I have created Love & Peace with a special destiny. I am placing large and beautiful flower sculptures across the world in places where millions of people will see them. The first three have already appeared overnight in London, Shezhen, and New York. To me, these blooms are all part of one whole - one sculpture which spreads its stems and petals across the world. I see my flowerings as listening posts - beacons to encourage people to communicate. This is where social media comes in.
In the new year a special app will make my sculptures visible to anyone with an iPad, Android device, or smart phone. A video camera, placed beside each of the flowers, will make a global gathering of those visiting the sculpture. The thought of bringing so many people together in a shared place of love through the power of art fills me with excitement, and it would not exist without the innovation of social media.
Art has always been the centerpiece of culture. The watchful eye. Art expands imagination and imagination expands knowledge.
Each day brings fantastic new creations born of ingenuity and passion. Our entire history and all of its triumphs is always within our reach. Technology has made human existence a book with infinite pages, a museum whose doors never close. It opens both the generation of artists and those to come to unimaginable opportunity, and I know that they will use it well.
In order to thrive, I believe that art requires collaboration, conversation, and connection. This is how the artist's work transcends to become something far greater- a living force capable of leaving its fingerprints on the world and making it more beautiful. Modern technology provides artists with a direct channel to each of these needs, making creator and viewer equal participants in the experience. The horizon is bright, and I am delighted to see where art will be taken next.
My flowers of Love & Peace will bloom around the world, traveling as bearers of light and harmony. I want to share this gift of my heart and hope that others will be moved to share it, too! And through the wonders of our technology, this dream will soon become real.