Yoko Ono is one of the most influential artists of our time. On the occasion of her 80th birthday, the SCHIRN is preparing a comprehensive retrospective that will present a characteristic selection of the last 60 years of her work and thus illuminate the medial diversity in the artist's oeuvre as well as the central themes of her oeuvre. Yoko Ono became known for her trend-setting works in the early 1960s, which were first shown in New York and later in Japan, including the "Instructions for Paintings" exhibited in 1961 and 1962, the performance "Cut Piece " and the book "Grapefruit " published in 1964, which consolidated this development. The retrospective pays special attention to Yoko Ono's works from the 1960s and 70s, her influence on the Fluxus movement, conceptual and performance art, environments, film, music, her commitment to peace, and her dedication to paving the way for these groundbreaking ideas. Several large installations and other recent works will also be featured in the exhibition.

The catalog provides an overview of the artist's oeuvre as well as numerous essays whose authors examine various thematic complexes within her overall concept, including film, music, and "intermedia". Ono's works are characterized by dualisms and her concern with basic elements and fundamental issues of human existence. Many works revolve around the phenomena of light and shadow, water and fire, air and sky. Destruction and healing as well as balance play important roles in Ono's concept. The catalog features a comprehensive survey of the multifaceted universe of this extraordinary artist, who is regarded as a pioneer of early conceptual, film and performance art as well as a key figure in the world of music, the peace movement and feminism, who continues to play an influential role in current developments in art. Some 200 objects, films, spatial installations, photographs, drawings and textual pieces as well as a special music room will shed light on the diverse media landscape of Ono's art and the central themes of her oeuvre. The catalog devotes particular attention to Yoko Ono's works from the 1960s and 1970s.