OREANDA-NEWS. June 4, 2007. The famous artist Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, has come to Moscow with her famous “Odyssey of the cockroach” exposition, the central them of which is the rejection of violence and war, and the struggle for peace arounf the world.

The exhibition has been organized by the Russian Century Fund to assist the development of Russian culture, and the general sponsor of the event is the MIRAX GROUP Corporation.

The exposition contains giant colour photos made as if from the point of view of a cockroach travelling around different parts of a megapolis where it sees harsh scenes of street life - bloody murder, a house destroyed by bombing, a starving child. Also presented are some grotesque objects: a six-foot rubbish bin filled with body parts in plaster, an unbelievable large model of a human mouse-trap, hundreds of old thrown-out shoes, the owners of which are long since forgotten. One of the exhibits of the exhibition is a map of the world where everyone who wants to is able to put a stamp with the words "Imagine peace" on any part of the planet.

“Everybody desires peace for their own country first of all. If everyone puts a stamp on the map of their country, there will be no place for war,” said Yoko Ono at the press conference prior to the opening of the exhibition.

“The 20th century was a century in which the cruelty of human experiments reached their extreme. In previous centuries we needed a reason before killing each other, either in self-defence or for the sake of survival. In the twentieth century, mankind became sufficiently wise not to be so ruthless. Yet all the same, the strong demand to be cruel to each other, born from previous generations, appears time and time again. We as good as engendered the most barbaric century in the history of mankind. And the human race is still suffering the consequences," - says the artist herself about her project. "We are very grateful to the exhibition organizers for the opportunity to support an important event in world culture,” noted the director of the MIRAX GROUP PR Department Mikhail Dvorkovich at a press conference devoted to the opening exposition. In his words, “Yoko Ono is one of the few modern artists whose work influences the perception and views of a large number of people around the whole world."

The “Odyssey of the Cockroach” exhibition will be the final flourish of the Moscow Modern Art Biennale 2007, the main exhibit of which was displayed in the Federation Business Complex, built by the MIRAX GROUP Corporation.
The “Odyssey of the Cockroach” was first presented in New York in 2003, then in London, while Moscow is now the third city to host the work of John Lennon's widow. The exhibition will be held in TsUM over the period 31 May – 24 June.