Yoko Ono’s enduring call for peace returns to The Grand, Folkestone, on 21 September, reaffirming a message first shared during the 2014 Triennial
Yoko Ono’s Earth Peace (2014) first appeared across Folkestone during the 2014 Triennial, in the form of posters, billboards, stickers, postcards and badges. Three elements of the work remain on long-term loan to the town, all centred on The Grand: a flag, flown annually on International Peace Day; an inscribed stone set into the grass along The Leas; and a message in Morse code projected across the Channel.
Earth Peace
Credit Thierry Bal
The Grand itself holds resonance for Ono’s career. In 1966, she staged an event next door at the former Metropole Arts Centre. A short walk east along The Leas stand memorials to those who lost their lives in war—a reminder of the conflicts that continue to frame Ono’s work.
As a young person in Japan, Ono lived through the devastation of the Second World War. That experience has informed her lifelong message of peace and non-violence, which runs through her art and her public interventions. Her practice consistently challenges how people perceive art, community and the world around them.
Earth Peace
Credit Thierry Bal
“With St George’s Cross flags now appearing all over England, Yoko Ono’s Earth Peace flag offers a powerful and timely message,” said Megan Piper, Folkestone resident and co-founder of @thelinelondon
A word of caution: the Morse code message beamed from the roof of The Grand may not be suitable for those with photosensitive epilepsy. “Peace is not passive; it lives in our choices, our communities, and our care for one another and the earth.”
Originally commissioned by Folkestone Triennial in 2014, the Earth Peace flag will again fly above The Grand on 21 September 2025 to mark the International Day of Peace.
About Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono (b. 1933, Tokyo) is a pioneering artist, musician and activist whose work has spanned more than six decades. Associated with Fluxus and conceptual art, she has consistently used her practice to address themes of peace, feminism and human rights. Her collaborations with John Lennon, including the iconic War Is Over! (If You Want It) campaign, remain touchstones of activist art. Ono’s influence continues internationally through her performances, installations and public works.
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