Yoko Ono's 'Music of the Mind' retrospective at Tate Modern repositions her as a conceptual artist

Tate Modern in London is presenting an extensive retrospective of Yoko Ono's work titled 'Music of the Mind', marking a cultural shift in recognizing her as an artist and musician rather than a peripheral figure. The exhibition features instructional texts from her 1964 book 'Grapefruit', including pieces like 'Painting to Shake Hands' from 1961, which humorously instructs to drill a hole in a canvas and shake hands through it. A 1969 advertisement with John Lennon declaring 'WAR IS OVER! IF YOU WANT IT' appears alongside video of their Bed-In demonstrations against the Vietnam War, highlighting her conceptual activism. Ono's 1966-67 film 'Bottoms', which strings footage of bottoms as a peace petition, and 2001's 'Helmets (Pieces of Sky)' with jigsaw pieces in soldiers' helmets are included. The show opened with a peaceful protest calling for an end to the bombardment of Gaza, echoing Ono's themes. Writer Philippa Snow, based in Norfolk, authored the review, noting Ono's surreal humor and her statement about inserting useless acts to delay culture. The exhibition includes collaborations with John Cage and references to The Plastic Ono Band's 1969 performance pleading 'give peace a chance'. Ono's work intrudes artificiality into everyday reality, aiming to stop time and reflect life's contradictions.