Ono’s vision touches the sky. Sky Landing is more than just a sculpture. It’s a conversation between earth and sky, a testament to peace, and a whisper of history. Here in Jackson Park, on the north side of the Wooded Island, twelve 12-foot steel lotus petals reach towards the heavens. Sky Landing is Yoko Ono’s first permanent public artwork in the Americas, a gift to Chicago in 2016.
Sky Landing isn’t just metal and form. It’s a story woven from the threads of Ono’s life. As a child in wartime Japan, she found solace in the sky. It was a constant in a world of chaos. This connection resonates in the sculpture’s design. The lotus petals symbolize peace and rebirth. They invite us to reflect on our own connection to the sky, to find peace within ourselves and the world around us.
The location of Sky Landing adds another layer to its story. It stands on the former site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition’s Japanese Pavilion. Known as the Ho-o-den or Phoenix Pavilion, it introduced Japanese art and culture to America. Although destroyed by arson in 1946, the spirit of cultural exchange lives on in Sky Landing. The sculpture’s message of peace is amplified by this historical context. The adjacent Garden of the Phoenix, a remnant of the Japanese Pavilion’s era, adds a serene backdrop to Ono’s powerful artwork.
Sky Landing is an invitation. Walk among the petals. Let the sunlight play on the steel. Feel the wind whisper through the structure. Connect with the earth and sky, just as Ono envisioned. This sculpture isn’t just about looking up; it’s about looking within. It’s about finding hope and healing in the vastness above. It’s a reminder of the interconnectedness of all things. Remember Ono’s words at the dedication: Sky Landing is where “the sky and earth meet and create a seed to learn about the past and come together to create a future of peace and harmony, with nature and each other.”