ART-PRESENTATION: Yoko Ono-ONOCHORD (Lighthouse)

In 1961, Yoko Ono began working in conceptual and participatory art, avant-garde music, experimental film, and performance. Her work aroused the interest of important figures like Marcel Duchamp, and George Maciunas. As an occasional member of Fluxus, she rejected the idea that an artwork must be a material object. “In Cloud Piece” (1963) for example, she instructs us to imagine digging a hole in the garden, and putting clouds into it.

By Efi Michalarou
Photo: Faurschou Art Resources Archive

Yoko Ono’s new Installation “ONOCHORD (lighthouse)” is on presentation at Henningsvær Lighthouse in the archipelago of Lofoten, Norway, produced by Faurschou Art Resources in collaboration with KaviarFactory. “ONOCHORD” is an instructional work by the artist, in which she invites everyone to send the message “I love you” to each other, around the world and to the universe. The message is sent through Yoko Ono’s own code called ONOCHORD, consisting of a series of light flashes: I (one blink) Love (two blinks) You (three blinks). For the first time the “ONOCHORD” message is sent from a lighthouse. The lighthouse at Henningsvær, situated North of the arctic circle, is sending out the message continuously 24 hours a day. Surrounded by Northern lights, darkness, white mountains, and the sea, the message emitting from the lighthouse is not only a message from person to person, but also from people to the planet. In the words of the artist: “There is so much fear, confusion and anger in the world and it’s nice to have a moment when we think of love, instead of anything else”. In connection with the opening of the lighthouse installation, Yoko Ono’s films “ONOCHORD” (2004) and “ONOCHORD” (documentary, 2005) screened at the KaviarFactory in Henningsvær. Originally shown at OPENASIA, during the Venice Film Festival in 2004, “ONOCHORD” encourages everyone to join in and send the message. From Jan 20, to Feb 28, a livestream from Henningsvær makes the message visible throughout the world.

Info: Curators: Luise Faurschou and Jon Hendricks, Henningsvær Lighthouse, Lofoten, Duration: 20/1-28/2/18, www.faurschou-art-resources.com