Yoko Ono + illy Art Collection at MoMA
An homage Solstice event and seven cup collaborative series that celebrates the artist’s message of peace
On Sunday 21 June 2015, a global gathering will take place at NYC’s Museum of Modern Art. This event, “Yoko Ono Morning Peace 2015,” will take place at sunrise and carry over into early morning. There, attendees will do more than celebrate the artist’s acclaimed show “Yoko Ono: One Woman Show, 1960–1971″—presently running at the museum. They will also reference the 50th anniversary of her performance art work “Morning Piece.” When Ono initiated this series, in Tokyo in 1964 and then in NYC in 1965, her message was one of delivering intangible wonders. Buyers could purchase tiny type-written pieces of paper, each with a date and time listed upon them—many attached to small objects. The impact was one of awe and consideration, of self and the universe. This week’s honorary event, featuring a performance by Blood Orange, aims to respect the initial messages of hope and peace—and of course, love.
Coinciding with the event, Italian coffee specialists and longtime Ono supporters illy will celebrate the final piece in their Yoko Ono-designed art collection. The entire collection was inspired by her 1966 installation “Mend Pieces” and features seven matching espresso cups and saucers—six of which have been shattered and pieced back together with gold (a traditional Japanese method of repairing that respects the history of the object). All of them bear Ono’s handwriting, which outlines traumatic world events—from the deeply personal to the vast and global. Each cup and saucer contains the date of the tragic event, and an addendum: “mended in 2015.” The final cup, known as the Unbroken Cup, remains untouched. It carries the inscription: “This cup will never be broken as it will be under your protection.” It’s a beautiful message lending value to an item of thought. This isn’t just a coffee cup set; it’s a thoughtful art project in and of itself‚ with Ono’s strongest messages at the center.
The six-cup collection is available exclusively at the MoMa Store for $250. The special Seventh Cup can be purchased as a single for $40, on the illy website in fall 2015. To purchase tickets to the “Yoko Ono Morning Piece 2015” event on Sunday 21 June 2015, visit the MoMA website.
Images courtesy of illy
