Typescripts for Grapefruit,
Yoko Ono
Typescripts for Grapefruit, c1963–4
151 typewritten cards, with ink and graphite
Introductory material (No. 1–3)
MUSIC (No. 4–55)
PAINTING (No. 56–95)
EVENT (No. 96–137)
POETRY (No. 138–143)
OBJECT (No. 144–151)
A compilation of instructions written between 1953 and 1964, Grapefruit conveys Ono’s ideas during this period and is considered one of her foundational texts and a cornerstone of conceptual art. Typescripts for Grapefruit, covered in Ono’s handwritten notes... Many of the instructions in Grapefruit have been realised as physical artworks, through performance, participation, film, painting and sculpture. Others are intended to be carried out entirely in the mind.*
From the exhibition
Yoko Ono Music of the Mind
(February – September 2024)
Yoko Ono is a trailblazer of early conceptual and participatory art, film and performance, a celebrated musician, and a formidable campaigner for world peace. Developing her practice in the United States, Japan and the UK, ideas are central to her art, often expressed in poetic, humorous, profound and radical ways.
Spanning more than seven decades, YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND is the UK’s largest exhibition celebrating key moments in Ono’s groundbreaking, influential and multidisciplinary career, from the mid-1950s to now – including her years in London where she met her future husband and longtime collaborator John Lennon.
The show traces the development of her practice and explores some of Ono’s most talked about and powerful artworks and performances. This includes Cut Piece (1964), where people were invited to cut off her clothing, to her banned Film No.4 (Bottoms) (1966-67) which she created as a ‘petition for peace’. Visitors are invited to take part in both simple acts of the imagination and active encounters with Ono’s works, such as Wish Trees for London, where visitors can contribute personal wishes for peace.
Audiences will discover over 200 works including instruction pieces, scores, installations, films, music and photography. The exhibition reveals a groundbreaking approach to language, art and participation that continues to speak to the present moment.
[*Tate Modern]
Taken in the Tate Modern
Typescripts for Grapefruit,
Yoko Ono
Typescripts for Grapefruit, c1963–4
151 typewritten cards, with ink and graphite
Introductory material (No. 1–3)
MUSIC (No. 4–55)
PAINTING (No. 56–95)
EVENT (No. 96–137)
POETRY (No. 138–143)
OBJECT (No. 144–151)
A compilation of instructions written between 1953 and 1964, Grapefruit conveys Ono’s ideas during this period and is considered one of her foundational texts and a cornerstone of conceptual art. Typescripts for Grapefruit, covered in Ono’s handwritten notes... Many of the instructions in Grapefruit have been realised as physical artworks, through performance, participation, film, painting and sculpture. Others are intended to be carried out entirely in the mind.*
From the exhibition
Yoko Ono Music of the Mind
(February – September 2024)
Yoko Ono is a trailblazer of early conceptual and participatory art, film and performance, a celebrated musician, and a formidable campaigner for world peace. Developing her practice in the United States, Japan and the UK, ideas are central to her art, often expressed in poetic, humorous, profound and radical ways.
Spanning more than seven decades, YOKO ONO: MUSIC OF THE MIND is the UK’s largest exhibition celebrating key moments in Ono’s groundbreaking, influential and multidisciplinary career, from the mid-1950s to now – including her years in London where she met her future husband and longtime collaborator John Lennon.
The show traces the development of her practice and explores some of Ono’s most talked about and powerful artworks and performances. This includes Cut Piece (1964), where people were invited to cut off her clothing, to her banned Film No.4 (Bottoms) (1966-67) which she created as a ‘petition for peace’. Visitors are invited to take part in both simple acts of the imagination and active encounters with Ono’s works, such as Wish Trees for London, where visitors can contribute personal wishes for peace.
Audiences will discover over 200 works including instruction pieces, scores, installations, films, music and photography. The exhibition reveals a groundbreaking approach to language, art and participation that continues to speak to the present moment.
[*Tate Modern]
Taken in the Tate Modern