Yoko Ono: One Woman Show 1960-1971

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) presents Yoko Ono: One Woman Show 1960-1971, the Museum’s first exhibition dedicated exclusively to the work of Yoko Ono.

The exhibition takes its starting point in the unauthorised exhibition presented by Ono in 1971, which she titled Museum of Modern [F]art. The 1971 exhibition surprised visitors as they found little evidence of her work upon their arrival. Instead, a sign at the entrance informed them that Ono had released flies on the Museum’s grounds, and visitors were encouraged to track them as they dispersed across the city.

Forty years following the event, MoMA presents an exhibition that explores the 10 years that led up to Ono’s 1971 exhibition through more than 125 of her works. These include early objects, works on paper, installations, performances, audio, recordings, films and a selection of rare archival materials. Among these works are some that invite interaction, including Painting to Be Stepped On (1960/1961) and Bag Piece (1964).

The exhibition also features Ono’s seminal performances and films including Cut Piece (1964) and Film No. 4 (1966/1967). The first confronted issues of gender, class and cultural identity by inviting viewers to cut away pieces of Ono’s clothing while she sat quietly on stage. The second, also focusing on class hierarchies sought to break these down by focusing on a universally shared feature, the buttocks. Also in the exhibition are Ono’s Bed-In (1969) and the War Is Over (if you want it) (1969), both made in collaboration with John Lennon to promote world peace. Reaching the early 1970’s Ono’s work had spread across the public realm like the flies she assumingly released at MoMA in 1971.

Yoko One: One Woman Show 1960-1971 will be accompanied by an illustrated catalogue that features three essays evaluating the cultural context of Ono’s early years as well as five sections that explore her geographic locations during these days and the corresponding evolution of her work.

The exhibition will be on display from Sunday 17 May – Monday 7 September 2015 at MoMA, New York.

www.moma.org 

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