SKYLANDING is the first permanent commissioned work of art by Yoko Ono in the Americas, and a marker of her place as an artist of profound international influence and her lifelong mission for world peace.

Dedicated on October 17, 2016, SKYLANDING on the Wooded Island in Jackson Park, and its companion piece MENDED PETAL at the Art Institute of Chicago, brings the artist's personal sense of hopefulness for humanity to the public at large.

Ono’s intention during the conception of SKYLANDING was to heal the site of the lost Phoenix Pavilion destroyed by arson in 1946 to enable a lotus—a symbol of rebirth, hope, and spiritual awakening—to rise from the ashes.

As you walk through the twelve 12-foot steel petals, you are invited to look within oneself to realize that peace begins within each of us. There is a tension in the design between imperfect and diversity of form, and the layout heightens the experience. The two landforms placed at the north and south flow through the lotus and take the shape of yin-yang, or two primal opposing but complimentary forces found in all things in the universe.  

MENDED PETAL, dedicated on October 18, 2016, is the 13th SKYLANDING petal designed by Ono to commemorate the ground healing that took place on June 12, 2015.

YOKO ONO

Born in Tokyo in 1933, Yoko Ono is an artist, musician, and peace activist. Since the early 1960's audience participation and social activism have been crucial aspects of her work.  

Ono is widely regarded as a pioneer of early conceptual, film, and performance art and for her involvement in the Fluxus movement. She collaborated on art, music, and activism with her husband John Lennon until his death in 1980. In recent years, Ono work has continued to be honored with numerous exhibitions at some of the world’s most prestigious venues, including The Museum of Modern Art, New York (2015) and Tate Modern, London (2024).

PROJECT EVOLUTION

In 2013, shortly after her 80th birthday, Yoko Ono visited the Garden of the Phoenix on the Wooded Island in Jackson Park.

“Upon my first visit to the site, I felt a powerful sense of place. I reflected upon the history of the pavilion’s creation and its destruction. I felt that this is a special place where we can learn from the past to create a future together.”

PHASE I (2013-2016)

In January 2015, after multiple visits to the site, Ono awoke to a vision of a lotus—representing rebirth, hope and spiritual awakening—rising from the ashes of the lost Phoenix Pavilion.

As a first step to realizing her vision, Ono decided to, in her words, “bring the sky down and cool the land and make it well again. Once healed, SKYLANDING can emerge and mark our new beginning."

On June 15, 2015, Ono held a ground healing ceremony and two large mounds were installed in the form of yin and yang at the approximately location where the wings of the Phoenix once spread over the land. 

Phase II (2016)

On October 17, 2016, SKYLANDING was dedicated on the site. In attendance were hundreds of members of the community, including Rahm Emanuel (former Ambassador to Japan and then Mayor of the City of Chicago) and the Consul General of Japan. The Miyumi Project and Thodos Dance performed Rising I by Yoko Ono during the unveiling.

This phase of work also included the CD-release of SKYLANDING Music of Yoko Ono by the Miyumi Project and the installation of MENDED PETAL at the Art Institute of Chicago, which is the 13th lotus petal designed by the artist to commemorate the 2015 ground healing (obj. 237641).

Phase III

Following the 2016 installations of SKYLANDING and MENDED PETAL, Ono developed the final elements for SKYLANDING.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

SSKYLANDING and MENDED PETAL was made possible through the generous donations by

Bernard Delgiorno

Joyce Chelberg

Special thanks and gratitude to the architects, fabricators, engineers, construction team, artists and other professionals who worked on and contributed to the project, including

Studio One

wHY

Vector

Mortenson

Heritage Landscapes

Envisionit

The Miyumi Project

Thodos Dance

The Garden of the Phoenix Foundation

Project 120 Chicago

City of Chicago, Mayor’s Office

Chicago Park District

Jackson Park Advisory Council

The Art Institute of Chicago

The University of Chicago