Why is this project being undertaken?
I WISH TOMORROW explores universal practices of wish tradition as a means of collective introspection and public dialogue. It engages audience with shifting narratives that reflect local and global themes. The installation becomes a temporary monument—set in time and space—activating understanding, compassion and solidarity.
The project began as a part of 2023 Noorderlicht Parade event in collaboration with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp and Antwerp North community. It acted as a mobile light installation-gathering messages from attendees and bystanders while following the parade through the city of Antwerp.

What is the core concept of the project?
I WISH TOMORROW (IWT) invites people to anonymously share their wishes for the future – at any time and in any language. Every night, the wishes are projected into the universe, lighting up the sky in hope someday to become reality.
It is rooted in the idea that the act of wishing for the future is a fundamental human proclivity, reflecting our innate orientation toward hope, possibility, and imagined alternatives. IWT interprets traditional wishing practices – like the Brazilian Fitas do Senhor do Bonfim, the Turkish wishing trees, the Dutch Wensboom, to the East Asian celebrations of the union of the heavenly stars like Japanese Tanabata, the Chinese Qixi and the Korean Chilseok, etc. – into a contemporary digital art format.
The interactive light text installation allows for the continuous collection and visual representation of aspirations, which materialise through projection in public space as a living, collective narrative and a space of social participation that transcends the cultural and linguistic boundaries, creating a space where individual intimacy meets public expression.

How will the project be implemented?
Project implementation unfolds in three phases.
IWT draws inspiration from traditional wish-making customs such as Tanabata summer celebrations. In a similar spirit, residents and visitors across Chiba City will be invited to share their written wishes on tanzaku during various events in July and August. Each wish will be digitised and integrated into the light installation at the exhibition.
At the Triennale’s core period the project will take the form of a public light installation located in Chiba, accompanied by pop up installation around the city. Visitors are invited to immerse themselves in the experience and contribute to it. The venue site will include a QR code linking to the submission form on the project website, www.iwt-project.com, where anyone can continue to send wishes throughout the exhibition. The website is open for submissions.
After the Triennale concludes, a publication will be created to document the entire process—including community involvement, collected wishes, and the exhibition. The publication will be donated to the Chiba City Central Library to serve as an archival piece always available to Chiba residents.