Exhibitions- Yayoi Kusama- You, Me and the Balloons- Factory International-Manchester.

Having always seen Yayoi Kusama’s work exhibited in London, it was very exciting for her to come up to Manchester and also be shown at the new Factory International at Aviva Studios.

You, Me and the Balloons is a retrospective of three decades of her inflatable sculptures, brought together for the first time. Here is a map that I should have looked at in the first place, rather than take a hour leisure stroll along the Irwell.

Built on the site of the old Granada Studios I had a weird memory of going past on the train to Victoria station years ago and seeing a roller-coaster above the entrance. I know this isn’t a weird dream as I have found evidence of it HERE. I went on the studios tour in 1996 and 1999 and both sets of pictures will turn up one day, if just to see my navy blue Adidas campus and red corduroy Levi white tab coat.

I really enjoyed it all and I was really pleased to see the pumpkins and the infinity room. I am still trying to work it all out to be honest, as I felt I was plunged into a weird liminal phase of old and new, bright lights and the ghost of Bet Gilroy.

The exhibition is on until the 30th August as part of the Manchester International Festival 2023. Download the Exhibiton Guide HERE.