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On Nature, 2003. Frankfurt, Germany & Toronto, Ontario.< previous Chrysanne Stathacos   Ritual action with nature brings us back to our source, the powers in our psyche, which are common to all human kind. At times catastrophes pop up and people connect, remember, and tie ribbons to trees, touch water with awe, weep by candles, hold a stone for a memory and link fingers wishing hoping praying for relief from suffering. These reflexes are a reflection to a constant spirit, to a past time when understanding nature was part of daily living.   Perhaps this need is born from a deep longing to understand and not be afraid. These actions are also deeply connected to works by contemporary artists pushing their creativity to the edge investigating mortality and impermanence.   Over the past seven years during my travels with The Wish Machine project I have photographed hundreds of public actions. The journey is not just about travel across countries, and oceans but also looking at the interconnections the world shares with artists.   (1) Wishing... Hoping... Praying..., 2004. Projektburo fur Kunst und Kultur, Frankfurt. curated by Heike Strelow   A photograph, twenty-four feet long by 16 inches of photographs of global actions on nature. Included are pujas by the Ganges, children's play in Canada, 9/11 memorials in New York, fire festivals in Japan, and wishing trees from everywhere and more. This work plays on the idea of travel and motion by its massive horizontal design structure. This work will be included in The Wish Machine book by Heike Strelow.   (2) Cross Your Fingers, 2003. curated by Barr Gilmore   Cross Your Fingers is an interactive photographic sculpture. A laminated lambda print , 18.5 by 54 inches is transformed into a pot for a wishing tree. The images circling the tree are a child's crossed fingers in Toronto, a wishing tree from India, a wishing tree from Japan, and a spring fire festival in Kyoto. Inside these images of hope and transformation sits a tree on which the viewer can deposit a wish or object. First exhibited at Solo Exhibition, Cross Your Fingers has traveled to Miami Art Fair with Participant Inc and Projektburo fur Kunst und Kultur, Frankfurt , Germany.   wish hug a tree , circle around, three times, sit on a bench , which direction , north southeast west or fire water air earth or red blue green yellow or silver gold brown, look up, sky sun moon stars, shining, close eyes pressing palms together, kneel down poke finger, trace a message, hope in sand, hold a rock, pile 100,000 in a mound, put one in your pocket, blow a dandelion, seeds flying, breath, smell a flower, pull it apart , petal by petal, throw it in the river, love floating down stream, pour water over your head, health, wrap a string around your finger, remember, light a candle, burn incense, watch the fire, sing dance jump climb, tie prayer flags between two trees , wind blowing mountain whispers echo past present future lives , cross fingers, infinite wishes rising up to the heavens, floating in the seas, endless hopes, endless prayers, circling the universe, run run run, chasing desires, in the end, make only one wish, peace. – Chrysanne Stathacos