Yoko Ono Collaborative Art

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Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree” is an ongoing installation artwork which began in 1996 and is a fine representation of collaboration between an artist and their audience.

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When a new installation comes around, viewers are encouraged to write down on small paper tags, wishes, hopes or dreams that they may have.

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They, then, are able to tie it onto a branch of the tree using string or ribbon and may read other people’s wishes in the process. 

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By undertaking these small actions, they form the basis of this endearing, collaborative art piece revolving around the ideas of fellowship and collective dreaming for something more.

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At the end of the installation run, these wishes are collected and returned, unread to Yoko Ono to be buried into her Imagine peace tower in Ireland.

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(The Imagine Peace Tower is a memorial, in the shape of a well, created by ono and dedicated to famous singer (and her late husband), John Lennan in reference to his song “Imagine.”)

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This action of wish burial is less about the tangible outcome itself, but rather the emotionally driven and transcendental symbolism that these dreams will forever be protected.

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Overall, Yoko Ono’s “Wish Tree” encompasses collaboration between the artist and their audience through bidirectional creation, trust and shared understanding.