"Imagine - The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko"

This is my first post, and I wanted to write a review of this amazing Montreal show - check it out!

Leave it to Yoko to Get the Last Laugh

The Montreal Museum of Fine Art's latest exhibition stands as a stunning correction to the historical record of a woman who was, arguably, the most misunderstood artist of her time.  Titled, "Imagine:  The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko",  the show reveals a profound love story and artistic partnership between Yoko and her deceased husband, John Lennon.  

The provocative new exhibition showcases the art the famous pair created together,  and  portrays a couple so deeply in love that they participated to some degree in their own folie a deux, creating a bubble within which they shut out the outside world.   Despite the negative press that has often been leveled at Ono, whom critics often accused of being a glorified groupie, there can be no doubt after viewing the exhibition that the two were truly soul mates.

Their joint artistic results varied.  Sometimes, they were humorous - their “Baggist” movement which involved holding press conferences while they spoke from inside a giant bag.  Occasionally, they were ridiculous - a video of the duo solemnly trying to exit a rowboat in giant hats and platform shoes is unintentionally hilarious.  But often, they were challenging and profound.

Most notable was their joint peace campaign, which featured a series of "Bed-Ins" for peace, the most famous being at Montreal's own Queen Elizabeth hotel, where celebrities and locals alike joined the couple to record, "Give Peace a Chance".  

Images of this campaign are featured prominently in the exhibition, including a large white bed and white piano.  In keeping with Yoko’s passion for interactive art and the couple’s sense of playfulness, visitors are encouraged to sit in the bed or tinker on the piano, which plays, “Imagine”.  

Music and sound play a powerful role, with the couple’s joint and solo recordings being played throughout.  One of the most haunting recordings is of the couple calling out to each other over and over.  It serves as a reminder of how their love story was cut so tragically short when John was assassinated in 1980.  

The last part of the exhibition focuses on Ono’s solo work and guest interaction - all visitors to the museum are encouraged to tie personal messages to Ono’s “Wish Trees”.     There is also a phone that Yoko calls periodically to speak with guests - one security guard recalled an animated chat with a married couple from Blainville that lasted over ten minutes.

Overall, the exhibition demonstrates like none before that Ono was far from a groupie.  She is an artist in her own right and the collaborations between herself and John were between equals.  Their message of peace is particularly poignant in this time of war, and many visitors who left the museum were visibly emotional. 

As one young lady reported, “It was very moving.  It makes you wonder if peace is all too much to hope for - but if this exhibition is any indication, there are people that want it.”.

It is also worth considering how many other cities would host such a politically charged show in today’s climate.  In the words of Yoko Ono herself, when asked to remember the famous Bed-In here:  “Why was that possible?  Because:  it was Montreal.”.