Los Angeles, California — Fans of contemporary and experiential art should check out an exhibition that challenges conventional art appreciation by allowing engagement with several pieces presented in the event Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind. In this event, a correspondent from the Presence News, Maria Cornejo, pays a visit to The Broad, located at 221 South Grand Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90012, to cover the exhibition and report on participative artworks available for attendees. The exhibition encourages viewers to see how simple actions can become art.
From May 23, 2026, to October 11, 2026, the exhibition is Ono’s first solo exhibition in the region of Southern California. Organized by Tate Modern, London, in collaboration with The Broad, the exhibition surveys over 70 years of Ono’s artistry. Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind in Los Angeles is an important landmark in Ono’s career.
A Seven-Decade Look at Yoko Ono’s Work
The show includes works that cover all stages of Ono’s career, beginning with the innovative text-based works of the 1950s and 1960s, through to more recent installations. A unifying concept in the exhibition is the significance of participation. The exhibition invites visitors to engage with various artworks rather than simply look at them.
Visitors Become Part of the Artwork
One of the installations featured in the exhibition is Helmets (Pieces of Sky) (2001). The work uses upturned World War II-era German soldier helmets as vessels holding pieces of the sky. Visitors can take a single blue puzzle piece from the installation. In doing so, they become participants in an unfinished work that encourages the idea of rebuilding the world together.
Another participatory work, Add Colour (Refugee Boat), presents a white boat inside the gallery. Visitors are invited to use blue markers to add color and drawings to the boat. As visitors participate, they gradually transform the boat’s appearance.
The exhibition also includes Painting to Hammer a Nail (1961/1966), in which visitors are invited to hammer nails into the surface of a painting. Here, the simple physical action becomes part of the artwork itself. This reflects Ono’s longstanding use of instructions that encourage audiences to participate.
Presence News also documented visitors interacting with the installation, including video by Maria Cornejo showing participation in the hammering activity. Notably, Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind in Los Angeles, California, inspires audience interaction in many ways.
Art Through Participation and Performance
Other works throughout the exhibition explore performance, language, imagination, and the relationship between the artist and audience. Ono’s instruction-based works ask visitors to complete an action, imagine an outcome, or contribute something of their own.
The exhibition also features Wish Trees, where guests can write their wishes on paper and decorate the trees’ branches. Thanks to this exhibit, single smaller desires become a reflection of collective feelings and ideas.
Similarly, Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, in Los Angeles, California, encourages these creative contributions from visitors.
Visiting Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind
If you are searching for an exhibition that allows you to move beyond just looking at the art, Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind provides the opportunity to interact with a few examples of installations. In addition, you can think about how simple actions may become part of art as well.
The exhibition can be enjoyed at The Broad, located at 221 S. Grand Avenue in Los Angeles, until October 11, 2026. While admission to The Broad is free, entry to the Yoko Ono exhibition must be purchased separately. Additionally, visitors can access the exhibition without paying the entry fee every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. until October 8.
For more information about the exhibition and visiting The Broad, readers can visit The Broad’s official exhibition page.
Editor’s Disclaimer: This article is based on information provided by The Broad regarding Yoko Ono: Music of the Mind, along with firsthand observations and on-site documentation by Presence News. Exhibition details, including dates, admission information and featured works, are subject to change. Readers are encouraged to consult The Broad’s official exhibition information for the most current visitor details.
