[Editor’s note: this column was revised by the author and re-posted on June 12, 2025]
By Daniel Gaviani
SPECIAL TO EASTBOSTON.COM
How I Set 100 Secrets on Fire – And Called It Art.
East Boston is already a cultural hub. From the murals that color our streets to the music programs at ZUMIX, creativity is woven into the fabric of this neighborhood. Artists live here. Youth programs thrive here. Art isn’t something distant or elite—it’s part of everyday life.
And yet, I believe we still need more ways to engage.
We need art that doesn’t just decorate, but invites participation. Art that listens. Art that offers space for people to process what they’re carrying—especially in a time when fear, grief, and uncertainty feel ever-present in our city.
That’s what led me to create a participatory installation for my recent exhibition The Art of Letting Go, which I shared with fellow artist Elsa Campbell at Atlantic Works Gallery. While Elsa’s work explored the personal and poetic side of emotional release through drawings and paintings, I wanted to invite the public into something active—a gesture of letting go not just about the community, but with it.
In the center of the gallery, I placed an open guitar case and a stack of blank cards. A sign nearby asked: What are you ready to let go of?
And that’s when the exhibit stopped being ours.
From that moment on, The Art of Letting Go belonged to East Boston. Every visitor who wrote down a thought—whether it was one word, a full letter, or something abstract—became a part of the work. Some people returned more than once. Some brought friends. Some stood silently with their note for several minutes before letting it fall into the case.
By the end of the month, over 100 anonymous entries had been collected. I never read them—because I didn’t need to. The power wasn’t in the content. It was in the act. These weren’t just private thoughts. They were expressions of what this community carries and so rarely gets to release.
East Boston is full of strength, but also under pressure. Many residents carry burdens they can’t always name out loud. This installation became a space to release, anonymously and safely, in a city that doesn’t always offer that.
This wasn’t art made for the community. It was art made by the community.
On the final night, I burned every note—not as a spectacle, but as a collective ritual. The gallery was quiet. The fire was safe but intentional. The release belonged to all who had contributed, whether they were present or not.
This isn’t the first time I’ve invited East Boston into my work. Last year, my piece A Step in Their Shoes? asked people to donate worn-out shoes—objects with memory, struggle, and mileage—to create an immersive installation about immigration and empathy. The result was a floor made entirely of footsteps: hundreds of lives represented in a space that asked nothing in return but compassion.
I believe this kind of community-rooted, participatory art is essential. Not every artwork needs to be interactive—but more of it should be accessible. More of it should invite people to speak without words. To contribute without credentials. To feel seen.
Letting go is hard. But doing it together—even in silence—can be healing.
About the Artist
Daniel Gaviani is a Massachusetts-based visual artist working in painting, installation, and public ritual. His work explores themes of mental health, migration, and spiritual resilience. He is a member of Atlantic Works Gallery and lives and works in East Boston. Learn more at gavianiworks.com.
