In this iteration of the iconic installation Mend Piece (Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York City version) (1966/2015), Ono proposes communal mending as an act of healing. In a seemingly simple white room, shattered cups and saucers are placed on a table. Participants are asked to bind the fragments together using common household items: twine, glue, scissors, and tape. The resulting creations are displayed on nearby shelves, evidence of the power of collective action. Secluded from the bustling world, Ono’s meditative environment inspires reflections on the tumultuous concerns of society, as well as personal struggles.

Conceived in the 1960s at a moment of rapid cultural transformation, this early example of participatory artwork still resonates strongly today. Mend Piece calls to mind the Japanese philosophy of Wabi-sabi, an embracing of the flawed or imperfect. For Ono, a visitors’ small act of mending holds the potential to resonate at a universal scale. With straightforward directions, the artist asks participants to let go of pretension and consider larger ideas: “Mend with wisdom/mend with love./It will mend the earth/at the same time.”

Yoko Ono (b. 1933, Tokyo, Japan) is widely recognized for her pioneering conceptual art, which has encompassed performance, instruction, film, music, and writing. She has been the focus of major solo exhibitions at institutions such as the Guggenheim Bilbao, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo. Today, she continues to work tirelessly for world peace.