John’s light shines for world peace

MANILA, Philippines – As the keeper of his flame, Yoko Ono led the relighting of The Imagine Peace Tower, a tall shimmering tower of light to John Lennon’s music near Reykjavik, Iceland to observe his 76th birthday last Oct. 9.

With music from the Söngfjelagið Choir and speeches by Yoko and Dagur Eggertsson, mayor of Reykjavik, it was lit from one hour after sunset until sunrise fed live in capital cities on Periscope.

Visible until Dec. 8, John’s death anniversary, The Tower is an outdoor art work-turned-memorial to John as conceived by his widow. Its light comes from 15 searchlights with prisms that act as mirrors continually changes with Iceland’s prevailing weather conditions.

With Yoko Ono in attendance, the gathering at the relighting of The Imagine Peace Tower.

Symbolizing John and Yoko’s continuing campaign for world peace, the light projects from a white stone monument inscribed by the words “Imagine Peace” translated in 24 languages. These words, and the name of The Tower, are a reference to Imagine, John’s peace campaign song released in 1971.

The Tower reflects the column of light vertically into the sky from a 10-meter wide wishing well. Buried underneath it are one million plus written wishes that Yoko collected through the years in her art project called Wish Trees.

Yoko also presented this year’s The Lennon Ono Grant For Peace Award to Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, British-Indian artist Anish Kapoo, Hungarian composer, performance artist and actor Katalin Ladik and Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson.