If you're around in Pasadena in August, come by One Colorado in Pasadena to take part in Yoko Ono's Wish Tree project. Inspired by Japanese temple wish trees, this installation encourages visitors to write wishes on a small, thin piece of paper and tie them to the branches.
[ Photo from Môsieur J's Flickr ]
After the installation ends November 9, the wishes will be placed with others gathered all over the world and buried in special capsules at the Imagine Peace Tower on Videy Island near Iceland.
Get more info at Pasadena Star News.
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looks better than toilet paper hanging off someone's tree...
view little flower's profile
Those are called Tanabata in Japan. They have all sorts of Tanabata festivals in the summer.
view jenzoe's profile
These are called "tanzaku". Tanabata is the name of the type of festival, not the papers themselves. The festivals occur at varying times in summer in Japan and indeed what is being called "wish trees" are everywhere during that time. You even see them in subway stations.
Most of the ones in Japan during the festival season (as opposed to those in temples) are more festive though. I have a picture at one of these trees near a local station that I took last year here:
http://tinyurl.com/3rld66
The ones pictured here look a little too contrived in their form...as if someone arranged the wish papers to look their best rather than allowed it all to naturally form. Personally, I think the concept doesn't transcend cultures very well as neither the spiritual nor the mythical backing is there to make this seem anything but a pretentious attempt to ape Japanese culture.
view Orchid64's profile
i love this idea ... or at least the thought and meaning behind it! i'll have to think of a very good wish and make a trip to Pasedena...
i hardly think it's pretentious to mimic a culture if it gives people the opportunity to learn more about the meaning behind it and share in a little hope.
view cocokelley's profile
How is she aping Japanese culture? She's Japanese, and it's called sharing and discovering. Secondly, what makes you think the spiritual and mythical backing isn't there? You think she's just some phony who just does stuff? Participating in her art installations is what she invites people to do. Thirdly, what about this practice/ritual is sacred enough that a person's wish has to deserve to be on that tree, and who measures that worth? Someone's wish for a pony doesn't diminish your wish for uh, war to be over, perhaps?
I don't know, it seems like it would be a nice installation and I hadn't heard of this Japanese cultural practice before, although it seems fairly easy to grasp, and I'm pretty sure other cultures practice something similar but call them prayers usually. People like to write notes to the universe.
view K T G's profile