“Wish Piece” was created in response to the recent political turn of events in the United States. At its core, “Wish Piece” is a simple, participatory performance in which I invite visitors to join in writing wishes, worries, concerns, hopes, dreams, etc. onto little pieces of paper. Following this, the wishes are lit on fire, one by one, and released into the air. The ashes fall and are retained as evidence of our collaboration after the performance has been completed. For subsequent performances of “Wish Piece,” the audience is asked to make a wish and capture the ashes of the wish in a small glass tube. The participants leave their wish for someone else to take, after they, themselves, have made and captured their wish. Each individual will be responsible for the care of someone else’s wish.

“Wish Piece” is an act of collective hope and healing. An opportunity to create a micro-moment of possible empowerment against a continuing moment of oppressive macro-moments.

Instructions:

Make your wish.

Set fire to your wish.

Watch your wish float up.

Catch your wish.

Secure wish in glass tube.

Leave wish for someone else.

Take someone else’s wish.

Look after this wish.

You are now responsible for this wish.

The papers used are descendants of the Chinese sky lanterns, which were first used in the 3rd century BC in China for signaling between the troops. There is a myth that says that a military strategist, Zhuge Liang, wrote messages on the lanterns and sent them into the sky in hopes of signaling for help when the enemy surrounded him.

As time went on, the lanterns were used during festivals in China and Taiwan, where wishes and prayers were written on them and they were released into the skies by the hundreds. In Thailand, during the Yi Peng festival, lanterns are released because they are thought to bring good luck and when they set the lanterns afloat, they are releasing their worries and problems away.

Historically, the sky lanterns have been used in a ritualistic manner, both militarily and jovially. The ritual of coming together to write wishes and worries for “Wish Piece” reflects the historical significance of the sky lanterns, while focusing on our current social and political milieu.