Made from newspapers gathered from the historic kiosk in Harvard Square, once a 24/7 international newsstand, this dragon sculpture honors a time when news flowed freely and public discourse was a shared ritual. Today, the KiOSK serves as a community public and arts space, and the question still remains: how do we continue creating spaces where new ideas, meaningful conversations, and emerging communities can interplay?
In this participatory installation, visitors are invited to write down a wish: something for themselves, for someone they love, or for the world and community they want to live in. Afterwards, they choose a color of an origami butterfly that best represents their wish and attach it to the dragon. With each addition, the dragon’s body blossoms from the base of the newspaper canvas and bursts into color with communal hopes. Information and infrastructure may form the foundation of any city, but it is the people who bring vibrancy and the culture.
Over the course of the exhibition, the piece will grow into a playful monument that illustrates how the future is shaped by the wishes of the collective. Every individual can help steer the world by voting with their actions, contributing to the headlines we want to see in tomorrow’s paper. “Butterfly Effect” speaks to the idea that even small gestures, like folding a shape, sharing a thought, or engaging in a moment of creativity, can ripple outward, contributing to a more connected and caring city.
Akiya Collective is a non-profit organization and social R&D lab that renovates abandoned houses in Japan into creative residencies, installations, and experiments to advance well-being.