An extraordinary work of art by the artist Yoko Ono has found a new home in Düsseldorf: the “Wish Tree.” The tree had previously been exhibited at the Tate Gallery in London and at the Kunstsammlung NRW. At Yoko Ono’s express request, the tree was not to be disposed of after the exhibition but instead passed on to a non-profit organization – a fitting continuation of the life of this remarkable artwork. The → Rheinische Post reported on this in detail.
Today, the olive tree stands at KRASS e.V. in Düsseldorf-Eller, Jägerstraße 31. We are continuing the tradition in the spirit of Yoko Ono!
Children are warmly invited to write down their hopes and dreams and hang them on the Wish Tree. Other visitors are also welcome to view the Wish Tree and become part of this special message of peace.
The tree can be visited Monday to Friday from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.. Paper and pens are available at the KRASS premises. Just stop by – no registration required!
Want to learn more about Yoko Ono's Wish Tree? Then let's go!
There are works of art that not only stimulate thought but also invite active participation. Yoko Ono's Wish Tree is one of these special works. Since the mid-1990s, people all over the world have enjoyed the Wish Trees, hanging their wishes, written on slips of paper, on the branches. This creates a sense of community.
How did the idea for the Wisch Tree come about?
The inspiration stems from Yoko Ono's childhood in Japan. There, she witnessed people in temple courtyards tying small slips of paper with requests or wishes to trees. From a distance, the white strips resembled blossoms – fragile hopes that, in their sheer number, created a striking display. This image profoundly influenced Ono.
In 1996, Ono transformed this memory into an art project. She first installed trees in exhibitions where visitors could attach their wishes. The project was titled Wish Tree. The instructions were simple: "Write down a wish, fold it, tie it to a branch – and invite others to do the same."
From the initial setup of the wishing tree to the wish archive
The Wish Tree, first installed in Finland in 1996, follows a clear, simple process that also constitutes the work's social power. First, a tree is planted or placed, often chosen to suit the local environment—for example, an olive tree, apple tree, lemon tree, eucalyptus tree, or dogwood. Around the tree, cards or labels are placed on which visitors can write their wishes. The process itself is intentionally low-threshold: anyone can write down their wish and hang it on a branch of the tree. The slips of paper are neither read nor evaluated. The artwork's impact lies solely in the symbolic collection and visible expression of hope and longing.
The wishes thus become a collective artwork that grows over time. Many of the collected slips of paper are later taken to Iceland, where they are kept at the foot of the Imagine Peace Tower. It is a monument that Yoko Ono had erected in 2007 on the island of Viðey. There, the wishes rest as a silent archive of the global longing for peace.
What is the message of Yoko Ono's artwork?
The Wish Tree is far more than just a tree with notes on it – it's a collective gesture that connects people all over the world. Every single wish, however small or personal, contributes to a larger whole. Together, they create a powerful image of hope, peace, and the longing for a better world.
The artwork thrives on human participation, demonstrating how individual voices converge to create a tangible impact. Through the simple act of writing down a wish and hanging it on a branch, visitors become part of a global message of peace. The Wishing Tree has thus become a symbol of connection and the shared pursuit of positive change. At the same time, it quietly and powerfully illustrates the power of hope and compassion.
The Wish Tree is not a finished project. New installations are constantly being created, inviting people worldwide to put their hopes into words and hang them on a tree.
Where in the world have Wish Trees been seen?
Yoko Ono has installed Wish Trees in numerous locations worldwide since the art project began. Early installations took place in Finland before 1996, before the official series commenced. In 1996, Alicante in Valencia, Spain, followed with a pomegranate tree. In 2002, Yoko Ono installed a Wish Tree at the SFMoMA in San Francisco and another in Exeter, England. Here is a further selection of locations.
Venice, Washington, Sao Paulo, Pasadena, Tokyo
In 2003, Yoko Ono gifted an olive tree to the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice as a permanent installation titled Wish Tree Venice. In 2007, a Wish Tree was created in the gardens of the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., from a dogwood tree, and simultaneously another work was installed in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2008, a Wish Tree installation consisting of 21 crepe myrtle trees was set up in the One Colorado Shopping Center in Pasadena, California. In 2009, two lemon trees were planted on the campus of Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, and another tree was placed in Tokyo, Japan.
New York, Dublin, London, Sydney, Buenos Aires
In 2010, a Wish Tree was displayed in front of the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. In 2012, another Wish Tree was installed in Zuccotti Park, also in New York City. That same year, Wish Trees were installed in Dublin, Ireland, and another at the Serpentine Galleries in London. Between 2012 and 2013, a Wish Tree was on display at the Brooklyn Museum in New York. In 2013, a tree was installed at the Saint Louis Art Museum, and another, consisting of six eucalyptus trees, was installed at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, Australia, known as the Wish Tree for Sydney. An installation followed in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2016.
Liverpool, Bad Homburg & KRASS e.V. in Düsseldorf
In 2019, an apple tree was installed as part of the Blickachsen project in Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany. In 2022, Yoko Ono presented a Wish Tree featuring an olive tree, temporarily installed at the Yoko Ono Lennon Centre in Liverpool, UK. In 2024, temporary installations were created at Tate Modern in London, featuring an olive tree as part of Wish Trees for London, and at the Park Avenue Armory in New York City.
Since 2025, KRASS e.V. in Düsseldorf has also had its own Wish Tree, serving as a permanent home for the olive tree from the collection of the Kunstsammlung NRW. 🙂
And who is Yoko Ono?
Yoko Ono was born on February 18, 1933, in Tokyo, Japan. She is a renowned artist, musician, and activist who advocates for peace and social change. Even as a child, she was interested in art, music, and literature, and this interest continues to shape her work today.
In the 1960s, Ono became an important part of the Fluxus movement. This art movement broke with old rules and combined art, music, and performance. Ono created many unusual projects, films, and installations, often involving audience participation. Her art questions society, violence, communication, and the role of the individual.
She became internationally known primarily through her relationship with John Lennon of the Beatles. The two married in 1969 and campaigned together for peace, for example through the "Bed-Ins for Peace" during the Vietnam War. Ono also made music, released her own albums, and worked closely with Lennon.
A distinctive feature of Yoko Ono's work is the active participation of people. One example is the Wish Tree. Visitors write their wishes on slips of paper and hang them on a tree. In this way, the artwork comes to life and connects people worldwide.
Yoko Ono is still active today. She exhibits her work in museums and at exhibitions around the world and is involved in social projects. Her goal is for art not only to be seen or heard, but to have an impact on people and make the world a better place.