Wishing Light Bridge

Low-tech lighting that invites users to share their ideas with community through a coin wishing
Medium&Tech: LED, coin-switch, plexis, carpentering

**Collaborative project with Rikayo Horimizu

Elevator pitch
"Wishing light bridge" is a mural of low-tech lighting sculptures that invites people to share their thoughts. Adopting a custom of coin throws to make a wish, "Wishing light bridge" encourages people to write down their wishes, turn the light on with a coin and collaboratively decorate the space with the light panel. We hope to transform the river that has lost connection with the community into its bulletin board.

On Hoosac River
"The Hoosac River was the life blood of North Adams in the 1800s. Because the wild river caused lots of flood damage, the River was reset in the concrete channel in the 1950s by the U.S. Government. Most people today don't know there is a River there or consider it a drainage ditch. Hoosac River Lights is meant to celebrate the Hoosac River and Spring. "
- Ralph Brill @BRILL GALLERY, the organizer of [Hoosac River Lights]

Having learned the local history, we thought of transforming the hoosac river into an open environment for people to meet and talk with other people of the community. We also wanted to include a simple but engaging interaction.

Wishing tree to Wishing bridge
Our initial inspiration came from "Wishing tree"."Wishing tree" is, in many Asian culture, where people hang a piece of paper with their wish written down and pray the nature so that their wishes would come true. We applied this idea to the bridge.
(*img borrowed from google search)

Coin toss to wish
Adding on to the initial idea, we combined the ritual of "coin-toss" as a means of interaction. Instead of throwing, we came up with an idea to use a coin (penny: copper) as the switch to make a final connection in a small electronic circuit of the lighting.
(*img borrowed from google search)

Diagram

More photos from the exhibition

Exhibition history
Hoosac River Lights, North Adams, MA, April 2008

Press coverage
Transcript, April 2008
iBerkshire.com, April 2008
berkshireEagle.com, April 2008

This project is strictly copyrighted by Rikayo Horimizu and Inhye lee.