Yoko Ono: Insound and Instructure

Exploring the relationship between sound, structure and experimentation across Ono's artistic practice

Published with MUSAC.

Fluxus artist, composer, activist and philanthropist: the diverse facets of Yoko Ono (born 1933) converge and intertwine in Insound and Instructure. This landmark volume brings together over 80 pieces that span six decades of the artist's career, from her celebrated works of the early 1960s to recent projects that underscore the enduring relevance of her thought. Originating from a concert and exhibition the artist held in 1964 at the Yamaichi Hall in Tokyo, the title reflects Ono's integration of sound and instructions into her practice; Ono creates noisy experimental music as well as "instructional" paintings. More broadly, she combines objects, texts, sounds, performances and films in countless ways, seeking to upend static definitions of art, exhibitions and even museums.
The selection of works in Insound and Instructure highlight Ono's most salient contributions across performance, installation, experimental cinema and everything in between. The pieces unfold as a nonchronological dialogue among ideas, actions and formats, reflecting Ono's artistic and life philosophy--one which prizes imagination, process, participation and human connection.