LET'S

yoko ono
October 8, 2006

Thank you for inviting me to your beautiful country and for making me feel so welcome. I am so happy to be here on John Lennon's birthday this year, since this is the first time I will be celebrating his birthday in Iceland.

It will be over 40 years ago, when I conceived this idea of a light house made of light, and listed it in my Conceptual Sales List. Two hundred copies of which was sent out to people who followed my artwork.

In 1967, John Lennon invited me for lunch at his Kenwood residence in England. It was about six months after we first met in my Indica Gallery Show in London. He told me that he read about the Light House in my publication and if I would build one for him in his garden. "Oh that was conceptual. I'm convinced that one day, it could be built, but I don't know how to do it." I said with a laugh. "Oh, I thought Americans came up with something" was what he said. And that was that. I still marvel at the fact that John was touched by that particular concept in my catalogue, and 40 years ago at that!

In 1967, for my Lisson Gallery show in London, I re-wrote the concept more succinctly. In a way which, I should have expressed the idea to John, in Kenwood, instead of laughing it off. That is what you have in your press kits.

It took over 40 years to finally realize this concept in - ICELAND! The timing cannot be more appropriate. Right now, light is what the world so desperately needs, since, in varying degrees, we all live in darkness of fear and confusion of the polluted world.

In Ancient Greece, an eternal fire was lit and sent out, around the world. The fire gave light and warmth. In the Olympics, we still follow that tradition and light an eternal flame symbolically, but it is always then extinguished physically, at the end of the event.

This column of light in Iceland will not be extinguished. It is the eternal flame we send out to the world and the universe to give light and warmth, and the hope and conviction that our dreams can come true. I have saved all the wishes people made and hung on my work, called the Wish Tree in many different countries.
The number of those wishes I collected and kept has now reached over 900 thousand, and they will all be placed directly under this light tower in the Isle of Videy. People who still did not have the chance to hang their wishes on the Wish Trees, can now send their wishes directly to IMAGINE PEACE TOWER, PO BOX 1009 REYKJAVIK, ICELAND, using the postcards you have there in the press kit or simply writing a note.

Up to now, a boat took you to the Island of Videy all summer long, free of charge, but not any other time. However, in 2007, there will be an added feature that the week of October 9th, John Lennon's birthday. The boat will take you to the Island free of charge, as well.

In the map of the earth planet, Iceland is a country situated in the northern most of our world. It is an ideal location from which to cover the earth with enlightenment and love.

Since we started this project, I have learned so much about this magical and beautiful country. Icelanders believe in the power of elves and gnomes, who are protecting this country. Icelanders call them Elves and Huldufolk - or the hidden people.
In Iceland, the energy source is water, instead of oil. This is just one of the incredible situations that creates the magic of Iceland. Once we all realize that this, is being done, we will suddenly see that other countries of the world should have the resources to make that change.

As long as we live in darkness and confusion, stricken by fear and staring at the unpleasantness we believe to be the source of our fear, the unpleasantness will not only continue, but we will finally be part of it. Let's leave our nightmare of darkness, and, together walk into light. The future is here in our hands already. Let's switch the channel to the future. Let's do it. Let's.

By the way, two incredible pieces of information I want to share with you are, Lord of the Rings, by J.R.R. Tolkien, was based very much on Icelandic folklores. He also spoke Icelandic for his love of the country, and was inspired to adopt the idea of Hobbits and Elves, right from this country.
Many past prophets pointed to Iceland as a place where a great light of peace and spiritual awakening would be lit, including Nostradamus, Rutherford, and Cayce.

Dr. Adam Rutherford in his book, The Prophesies Of The Great Pyramids published in the 1930's, contextualized these prophesies and spoke of Iceland's great inheritance. And that Iceland would be a source of light in a darkened world, and would turn on a ray of light that would guide many nations and be the start of a spiritual awakening.

Yoko Ono's speeches in Iceland