Yoko Ono's upcoming exhibition at the Broad Museum in Los Angeles, titled "Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind," is a powerful reminder of her enduring impact on the art world and her unwavering commitment to peace. This exhibition, which opens on May 23 and runs through October 11, features a series of seven digital billboards across the city, including five along Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and one each at the TCL Chinese Theatre and Fox Theater on Hollywood Boulevard. The billboards, which read, "THINK PEACE," "ACT PEACE," "SPREAD PEACE," "IMAGINE PEACE," and "PEACE is POWER," are a testament to Ono's enduring message of peace and her ability to use mass media as a platform for her work.
The exhibition also includes the re-creation of two of Ono's groundbreaking performance art works, including 1964's iconic "Cut Piece," which Ono originally performed in Kyoto and Tokyo, before staging its American debut at Carnegie Hall. During that show, Ono sat silently onstage while members of the audience slowly snipped away pieces of her clothes. "Cut Piece" will be revived this summer by performance and visual artist MPA at REDCAT.
In addition, the museum's summer concert series will return, highlighted by "Yoko Only," a night celebrating Ono's extensive music catalog. The event will be guest-curated by Yuka Honda, who co-founded the Japanese American band Cibo Matto with Miho Hatori. At the top of the bill are Yo La Tengo and Nels Cline, guitarist for Wilco and Honda's husband. Other musicians include Ono's granddaughter, Emi Helfrich, Theo Bleckmann, Finom, Maggie Parkins, Patrick Shiroishi, Sleater-Kinney, Sylvan Esso, Tune-Yards and Rufus Wainwright.
Ono's work often takes on a political position, with a focus on humanitarian messages. Her practice rests on giving agency to the audience, placing trust in all of us to effect change in the world. This is evident in her use of mass media as a platform for her work, and her ability to spread her message through advertising.
The exhibition's guest curator, Honda, has a deep connection to Ono's work. She first encountered Ono right after she moved to New York City, and before she started her band. While strolling through Central Park in 1987, Honda spotted the artist wandering with no guards and an elderly woman by her side. This experience left a lasting impression on her, and she has since spent a lot of time with Ono, who exposed her to her personal world of visual art and music.
Honda's guest curation includes a quasi-supergroup for "Yoko Only," and an "in-progress multimedia musical" called "I Am Yoko," being made in collaboration with L.A.-based artist Glenn Kaino. The idea for the musical came about after she observed that the world sometimes perceived Ono as "foreign" and "alien." Honda wanted to bring her back down to Earth, and to talk about the process she took to do so.
The exhibition is a powerful reminder of Ono's enduring impact on the art world and her commitment to peace. It is a must-see for anyone interested in contemporary art, performance art, and the power of mass media as a platform for social change.
