What you are seeing is part of an exhibition called
Walking In My Mind: adventure into the artist's imagination at the Hayward Gallery in London. The polka dot trees are by Yayoi Kusama (b. 1929) a Japanese artist who lives, by choice, in a mental institution in Tokyo. She began painting when she was 10 at her therapist's suggestion as a way to channel her hallucinations and obsession with repetition. This is probably an accurate insight into what Kusama sees on a regular basis, as she usually describes herself and her whole environment as being covered in polka dots.
The writing on the artwork is evidence of its interaction with the environment rather than vandalism and proves that it is challenging for many people. Obviously her art has made an impression on people and something about it has compelled them to write on it. I would argue that here the viewers' perception of the art is more important that the material art itself. For anyone that doesn't hallucinate dots, this really challenges the way that you think about your environment. If nothing else, it makes you conscious of your surroundings. She is using her art to comment on how artificial the trees feel in an urban setting and to challenge our expectations. Finally, as a temporary work of art there is an urgency to see it that makes it even more special.
So the next time you are walking down a crowded street imagine that everything is covered in dots, and see if you notice anything new.
