Bagism (1969) – Nostalgia Central

“Bagism” was a satirical performance art concept created by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the late 1960s to combat social prejudice and stereotyping.

The couple debuted the concept during a 30-minute “bag happening” at the ‘Alchemical Wedding’ at London’s Royal Albert Hall in December 1968, and officially announced it during a press conference at the Hotel Sacher in Vienna on 31 March 1969 – which they conducted from inside a large white cloth bag.

The core idea was that by living inside a bag, a person could not be judged on their physical appearance – such as skin colour, gender, age, or hair length – allowing for “total communication” where only the message mattered, and superficial judgements were eliminated.

Lennon referenced the concept in his music, including the lyrics to Give Peace a Chance (“Everybody’s talkin’ about Bagism, Shagism, Dragism”) and The Ballad of John and Yoko (“eating chocolate cake in a bag” and “making a lightning trip to Vienna”).

In 1970, the couple hosted the “Bag One” art exhibition at the London Arts Gallery on New Bond Street, featuring Lennon’s related lithographs.

Detectives from Scotland Yard’s Obscene Publications Squad descended on the gallery following a tip-off from a local magistrate. They confiscated eight of the 14 lithographs on display, arguing that the erotic sketches of Lennon and Yoko were “indecent” and “pornographic”.

The case was eventually dismissed because the magistrate ruled that the gallery was not a “public thoroughfare”. The drawings were returned to the gallery, and the exhibition was remounted to even greater success.

John Lennon also named his public relations company Bag Productions Ltd.