M+ Gives College Students 10,000 Free Tickets To Yayoi Kusama Show Until May 14

M+ is giving college and other higher-education students 10,000 free tickets to its ‘Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now’ exhibition, as part of the government’s ‘Shall We Talk’ mental health initiative. The exhibition closes on May 14.

M+’s is giving away 10,000 free tickets to full-time college and other students of tertiary education for its first special exhibition ‘Yayoi Kusama: 1945 to Now’, which will close on 14 May. The show is the largest retrospective of renowned artist Yayoi Kusama in Asia outside Japan. The giveaway is part of ‘Shall We Talk at M+’, an initiative in partnership with by the Advisory Committee on Mental Health.

The complimentary tickets are given on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible students with valid full-time student cards. No pre-registration is needed, but tickets are distributed on a first-come-first-served-basis. Apart from free access to the exhibition, M+ will also organise free guided tours and free expressive art therapy workshops for tertiary students.

An installation from Yoyoi Kusama's 'Dots Obsession - Aspiring to Heaven's Love'. — An installation from Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Dots Obsession – Aspiring to Heaven’s Love’ (© Yayoi Kusama)

The exhibition explores Kusama’s seven-decade career through more than 200 of the artist’s works, which includes paintings, installations, sculptures, drawings and archival materials. It also features three new works she created last year: ‘Death of Nerves’, ‘Dots Obsession — Aspiring to Heaven’s Love’, and ‘Pumpkin’.

‘Shall We Talk’ aims to promote mental health and discussions surrounding the topic to encourage well-being in the community, and Kusama herself has been open about her mental health struggles and depicts her experiences through her work. In addition, M+ will host ‘From Yayoi Kusama’s Art to Our Wellbeing — A Talk by Mami Kataoka’ to discuss how can art change people’s state of mind and help people move forward through challenging times.

Self-portraits by the artist. — Self-portraits by the artist (© Yayoi Kusama)

The free talk by Kataoka, Director of Mori Art Museum, Tokyo will take place at the Grand Stair of the museum from 7pm-8.30pm on April 26 and will be available online via livestream. The talk is part of the M+ Lars Nittve Keynote Lecture Series, which invites renowned artists and scholars to share insights into broader cultural ideas and topics.