This Monday, prolific Japanese multi-media artist Yoko Ono unveiled "Sky Landing," her first permanent art installation in the United States at Chicago’s Jackson Park—the soon-to-be location of Obama’s presidential library. The monumental site is adjacent to the original Phoenix Pavilion that was built by Japan in the 1893 World Fair to promote American understanding of the Japanese people.The introspective installation builds upon Ono’s treatment of the historical site as a cultural mecca, in calling for a rebirth of unity and understanding. Ono’s groundbreaking addition to the park is a testament to her vision for peace and healing, an idea that she envisioned while visiting the site for a Japanese cherry blossom installation in 2013. Towering over the city’s South Side, the sculpture is comprised of 12 large stainless steel petals that emerge from the ground to meet the sky—“to create a future of peace and harmony, with nature and each other.”
Planting the seed to rediscover the past and re-envision the future, Ono’s "Sky Landing" displays the coalescence of culture liberated by artistic expression. The illustrious Japanese artist is renowned for her visionary approach to viewing human connection and compassion within the world. A seminal figure of conceptual art, Ono’s meditative work continues to speak for itself—as the lotus radiates in meaning. A transcultural symbol of revelation and enlightenment, the mysterious flower grows directly from murky waters—and brings with it the emergence of emotive beauty, symbolic of the growing harmony between cultures.
Written by Jasmine Ashoori