October 04, 1997 — October 25, 1997 76 Grand Street, New York In October of 1997, Deitch Projects presented an installation by the Thai artist Montien Boonma titled House of Hope. The artist transformed the gallery into a temple-like space. The air was infused with the scent of eighteen medicinal herbs with which the artist painted the gallery walls. The House of Hope, which hovered in the center of the gallery space, was constructed from 1,648 strands of hanging herbal beads, spilling onto a stair-like stack of 440 wooden stools. The suspended “house” had a floating dreamlike quality inviting spiritual engagement. The stack of stools, painted with a red herb that symbolizes heaven, in Thai culture are like a “stairway to heaven.” The 500,000 beads that fell from the ceiling were described by the artist as a “black rain” bringing hope. The House of Hope offered a symbolic path toward a more healthy and spiritual life.