Factory International

Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons

This exhibition has ended
This exhibition has ended ● 
Yayoi Kusama artwork of large inflatable yellow tentacles with black polkadots on them
Date
27 - 28 Aug 2023
Venue
The Warehouse, Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester, M3 4JQ
Tickets
Standard Tickets £15
Affordable Tickets £10 & £7.50
A maximum of 6 tickets per person applies.

We’re putting art in the heart of Manchester, within reach of everyone; and have affordable options including £10 tickets for those on limited incomes.

For information about who qualifies for £10 and affordable tickets, visit our Affordable Ticketing Policy page

For information on Access tickets and how to book Personal Assistant discounted tickets, visit our How to Book Access Tickets page

This exhibition has ended

Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult over 18. Babes in Arms - Under 2’s do not require a ticket.

Accessibility features available for this event: Audio Description Relaxed Performance BSL Interpreting Wheelchair Access

One of the world’s most loved artists takes us up and away as part of Factory International’s opening summer programme.

Yayoi Kusama is bringing her largest-ever immersive environment to Manchester. Conceived especially for the soaring spaces of our new home, Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons celebrates three decades of the pioneering Japanese artist's inflatable artworks, which are brought together for the first time in this major exhibition. Journey through Kusama's psychedelic creations - many over 10m tall - including giant dolls, spectacular tendrilled landscapes and a vast constellation of polka-dot spheres.

Kusama is renowned and adored for her surreal world of dots and pumpkins amongst other artistic motifs. Her hallucinatory paintings, sculptures, and immersive environments, such as her Infinity Mirror Rooms, take us beyond ourselves and make us feel part of something greater. Unique in her ability to conjure wonder while also asking bigger questions about human existence, millions of people queue for hours to spend just a minute in Kusama’s cosmos.

Kusama’s career spans eight decades and she is now a global phenomenon. In Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons you will experience the vastness of her playful and kaleidoscopic universe.

We have a range of affordable tickets for Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons, including options for £10 or less; so you can find a price that's right for you.

Find out more about our Affordable Ticketing Policy here.

Enjoy a free showing of documentary Kusama: Infinity (dir. Heather Lenz), playing on loop throughout August in the Social under the arches on the ground floor. Having trouble finding it? Just ask a member of staff who can help guide you. Not suitable for under 12s.

Images

1/5

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. Images © David Levene

2/5

Dots Obsession, 2013 Installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition ‘Yayoi Kusama/ You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios. Images © David Levene

3/5

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. Images © David Levene.

4/5

Yayoi-chan, 2012-2023 Installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition ‘Yayoi Kusama/ You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios. Images Copyright David Levene (1)

5/5

Dots Obsession, 2013 Installation view from Manchester International Festival 2023 exhibition ‘Yayoi Kusama_ You, Me and the Balloons’ at Aviva Studios Images © David Levene

  • You, Me and The Balloons is a colourful wonderland of inflatable inspiration

    Creative Boom

  • A psychedelic pop-art garden of earthly delights

    The Guardian

  • It’s impossible not to feel a sense of childlike wonder from it all, a reminder of the good type of inflation

    Time Out London

Discover more

Watch ↓ 
A still of a black and yellow pumpkin made by the artist Yayoi Kusama

You, Me and the Balloons | Exhibition Tour

Credits

Commissioned by Factory International and produced with the Artist for Manchester International Festival.

Tickets

To book online, please see above.

For ticketing and box office related enquiries please call or email:

Phone: 0333 322 8679

Phone lines are open Monday to Friday, 10am to 8pm and Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

Email: tickets@factoryinternational.org.

For more information please visit: Ticketing and Sale of Goods Terms & Conditions – Factory International

Good to know

To keep you safe when visiting Aviva Studios, security checks and bag checks by our Visitor Safety team will be in operation on entry to the exhibition. Please keep personal belongings to a minimum – bags above the size of an A4 sheet of paper will not be allowed.

Please note there is no cloakroom for this event and no food or drinks are allowed in the exhibition.

Resources

Access Information

The full address of the venue is Aviva Studios, Water Street, Manchester M3 4JQ and the what3words is chop.feeds.chase.

Accessible ticketing can be booked online and via email and phone for this event.

Below is an overview of access booking information:

Online booking :How to book Access and PA Tickets

Email Address: access@factoryinternational.org

Phone number: 0161 817 4531 (phone lines are open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)

Please note there may be potential background noise in the Kusama: You Me and the Balloons exhibition from our music programme rehearsals between 3pm – 6pm on 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15 July.

This event takes place in the Warehouse. The exhibition is a large scale installation, and visitors will enter in timed slots.

There is step-free access to all areas of Yayoi Kusama: You, Me And The Balloons, with lift access to one element for those that need it.

We will have portable stools available to borrow for anyone who may need to rest while exploring the installation.

There is no loud sound or extreme lighting in this installation. There may be some background noise from the inflation mechanisms.

Some inflatables in this exhibition may contain latex. If you have any concerns or questions about this, please contact access@factoryinternational.org or call us on 0161 817 4531 (lines open 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday).

There are accessible toilets on all public levels of the building.

A mixture of wheelchair accessible toilets with right- or left-hand transfer as well as ambulant accessible cubicles with grab rails are located in the brick arches in the Social.

There are additional accessible toilets in both Hall Foyers.

You do not need a key to use the accessible toilets.

Assistance dogs are welcome to visit Yayoi Kusama: You, Me And The Balloons, and we can provide mats and water bowls (outside the installation) on request.

If you are bringing your assistance dog to the event, we would appreciate you letting us know in advance by emailing access@factoryinternational.org.

A free audio described tour of Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons is available on Sunday 13 August at 2pm. The tour will be led by Anne Hornsby of Mind’s Eye Description. Tickets can be booked here.

The tour group will meet at the ground floor entrance to the exhibition opposite the bright orange information point in the Social. If you come into the building from the city entrance, this will be directly in front of you, and if you are coming from Liverpool Road (the river entrance), it will be on the far side of the bar seating area. Hosts will be stationed at both entrances and will be happy to help you. A staff member will also be at the meeting point with a ‘Audio Described Tour’ sign. Anne will be there to meet attendees from approximately 1.40pm. There will be an opportunity for attendees to socialise and continue the conversation in the Social after the tour.

A free BSL tour of Yayoi Kusama: You, Me and the Balloons is available on Saturday 5 August at 3pm. The tour is led by Jennifer Little and will be presented entirely in British Sign Language with no spoken English. Tickets can be booked here.

The tour group will meet at the ground floor entrance to the exhibition opposite the bright orange information point in the Social. If you come into the building from the city entrance, this will be directly in front of you, and if you are coming from Liverpool Road (the river entrance), it will be on the far side of the bar seating area. A staff member will be at the meeting point with a ‘BSL Tour’ sign. Jennifer will also be there to meet attendees from approximately 2.40pm. There will be an opportunity for attendees to socialise and continue the conversation in the Social after the tour.

Relaxed timeslots are welcome to anyone who many benefit from a more relaxed environment to enjoy the You, Me and the Balloons exhibition. These timeslots will have reduced capacity (less visitors around) and greater sensory consideration regarding noise levels and volume of people in the space.

Relaxed sessions for You, Me and the Balloons can be booked for these entry timeslots:

Tuesday 8 August 2023: 10am, 10:15am and 10.30am

Sunday 20 August 2023: 10am, 10:15am, and 10:30am

All tickets for relaxed sessions are at the usual prices for this exhibition: Standard £15 and Affordable £10 & £7.50

Travel Information

The venue can be approached along Water Street (coming from Quay Street) or along Liverpool Road (coming from Deansgate or Castlefield).

The Water Street route is the quickest way to arrive at our City Square entrance (the main entrance for this show).

Our closest stations are:

Salford Central station: 0.4 miles

Deansgate station and Deansgate-Castlefield tram: 0.6 miles

St Peter’s Square tram: 0.6 miles

Manchester Victoria station is approximately one mile from Aviva Studios

Manchester Piccadilly station is approximately 1.3 miles from Aviva Studios

Click on the links above to find detailed access information for each station.

Free bus services stop at all city-centre stations, and near to Aviva Studios along Deansgate, Bridge St and Quay St. Buses on these free routes are wheelchair accessible. For full details of the free bus routes, please visit the TfGM website.

There is a car park approximately 0.6 miles from the event entrance at Water Street Car Park, New Elm Rd, Manchester, M3 4JH.

There is also a NCP car park (Manchester Spinningfields) approximately 0.5 miles away from the venue at Spinningfields, New Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3BE. It has 35 accessible bays.

There are a small number of Blue Badge spaces along Water St and Quay St. Otherwise head towards Liverpool Road, Great John St and Lower Byrom St – close to our neighbours, the Science and Industry Museum where there are a small number of additional Blue Badge spaces.

For a list of other parking bays available in the area, visit Manchester City Council website.

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