In response to the Vietnam War, Yoko Ono and John Lennon established the concept “WAR IS OVER! (if you want it)” in 1969, hoping to rouse a generation to conceive of a world without war. The invitation to “Imagine Peace” has been expressed since the early 2000s through billboards, advertisements, posters, and, more recently, even tweets. “Imagining,” said Ono, “is something that we can all do, even when we have different opinions about how to get there.”

In this installation, she covers the walls and ceiling of the space with blue sky, a recurring motif in her art. The title of the work, PEACE is POWER, appears across the windows in 24 languages, and woven into the furniture’s upholstery is the affirmation “yes, yes, yes,” in Ono’s handwriting. This work is the latest chapter in the artist’s long history of social engagement and of collaborating with the Museum.

Commissioned on the occasion of The Museum of Modern Art’s 2019 reopening, courtesy the artist. Organized by Yasmil Raymond, former Associate Curator, Department of Painting and Sculpture, with Tara Keny, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Drawings and Prints.