On View: April 15 – April 30, 2021
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, with permission from artist Yoko Ono, will awaken her transformational artwork, “Wish Tree for Washington, DC” (2007, live tree and mixed media) for virtual visitors, April 15–31. In acknowledgement of the global pandemic and social distancing, “Wish Tree for Washington, DC” will be presented on Instagram when virtual visitors post tagged wishes.
Inspired by Ono’s interactive artwork in the museum’s Sculpture Garden, people are invited to write their wish on a piece of paper, take a photograph of the handwritten wish, and post it on Instagram tagging @hirshhorn, #WishTreeDC and #YokoOno. The Hirshhorn will display the virtual wishes from Instagram on its website throughout the two-week activation.
“Wish Tree for Washington, DC” was acquired by the Hirshhorn and installed in its Sculpture Garden in April 2007 as a gift from the artist. Each summer through Labor Day, visitors to the Sculpture Garden are invited to write a wish on a tag and tie it to the living dogwood tree’s branches. The tree ‘blooms’ with an assembly of the hopes and ambitions of global visitors. In cooler months, visitors are encouraged to whisper their wishes to the artwork’s branches. The Hirshhorn’s Sculpture Garden is currently open and “Wish Tree for Washington, DC” will receive wishes virtually (and whispered) throughout April. Between April 15 and 30, museum staff will transfer as many virtual wishes as possible to paper tags and share updates on the Hirshhorn’s website and Instagram channel, @hirshhorn.
The Hirshhorn will aggregate all the virtual wishes on a webpage that will also share an online tutorial aimed at children and caregivers making a ‘Wish Tree’ of their own at home.
For more information visit: https://hirshhorn.si.edu/news/press-release/hirshhorn-presents-yoko-onos-wish-tree-for-washington-dc-for-the-first-time-in-a-virtual-activation/
