“As a global concept, offering prayers to a Wishing Tree is a cross-cultural phenomenon that spans generations and religions. It is rooted in the belief that a tree is a conscious being, that nature itself is sentient. ”
:: The Wishing Tree ::
As a global concept, offering prayers to a wishing tree is a cross-cultural phenomenon that spans generations and religions. It is rooted in the belief that a tree is a conscious being, that nature itself is sentient. In the Hindu religion in Bali, their rituals have a beautiful way of integrating religious rite and artistic practice with honoring the natural world, and this culture inspired the creation of the Balinese temple architectural form as the structure of The Wishing Tree. Through-out time, cultures from across the world wrote messages or wishes and hung them from trees in an attempt to gain its good graces or wisdom.
This interactive 30-foot tall sculpture is designed to provide visitors with an artistic point of connection for linking themselves to people in other cultures, exploring the common wishes we all share, and fostering empathy for one another and our earth.
Today, many of us are less connected with Nature. As as a result, it seems we humans have a destructive and now fragile relationship with our environment. The sculpture invites us to consider re-connecting to the earth by making a healing wish for our world and for each other.
The Wishing Tree was conceived as a social experiment in connectivity and as a place to resonate with others through shared desires, vulnerabilities, humor, beauty and above all, calls for peace and harmony. Because it was created as a global sculpture that toured, it became an emissary of good will, and a safe, peaceful gathering space for all those at the Mysteryland Festivals.