Berlin celebrates Yoko Ono with two exhibitions
Yoko Ono is an artist with an astonishingly versatile work. Berlin appreciates them with two new exhibitions. In Gropius Bau, more than 200 works by the exceptional artist born in Japan in 1933 and now living in the USA can be seen under the title « Yoko ono: Music of the Mind ». They show their development as an example from the mid-1950s.
Beatles fans know Ono as a widow of John Lennon. But long before the two got married in 1969, she belonged to the avant -gardes scene in New York and Tokyo.
« Peace is power »: Yoko Onos Banner hangs in the Lichtaal of Gropius Bau. Photo: Annette Riedl/dpa
The audience doesn’t just watch
Ono became known early for her playful, often humorous and the visitors to art. During the performance « Wrapping Piece », she asked the visitors to get on the stage and wrap them completely with thin fabric. Photos of them are part of the exhibition.
« Yoko Ono has a very clear and direct way of communicating with the audience, » said the director of Gropius Baus, Jenny Schlenzka. « Your work is always aimed at everyone. » At the same time, however, her art is highly complex and not infrequently highly political.
She often had the desire to have her works of art completed by the audience. Your “painting to hit a nail”, for example – with a variant of it, the exhibition visitors can use the hammer themselves.
In bed with John Lennon
Ono shared a lot with Lennon, including artistic interests. And of course peace-political concerns like her famous “Bed-in for Peace” in their honeymoon. The ono quote « Peace is Power » can be read in a prominent position of the exhibition on a huge banner.
The artist experimented with texts and films, objects, performances and installations. She gave concerts, recorded plates – also with Lennon. In Gropius Bau there is a lot to see and hear.
John Lennon and Yoko Ono-here around 1979 in New York-were one of the most famous couples from the 1970s. Photo: Getty Images
No matter what she was doing, it was never a mainstream and always surprising: In « half rooms » from 1967, visitors look at loudly halved, white -painted furnishings from the bookshelf to the women’s shoe.
In one of the huge halls, there are all small texts in black script: « This room moves at the same speed as the clouds, » is one. Can this be? Irritate and make you think, that is also typical ono.
Art conquers the gardens of Luga
« Dream together » in the new National Gallery
A supplementary exhibition entitled « Yoko Ono: Dream Together » with works from all phases of your artistic career can be seen in the new National Gallery at the Kulturforum.
Yoko Ono, here in 2018 at the start of the « Come Together NYC by the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus » in New York City. Photo: Getty Images
One of the most striking works is « Play It by Trust ». It invites up to 20 visitors to play chess on a long white table with ten chess boards.
All characters are white. If you want to win here, you have to bring the highest concentration to keep an overview. Or put up with the fact that competition, victory and defeat are not everything.
