The Hirshhorn is celebrating the 10th anniversary of “Wish Tree for Washington, D.C.” with a concert honoring Yoko Ono. (Photo courtesy of the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden)
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden has been hosting a summer-long showing of works by Yoko Ono, the cultural iconoclast who rose to prominence in the 1960s as a result of her relationship with John Lennon.
Yoko Ono: Four Works for Washington and the World will culminate with an outdoor concert and performance art event, dubbed Concert for Yoko Ono, Washington and the World, taking place on Sunday, September 17 on the museum’s plaza. In addition to Ono herself, featured performers include Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth, visual artist and musician Lizzi Bougatsos, as well as Moor Mother, a musician and poet.
The evening will begin with a performance of Ono’s “Promise Piece”, originally performed in 1966. Gordon, Bougatsos, and Moor Mother will each perform selections of Ono’s works alongside original material that Ono inspired.The event will conclude with screenings of Ono’s early avant-garde films.
Yoko Ono: Four Works for Washington and the World was staged to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Ono’s “Wish Tree For Washington, D.C.” The tree was planted in the museum’s sculpture garden in 2007 as gift from Ono. “Wish Tree” opens as an interactive artwork during the summer months, when visitors may tie handwritten wishes to the tree’s branches. Since the tree’s planting, nearly 80,000 wishes have been collected and sent to Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland.
“Each summer, Ono’s message of peace and unity permeates the museum, providing a rare moment of meditation and reflection about the things that matter most,” Hirshhorn director Melissa Chiu said in a statement. “We are delighted to celebrate 10 years of this unique work with the added presentation of her other deeply meaningful installations and performances. Ono has built her career around the intersections of art and activism, and, collectively, these works serve as a reminder to all of us about the increasing need for global harmony.”
Ono’s other pieces that are part of this summer’s celebration include “My Mommy Is Beautiful”, a 40-foot canvas spanning the length of the museum’s lobby where participants can attach a photograph or a written thought to honor or commemorate their mothers.”Sky TV for Washington, DC” (1966) is a 24-hour live feed of the outside sky, reinstalled this summer on the museum’s third floor.
Concert for Yoko Ono, Washington and the World takes place from 7 to 10 p.m. on Sunday, September 17. Tickets are $25 and will be available online starting Aug. 31. Member pre-sale begins Aug. 29, offering a limited number of $20 tickets for Hirshhorn Members.
