer African artists redefining visibility through portraits
In honour of Pride Month, Ugonnaora Owoh speaks to three artists on African queer legacies and their optimism in advocating for queer rights through art