Yoko Ono: the music of the mind that revolutionizes art

Can you imagine entering an art room and hearing the sound of a toilet, a cough, a telephone or a scream? Or interact with a work that invites you to write about your mother, color a refugee boat, climb a ladder or break a sewing machine?
These are some of the proposals that the artist and activist Yoko Ono (1933) offers us in her exhibition Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, which can be visited at the Tate Modern in London until June 30, 2024. The exhibition celebrates the career of one of the most iconic and influential figures in conceptual art, music and activism, from the mid-1950s to the present, including her years in London, where she met her future husband and collaborator John Lennon.
The title of the exhibition refers to Ono's desire to stimulate the viewer's imagination, beyond objects and senses. As she herself says: "Music is a way to express our mind. We don't need instruments or sheet music. We just need our mind." The exhibition is divided into eight thematic sections that cover the different facets of Ono's work: his instructions for paintings, his performances, his installations, his films, his sound recordings, his campaigns for peace, his tributes to Lennon and his projects recent. In each of them, the public can experience Ono's art in a direct, participatory and playful way, following her instructions or her invitations to action. Ono is an artist who breaks with molds and conventions, who challenges categories and genres, who questions norms and roles, who proposes new ways of seeing and living.

Her work is a mixture of poetry, humor, provocation and commitment, which seeks to generate an emotional and spiritual connection with others, with the world and with oneself. Her music from her mind is music that makes us think, feel, laugh, cry, dream and act. Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind is an essential exhibition for lovers of art, music and life. A unique opportunity to meet an artist who has marked the history of the 20th century and who continues to be a source of inspiration and hope for the 21st century.

What is the music of Yoko Ono's mind? Music of the mind is an art form that Yoko Ono (1933) has developed throughout her career, from her beginnings in the Fluxus movement to her current projects. It is music that is not based on instruments or scores, but on the imagination and creativity of the artist and the audience. The music of Ono's mind is expressed through different media, such as painting instructions, performances, installations, films, sound recordings, peace campaigns, tributes to John Lennon and recent projects. In all of them, Ono seeks to generate an emotional and spiritual connection with others, with the world and with oneself. Ono's music of the mind is music that makes us think, feel, laugh, cry, dream and act. It is music that breaks with molds and conventions, that challenges categories and genres, that questions norms and roles, that proposes new ways of seeing and living. Her work is a mix of poetry, humor, provocation and commitment, which seeks to awaken awareness and social responsibility.
The exhibition Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, which can be visited at the Tate Modern in London until June 30, 2024, is a unique opportunity to learn about the career of one of the most iconic and influential figures in conceptual art, the music and activism, from the mid-1950s to the present, including her years in London, where she met her future husband and collaborator John Lennon. The title of the exhibition refers to Ono's desire to stimulate the viewer's imagination, beyond objects and senses. As she herself says: "Music is a way to express our mind. We don't need instruments or sheet music. We just need our mind." The exhibition is divided into eight thematic sections that cover the different facets of Ono's work: his instructions for paintings, his performances, his installations, his films, his sound recordings, his campaigns for peace, his tributes to Lennon and his projects recent.

In each of them, the public can experience Ono's art in a direct, participatory and playful way, following her instructions or her invitations to action. Some of the most notable works in the exhibition are:

• Painting to Shake Hands (1961): A work that consists of a white canvas with a hole in the center, through which you can shake another person's hand. It is a way to create human contact and non-verbal communication between strangers.
• Add Color (Refugee Boat) (2016): A work that consists of a scale reproduction of a refugee boat, on which visitors can paint with colored markers. It is a way to express solidarity and empathy with people fleeing war and violence.
• Cut Piece (1964): A work that consists of a performance in which Ono sits on stage with a pair of scissors and allows the audience to cut his clothes. It is a way of exploring vulnerability, power, violence and trust.
• Fly (1970): A work that consists of a 25-minute film in which a fly is seen running over Ono's naked body. It is a way of questioning the male gaze, eroticism and female identity. - **
• War Is Over! (If You Want It) (1969): A work that consists of an advertising campaign that Ono and Lennon launched in several countries, with posters that proclaimed "The war is over (if you want it)." It is a way to promote pacifism, optimism and collective action.

These and other works by Ono show us the richness and diversity of his music of the mind, a music that invites us to be part of art, to use our imagination, to express our voice, to change the world.
References:

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/feb/13/yoko-ono-music-of-the-mind-review-tate-modern-london) Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind review – wild shrieks, audacious instructions and bare bottoms | Art and design | The Guardian
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6KABIQNGjM) Yoko Ono | Music of The Mind | Tate Modern 2024 - YouTube
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/yoko-ono/exhibition-guide) Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind | Tate
https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/yoko-ono) Yoko Ono | Tate Modern