Seeds of Hope: A Participatory Ritual featuring music by Brooklyn Raga Massive

Hope shapes our future and lifts us up. It allows us to access peace and catalyzes resounding change. Hope is what revolutions are built upon. This installation is a tribute to hope, drawing inspiration from Thai culture, where wishes and prayers are often tied to trees, an acknowledgement that an individual has asked something of the universe. Seeds of Hope encourages participants to share a vision for the future on shades of gold ribbon—which are then tied around the rows of plane trees on Hearst Plaza. In essence, we seed hopes and dreams, planting a flag of aspirations that may serve as bright beacons of change. It has often been said that hope is a “thing with feathers.” In this installation, we see the hope of thousands flutter softly in the wind.

The participatory events on May 21, May 22, and July 2 feature musical accompaniment by Brooklyn Raga Massive artists.

May 21: Jay Gandhi (bansuri) / Abhik Mukherjee (sitar) / Mir Naqibul Islam (tabla)
May 22: Neel Murgai (sitar) / Shiva Ghoshal (tabla)
July 2: Eric Fraser (bansuri) / Roshni Samlal (tabla) / Siddharth Ashokkumar (violin)‍

This participatory installation is a part of Lincoln Center’s GATHER: A series of monuments and rituals by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya.

Photo by Catalina Kulczar