Nearly five decades later, this show at La Termica, curated by Mario Martín Pareja, the collaboration of Rodrigo Gutierrez Viñuales History of Art Professor and with ONO support, brings out the 30 pictures which illustrate one of the most significant moments in the history of the music and art in the Twentieth Century. But the exhibition is not only a Vagnini's picture show.
This second Bed-In protest held by the couple against the Vietnam War, occurs after the first one, a week before in Amsterdam, just after their wedding in Gibraltar. In this 7-days happening (from May 26 to June 2) in Montreal they recorded and performed the mythical peace song "Give Peace A Chance".
A 19-year young Italian, Bruno Vagnini, who was studying photography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Montreal was invited by a friend to meet John and Yoko. He was so excited that he carried his Nikon camera bought a few days before. Because he was not sure about the possibilities to take any photo, he only took one black and white 36 film roll. Waiting in the anteroom to get into the bedroom, he took some pictures of Yoko's daughter, Kyoko, sure of not being able to take any photo in the bedroom. Finally, he could get into the Suite 1742: a huge suite, painted in white, with books, scattered pamphlets everywhere and antiwar slogans on billboards on the walls. At the bottom of the room, John and Yoko, dressed in pajamas, were comfortably sitting in bed answering to the journalists. The bedroom was transformed into a political pulpit and those who criticize this Bed-In as an slapstick advertising campaign were answered by Lennon's fans telling them that it was a performance which questioned the definitions of identity, privacy and space. Vagnini got to take twenty-six photos of the couple in spite of his backlighting position in front of the window. An experience this photographer has never forgotten. An exciting review of our contemporary culture, of peace and love.
Conceived as a big installation, "John Lennon & Yoko Ono: Suite 1742" consists of 3 differents sections.-
The first one of the show introduces us to Lennon & Ono's conceptual artworks, including screenings with fragments of films and experimental music, and objects and documents such as the conceptual "The Wedding Album", recorded at the end of 1969, which includes interviews, and reviews and the photographs of the wedding in Gibraltar and of the previous Bed-In at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam, Lennon's drawings, a copy of the certificate of marriage and a piece of wedding cake in a plastic bag with the work "bagism" on it. It also include Andrew MacLear's photographs with John and Yoko and The Plastic Ono Band.
The second part includes a Yoko Ono's text about that happening written 44 years later along with the Vagnini's photograph series.
The third and last section shows a video screening on an immaculate and deep white bed with "Give Peace a Chance" video and "Bed Peace" documentary recorded in those days in Montreal. Around the bed we can find the iconic posters "War Is Over!" on the wall.
Venue.- La Térmica. Av. de los Guindos, 48, Malaga. Spain.
When.- 23.01>22.03.2015
Many thanks to Salomon Castiel, Yolanda Guardamuro, Martin Moniche, Antonio Rodríguez, Miguel Gomez, Virginia Quero and all La Termica staff.
