Yoko Ono's 'Cut Piece' Returns Live at The Broad After 60 Years

Yoko Ono's seminal 1964 performance 'Cut Piece' will be staged live at the Redcat theater in Los Angeles on July 18 and 19, 2026, as part of the retrospective 'Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind' at The Broad. The performance will be interpreted by California-based artist MPA. Curator Sarah Loyer noted that video documentation no longer conveys the work's discomfort; a live performance restores the audience's responsibility to act. MPA, whose practice explores body, politics, and public exposure, accepted the invitation from Ono's studio with both enthusiasm and apprehension, questioning whether 'Cut Piece' could still wound or surprise in 2026. Studio director Connor Monahan emphasized that each presentation is a new work, shaped by context and audience. Ono performed 'Cut Piece' multiple times between 1964 and 2003, evolving its meaning from anger at violence against female bodies to an act of peace. For the Los Angeles performances, MPA chose clothing by designers Víctor Barragán (Mexican) and Aliona Kononova (Moldovan), linking to war and state violence. The outcome remains uncertain, as the interaction between scissors, skin, and audience behavior is unpredictable.