Ono’s radical work Cut Piece, 1964/1965, took the world by storm. First performed in Kyoto and then New York, Cut Piece questioned the power of trust and was one of the earliest works to invite audience participation. It saw Ono kneel, still and silent, on a vast stage, initially dressed in a black suit, with a pair of scissors laid out in front of her. After inviting the viewer to contribute to the work – by giving them the licence to cut up her clothes (and keep them, as they wished) – Ono soon became more and more exposed. An act (or symbol) of violence, Cut Piece amplified and confronted
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