Ono’s radical rebellion: flies, reflections, and a child’s unwavering belief
In 1971, Yoko Ono unleashed a meticulously orchestrated chaos upon the Museum of Modern Art – releasing flies and inviting the public to document their bewildered reactions, transforming a nonexistent exhibition into a provocative, interactive experience.
A canvas of confusion
The artist, rather than presenting a sanctioned display, strategically positioned cameras, capturing the audience’s varied responses: some performing elaborate, theatrical proclamations of a phantom show, others frantically deciphering its meaning, and a surprising number dismissing the entire endeavor with a blunt, ‘bonkers.’ But amidst the skepticism, a single, pure delight cut through the noise – the unadulterated joy of a child, who simply declared, ‘Then you have a very good museum there. That’s real neato.’
Beyond the gallery walls
That fleeting moment has been resurrected in ‘Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind’ at The Broad, evolving beyond mere archival footage to become a vital key to understanding Ono’s entire artistic practice. The exhibition, running through October, surveys her early work – conceptual Art, music, film, installation pieces, instruction manuals, and persistent activism – yet acknowledges its inherent limitations, admitting that no single showcase could truly encompass the breadth of her universe.
A legacy reimagined
This presentation arrives at a pivotal moment in Ono’s cultural reception. Once largely dismissed as a provocative avant-garde figure or merely ‘the woman who broke up The Beatles,’ she is now increasingly recognized as a foundational figure in conceptual and performance Art. ‘Music of the Mind’ emphatically corrects this narrative, positioning Ono not as a footnote, but as a defining visionary of the last century.
The roots of imagination
Monahan, Ono’s studio director for nearly two decades, emphasizes her relentless optimism, noting that many artists would have abandoned their work after such intense public criticism. ‘Believe in yourself and you’ll change the world,’ Ono famously declared. This philosophy—that imagination is not secondary, but the very core of the creative process—is vividly illustrated by the child’s insightful comment, echoing Ono’s own early experiences.
From hunger to creation
During World War II, Ono and her family sought refuge in the Japanese countryside, grappling with severe food shortages. To combat the despair, they invented ‘menus in the air’ – elaborate, imagined meals, sparking a lifelong fascination with the power of the mind to conjure realities. This early practice, described by curator Sarah Loyer as ‘a belief in one’s imagination as a mode of survival,’ laid the foundation for her later, groundbreaking work.
Interactive provocations
‘Music of the Mind’ immediately confronts the audience with three iterations of ‘Lighting Piece (1955)’, beginning with a simple instruction: “Light a match and watch till it goes out.” Nearby, photographs document Ono’s deliberate, hypnotic performance, while a black-and-white film captures the motion of a match striking with agonizing slowness. Elsewhere, original typescript pages from ‘Grapefruit’ invite viewers to ‘Listen to the sound of the earth turning,’ ‘Draw a map to get lost,’ and ‘Fly.’
A persistent dialogue
Interactive elements abound. Visitors are encouraged to write wishes on slips of paper and tie them to olive trees outside the museum, while inside, they don oversized black sacks and navigate a white platform, their silhouettes transforming into living Rorschach tests. A large white canvas, punctuated with nails and adorned with human hair, demands daily participation – ‘Hammer a nail into the surface every morning. Pick up a single hair that falls out when combing in the morning. Tie that hair around the hammered nail.’ The resulting reverberations serve as a visceral reminder of the collective act of creation.
Echoes of the past, visions for the future
The exhibition’s centerpiece, ‘Add Color (Refugee Boat)’ – an ongoing installation—has continually adapted to reflect contemporary realities, most recently responding to the crises in Gaza and Ukraine. Visitors are invited to leave messages and drawings, transforming the boat into a dynamic, evolving testament to human experience. Cut Piece, a stark performance where Ono invited audience members to dissect her clothing, remains a powerful and unsettling reflection on vulnerability and spectatorship.
A lasting impact
As Ono herself stated, ‘The job of the artist is not to destroy but to change the value of things.’ The exhibition’s accompanying billboards—displaying phrases like ‘THINK PEACE,’ ‘ACT PEACE,’ and ‘IMAGINE PEACE’—extend this message beyond the museum walls. The show culminates with a concert featuring renowned musicians, underscoring Ono’s influence as a visionary who continues to challenge our perceptions and ignite our imaginations. Ultimately, Ono’s work serves as a potent reminder that even in the face of overwhelming adversity, the power of belief—and the audacity of imagination—can truly change the world.