Patrick Dougherty’s Wishing Jar
During April and May 2016, the world-renowned land art artist Patrick Dougherty came to Astrid Lindgren’s Näs to build one of his spectacular sculptures in Sweden for the first time. Over the past 20 years, Patrick Dougherty has built over 200 works of art worldwide. The works are completely inseparable from the surrounding nature and landscape. Each installation is unique and the form is determined by the conditions of the site. The Wishing Jar stood in the meadows of Astrid Lindgren’s Näs until 27 September 2021, by which time nature had finally taken its course.
About the Wishing Jar
“I don’t do any research. I try to remember how I feel about a place and I create word associations for each place to start the process,” says Patrick Dougherty. “I start to imagine that I can create something provocative in that particular physical space.” The creation of the work is a social process in which the artist works with volunteers with an interest in art and architecture from many different countries including the USA, England, Italy, Germany and France. The actual construction is an important part of the sculpture – “you give it a family on site” as he puts it
The sculpture was based on the theme of freedom and constructed in the meadows in the second chapter of the gardens. The artwork was inaugurated on 7/5/2016 to remain in the meadows of Näs as long as the forces of nature allowed.