Yoko Ono, 89, is a multimedia artist and active peace advocate. Over the years, she has used her creations and words to unite communities and spread messages of peace to the world. Recently, with the global attention on the situation in Ukraine due to Russia’s invasion, Yoko Ono, as a representative figure of the anti-war movement, collaborated with art organizations Circa and Serpentine to launch the “Imagine Peace” campaign in different cities worldwide this month. Through phrases on large billboards, they aim to connect people around the world to collectively “imagine peace.”
Regarding Russia’s actions in launching a war, several EU countries as well as the UK and the US have successively imposed economic sanctions on Russia. In the art world, many musicians, artists, organizations, and film companies have also actively expressed their stance on the matter, with many canceling music concerts, exhibitions, performances, and screenings in Russia as a form of cultural sanction. Meanwhile, Yoko Ono has chosen to show her support for Ukraine through art, drawing more attention to world peace.
Fifty years ago, during the Vietnam War, when anti-war sentiments were strong in Western countries. Yoko Ono and her husband John Lennon conducted a shocking and vulgar performance art piece expressing their anti-war stance during their honeymoon. The two lay in bed holding up a “peace” sign, allowing the media to freely come in and interview them. Behind their crazy behavior, they said to the media, “Give peace a chance.” Later, Lennon turned this phrase into a song, writing the anti-war song of the same name, as well as the song promoting love and peace, “Imagine.”
In 1969, the two launched the “War is Over” billboard campaign in multiple cities for the first time, promoting anti-war awareness. Today, Yoko Ono still carries a deep sense of indignation towards war and continues to promote world peace in her own way.
“Imagine Peace” art installation will be exhibited in London, Berlin, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Milan, New York, and Seoul, and will light up every night at 8:22 in March.
In addition, the artist also simultaneously released limited edition prints, with all proceeds being donated to the United Nations Central Emergency Fund to provide food, water, medicine, and shelter to countries in conflict.
Hope, peace, and love have always been Yoko Ono’s creative core, as she said: “Imagination is something everyone can achieve, even if we have different ways to reach our goals.” As long as the hope in our hearts does not extinguish, peace can surely be achieved.
