wreathing of the lions
Holiday commission for the Art Institute of Chicago
2010 marked the 19th Annual Wreathing of the Lions. The museum invited Materious to reinterpret the wreath, a joyful symbol of the holiday season.
The wreath concept combined the look of traditional North American cranberry wreaths with the hopeful spirit of Buddhist and Taoist wishing trees. In the wishing trees tradition, part of the lunar new year celebration, children throw oranges with attached paper notes over banyan trees. We integrated these two holiday customs by incorporating “wishes for the world in 2011,” written by Chicago-area children, into one of the 2,011 clear and red plastic spheres that make up the wreaths.
Some favorite wishes include:
“My wish for the world in 2011 is….
… that people will care for others more than themselves.
… for the world to be more united.
… a cure for cancer.
… to have civil rights and to stop war.
… no one will go hungry.
… that everybody’s problems go away.” Select Press
2010 november
NBC News
2010 november
NPR
2010 november
Chicago Sun Times
