Cathy's Art Diary

Surprisingly good exhibition at Tate Modern on the art of Yoko Ono. It is difficult to show conceptual art in exhibitions, particularly when there is a performance or interactive element, but this exhibition succeeded in giving a flavour of events and planting their ideas in a way that does make you think and participate. The show worked in participation well. Some of the actions were taken up enthusiastically, like the room at the end where you were invited to take a blue pen and add to it and tables to play all white chess, but some others weren’t so popular like the being in a bag or the shaking hands through a hole in a wall. I felt a bit sorry for the attendants with the latter two. I loved the idea of Ono’s instruction pieces putting out an idea for artists and us to take up in some way. I thought I’d find the ‘peace’ pieces a bit vapid but actually I found them simple and profound. I loved the two acorns she sent to every world leader to plant for peace on her marriage to...

Interesting installation at the Whitechapel Gallery by Yoko Ono. This work had first been presented as part of an exhibition in 1966 at the Indica Gallery. The idea draws on the Japanese concept of kintsugi, the repair of broken pottery with lacquer missed with gold and silver. There were tables laid out with broken white pottery, scissors, glue, strong and Sellotape. The idea was that you sat and ‘mended. The pot but in practice you made a new sculptural object which were then displayed on the shelves around the room. Part of the idea was that the mindful act of mending also mends the mind. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to sit and join in but I did admire the idea and the array of shapes around the room. Closed 2 January 2022 Reviews Guardian Evening Standard