"I have done a series of site specific works that are based on public interaction. This piece is an urbanized update of the ritual of tree veneration, the act of tying small cloths onto a tree for various reasons. It is a custom of ancient pagan religions and still actively practiced today in Japan, India, Ireland, and the Middle East. Historically the act is done as a request to the sacred: to ask for a wish granted, to transfer illness, to ensure a blessing, to pacify a spirit, to be redeemed for breaking an oath, to realize an aspiration. As the fabric disintegrates, the request is realized.The work here uses the fence of an empty lot as a stand in for a sacred tree. Passersby during the installation will be asked to participate in the ritual: to tie a ribbon and make a wish, contributing to a collective act of devotion for the city of Ghent."
Dahlia Elsayed, 2008
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