This project was inspired by communal and community-based art. I wanted to inspire the viewer to feel hope for the future, as I find I am increasingly pessimistic about it. I approached people in my college town of Ithaca, New York, and asked them to draw something that makes them feel happy or hopeful. It was an exercise for the people I approached and myself; I needed the help of strangers, asking them to reflect on intimate aspects of their lives.

I collected the languages and patterns of hope from strangers and organized them into a sculpture. Initially, inspired by the biblical allegory of the Tower of Babel, I wanted to create an unfinished tower in miniature. It was meant to represent the capability of hope and collectiveness, but it felt too hierarchical and firm. I eventually decided to build a ship out of the papers I collected. I combined the Tower of Babel with my ship, creating a mobile structure of hope. It is fragile and complicated yet also a force of incredible change.

The title is an allusion to the Odyssey, where its themes of perseverance and vulnerability resonated with me.