In her installation, Mathias draws on the Japanese legend that one may be granted a wish by folding 1,000 paper cranes- a legend popularized by the life and death of Sadako Sasaki. Only two years old when the Atom Bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Sadako was exposed to lethal amounts of radiation, from which she developed leukemia. Before her death at the age of twelve Sadako began folding paper cranes, having been advised of the legend by a friend.

March 19, 2006 marks the third anniversary of Operation Iraqi Freedom. In the past three years the campaign for freedom has resulted in over 2,300 U.S. Military deaths as well as the deaths of nearly 35,000 Iraqi soldiers and civilians. In recognition of the three years of death, destruction, and supposed Iraqi Freedom, Sachar will fold and hang 1,000 paper warplanes in the gallery’s windows to evoke both the image of war and the wish for peace.

The planes are made from recycled copies of The New York Times International and National sections, and are modeled after three U.S. fighter planes: the Delta (F-102,) the Night Hawk (F-117,) and the Falcon (F-16.)

Related blog post: James Wagner