Artist:
Yoko Ono
Project text:
Bangkok Kunsthalle
Partners:
Bangkok Kunsthalle
proyectoamil
Bangkok Kunsthalle, in partnership with A4 Arts Foundation and proyectoamil, presents MEND PIECE by Yoko Ono.
"The 1960s was a time of social change as well as the breaking of artistic conventions. From this wealth of intellectual and radical thought, Ono formed her early artistic practice. Conceived in 1966, MEND PIECE emerged as an early exploration of participatory art, challenging the very definition of what art can be.
"In this work, Ono invites you to clear your mind, take a seat and mend the ceramic shards using the materials provided. Fundamental to the work is the notion of healing through communal mending – a practice in collective meditation and mindfulness. You, the visitor, become an agent in the creation of art, but, more than that, of healing. The mending of ceramic then becomes an analogue for the mending of all things, both tangible or intangible, personal or universal.
"In the context of Bangkok Kunsthalle, MEND PIECE takes on new meaning. The themes of mending and collectivity form the crux of Bangkok Kunsthalle’s programme: mending an abandoned building, strengthening the local community and uniting disparate individuals. The work references the Japanese practice of 'kintsugi' or the art of repairing broken pottery with metallic lacquer. The underlying philosophy of 'kintsugi' is an embracing of an object’s flaws and history, echoed by the physical situation of the work in a formerly abandoned printing house" (BK, 2024).
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