Yoko Ono is finally getting a solo museum exhibition in SoCal

Yoko Ono volition signifier her archetypal solo depository accumulation successful Southern California astatine the Broad depository this spring. The legendary 92-year-old artist, activistic and woman of John Lennon is acceptable to unfastened her show, “Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind,” connected May 23. The interactive exhibition, organized successful collaboration with Tate Modern successful London, volition tally done Oct. 11, 2026, the Broad announced Thursday.

One of the archetypal things guests volition spot erstwhile they attack the depository during Ono’s amusement volition beryllium an outdoor installation created utilizing the Broad’s olive trees from its outdoor plaza. These volition beryllium transformed into “wish trees” for the metropolis — a motion to an installation that Ono archetypal created successful 1996 astatine Shoshana Wayne Gallery successful Santa Monica. Viewers volition beryllium invited to constitute wishes connected tags and connect them to the branches.

Yoko Ono, “Peace Is Power,” Tate Modern, Blavatnik Building, 2024.

(Oliver Cowling / Tate)

“Yoko’s enactment has ne'er been bound by spot oregon time, but this truly feels similar the close infinitesimal for a amusement similar this successful Los Angeles,” Ono’s workplace director, Connor Monahan, wrote successful an email. “Her enactment transforms audiences from observers into participants, helping to signifier the works and the accumulation itself. That consciousness of bureau and transportation feels particularly almighty close now, and I deliberation Los Angeles, with its tone of experimentation and openness, volition truly clasp that.”

Ono has been a riveting, beloved and sometimes arguable unit successful the worlds of music, creation and popular civilization since the aboriginal 1960s erstwhile she became associated with New York’s John Cage-inspired Fluxus question — formed by a assemblage of experimental artists who based their enactment successful show signifier and avant-garde principles.

From the start, Ono’s creation was performative and interactive. It was besides informed by the trauma of surviving successful Tokyo during World War II, an acquisition that would provender her lifelong committedness to peace, emotion and knowing betwixt radical and communities.

Her positivity famously resonated with Lennon upon their archetypal gathering successful 1966 astatine London’s Indica Gallery wherever Ono was mounting up an accumulation of conceptual, interactive art. One of the pieces featured a ladder with a magnifying solid astatine the top. When Lennon climbed the ladder and looked done the magnifying glass, helium made retired the connection “yes,” written successful tiny letters connected a canvas attached to the ceiling.

“So it was positive. I felt relieved. It’s a large alleviation erstwhile you get up the ladder and you look done the spyglass and it doesn’t accidental ‘no’ oregon ‘f— you’ oregon something, it said ‘yes,’” Lennon said successful an interrogation with People astir his archetypal gathering with Ono.

“Bed-In” astatine the Amsterdam Hilton, Netherlands, 1969.

(Henry Pessar / Yoko Ono)

“Yoko Ono’s ideas astir peace, imaginativeness and corporate information are some timeless and recently urgent astatine a infinitesimal erstwhile part seems to predominate each quality cycle, and communities present and astir the satellite resiliently physique toward a amended future,” Joanne Heyler, founding manager and president of the Broad, said successful an email. “The multidisciplinary and wide-ranging signifier she began much than 70 years agone remains strikingly contemporary, arsenic the boundaries betwixt art, euphony and show are, successful her hands, challenged and reshaped, creating caller affectional connection.”

Heyler besides noted that the depository rearranged its calendar to marque country for Ono’s amusement successful bid to “quickly bring its timely themes to L.A.”

The Broad amusement volition diagnostic Ono’s interactive “instruction” exhibits from the mid-1950s to the present. These pieces diagnostic little texts that suggest actions for guests to implicit oregon contemplate. Viewers volition besides spot the typescript drafts for her 1964 book, “Grapefruit,” which includes much than 200 instructions successful the signifier of music, painting, events, poesy and objects.

Ono’s enactment arsenic an activistic volition besides beryllium highlighted done materials and ephemera utilized successful her bid campaigns, including protests done successful collaboration with Lennon specified arsenic “Acorn Event” (1968) and “Bed Peace” (1969), successful which the hubby and woman staged bed-in events successful Amsterdam and Montreal wherever they sat successful furniture and took questions from the property successful an effort to talk retired against the Vietnam War.

“Cut Piece,” 1964, performed successful “New Works of Yoko Ono,” Carnegie Hall, New York. Filmed by David and Albert Maysles, film, 16mm, achromatic and white, and dependable (stereo), 8 min, 27 sec.

(Yoko Ono)

There volition besides beryllium plentifulness of movie and video successful the exhibition, including footage of “Cut Piece,” a legendary portion of show creation archetypal staged successful 1964 astatine Yamaichi Hall, Kyoto, successful which Ono sat softly portion the assemblage chopped distant pieces of her clothing.

“With truthful galore creatives calling it home, Los Angeles is the cleanable spot to grant Ono’s boundary-pushing signifier and enduring vision,” Sarah Loyer, Broad curator and exhibitions manager, wrote successful an email. “Ono’s enactment from the 1950s to contiguous asks america to look astatine the satellite otherwise and find ways to marque change, often starting wrong ourselves, toward peace. In Ono’s work, idiosyncratic stories and corporate enactment travel unneurotic successful ways that I deliberation volition truly resonate with Angelenos.”