Yoko Ono’s artwork Invisible Flags profoundly reflects peace and the absence of nationalistic divisions. Situated at the edges of the Ponente Garden in the Marinaressa Gardens, the large-scale installation consists of nine flagless white poles facing the Venetian lagoon. The stark white poles, devoid of national symbols, evoke a powerful visual representation of a utopian vision where global unity and peace take precedence over national boundaries.

The installation's minimalism is typical of Yoko Ono's conceptual approach, which invites viewers to engage in deeper reflection. By removing the flags, Ono removes the symbols of statehood and sovereignty that often lead to divisions and conflicts. This absence invites contemplation on what it means to live in a world without the constraints and conflicts engendered by national identities. The white poles, standing tall against the serene backdrop of the lagoon, symbolise purity, peace, and the potential for a harmonious global community.

Ono’s work frequently explores themes of peace and collective consciousness. Invisible Flags is consistent with her lifelong commitment to activism and pacifism, using art to challenge and inspire. It’s a silent yet powerful call to envision and work towards a world where peace is not just an ideal but a lived reality. The installation at the Marinaressa Gardens becomes a meditative space where visitors can reflect on the importance of peace and the possibility of a world without division. 

This is not the first time that the always meaningful works of the renowned artist and activist are showcased at the European Cultural Centre. Our collaboration began in 2013 with the presentation of Arising, a powerful and immersive project centred on the female figure. The exhibit gathered testimonies of abuse and involved the burning of silicon mannequins. From the Arising project, a limited edition publication available online was created. 

Throughout the following years, we established a strong relationship with Yoko Ono as she showcased more of her conceptual works in our exhibition spaces in Venice. In 2015 her touching and participatory site-specific installation Imagine Peace exhibited at Palazzo Mora, urged visitors to write “Imagine Peace” on the walls of the exhibition room, resulting in a visual mantra.

Whereas, two years later, the artist presented Mirror Image in the same venue. The mirror-covered room was an invitation to the spectator to interact with the installation, answering the question “Did I look like this when I was born?”. 

Rene Rietmeyer, Dutch artist and ECC founder, shares a personal story and a recollection of memories of the first collaboration with Yoko Ono:

“I remember, in the seventies, going to school in the Netherlands on my bicycle and singing Lennon’s: ‘In the middle of the night I call your name, ohhh Yo-oko’

Everybody knew Yoko from John Lennon, few knew she was already an artist, in the sixties, before she met him. Even if you didn’t like Fluxus, you had to respect the quality of her work, there was no way around that.

In 2013 I finally had my first opportunity to exhibit her work in a Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale. In Palazzo Bembo, Yoko wanted to present her work Arising. It was a challenging project. We had to burn twenty female silicon bodies in Venice publicly and the end result of this burning, the charred female bodies, would then be exhibited together with statements of women who had been abused. These statements would be collected from the exhibition visitors and documented together with photos of their eyes. I would photograph the whole project and document it as a Personal Structures Art Projects limited edition book.

Burning the silicon bodies had to be done on a small Island, without city permission. I calculated that, when we poured gasoline, we could burn the bodies for six minutes before the fire police would be alarmed and come by boat to the island. Fifty people, twenty liters of Gasoline, environmentally totally illegal, but the result was fantastic. It became one of Yoko’s unforgettable projects. Yoko was present in person at Palazzo Bembo and made clear that integrity and sincerity were still very important to her.

Even today she has not stopped communicating her message, this year with her Invisible Flags, she is still the woman behind Imagine.”