His father, cai ruiqin, was a calligrapher and traditional painter who worked in a bookstore. While living in japan between 1986 and 1995 he experimented with gunpowder in his drawings, using the spontaneity of the medium to counteract the traditional impulses of his chinese peers. Cai was born in quanzhou in the fujian province of china, and studied set design at the shanghai drama institute and art at the ps 1 contemporary art center in new york. Five months after the tiananmen square massacre, he built a shanty similar to those made by tiananmen protestors, loaded it. In this lesson, students will discuss the work of artist cai guoqiang within historical and cultural contexts. Cai guoqiang cai guoqiang was born in 1957 in quanzhou, fujian province, china. The national and international studio program at p. Production still from the art in the twentyfirst century season 3 episode, power.
The art of cai guoqiang follows the continuing ascent of this chineseborn, new yorkbased artist as he works in different mediums for different. He studied stage design at the shanghai drama institute from 1981 to 1985 and attended the institute for contemporary art. Cai guoqiangs pyrotechnic mushroom cloud commemorates. He has made projects in all the inhabited continents of the world.
Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Explosive artist cai guoqiang on politics and pyrotechnics. Cai guoqiang was born in 1957 in quanzhou, fujian province, china. I want to believe, suggests yearning for a different state, and whether this desire concerns art, religion, magic or u. Transparent monument, by cai guoqiang panoply books. Meet the artist who blows things up for a living arts. His father cai ruiqin worked at a bookstore, was a collector of old books and manuscripts, and an amateur calligrapher and painter. I want to believe accompanies the most comprehensive exhibition to date of the innovative body of work by chineseborn artist cai guoqiangbest known for his spectacular artworks using gunpowder and fireworks. Cai guoqiang started making art for extraterrestrials in 1989.
In addition to solo exhibitions at the pushkin state museum of fine arts in moscow and the prado museum in madrid, guoqiang staged a public art project in philadelphia in september called fireflies, in which 27 pedicabs adorned with 900 colorful lanterns drove along the benjamin franklin parkway at night. The fascinating story of the making of one of the chinese artists most remarkable creation. As an adolescent, cai witnessed the social effects of the cultural revolution. With a statement by the artist and essays by cao qing hui, fan dian, and wang mingxian. The first chineseborn artist to be the subject of a solo exhibition at the guggenheim museum, cai guoqiang has his installation open in 2006 at the metropolitan museum of art, one of the most notable creation of its kind. An interview with cai guoqiang by lesley ma, on the occasion of the exhibition cai guoqiang. During the 1990s he emerged on to the international art scene and has become a major figure of contemporary chinese art.
Cai guoqiangs explosive art, preserved for the ages getty scientists explore the artists use of gunpowder and other materials for a definitive new book nancy kenney. Cai guoqiang is making some of the most interesting and beautiful art of our time. Best known for his gunpowder paintings and explosion events, which have awed the world, cai guoqiang, the visual director of the 2008 beijing olympics, discusses three. The art of cai guoqiang kevin macdonalds documentary, which has premiered at sundance, draws an emotional line from the chinese artists traumatic childhood to. He has lived and worked outside of china since 1986, first in japan and subsequently, beginning in 1995, in new york city. Cais use of gunpowder has become central to his practice, leading to his experimentation with explosives and the development of his signature ignition events. His status as a key figure on the new york art scene where he has worked and lived since the mid 90s was cemented in 2008, when the guggenheim hosted a major retrospective of his work.
T magazine visits the studios, exhibitions and homes of the biggest names in art, all around the world. Borrowing elements from chinese culture, the artist also makes reference to western art in the wake of joseph beuys, yves klein, and the arte povera artists. Cai guoqiang was born in quanzhou, china, in 1960, and lived in tokyo from 1985 to 1995, before moving to new york. Cai guoqiangs rainbow mushroom cloud dissipating photo by the author for hyperallergic color mushroom cloud was commissioned by uchicago arts and the smart museum of art to commemorate. Installation view at freer gallery of art and arthur m. Cai guoqiang was born in quanzhou, fujian province, in 1957. Cai guoqiangs retrospective at the guggenheim museum. Cai guoqiang is arguably modern chinas first international art star. As a result, cai guoqiang was exposed early on to western literature as well as traditional chinese art forms. They will examine organizational principles in works of art, including their own works, and will understand the technological, logistical, and artistic factors that an artist takes into consideration when creating performanceoriented works in public spaces. It presents a chronological and thematic survey that charts the artists creation of a distinctive visual and conceptual language across four mediums. Cars and gunpowder and plenty of noise the new york times.
Cai guoqiang is the author of life beneath the shadow 4. Cai guoqiang believes in extraterrestrials and in the early 1990s began the projects for extraterrestrials, to make artwork so big, bright and extravagant, that it would be visible from space. Histories and theories of practice by deanna petherbridge formerly professof drawing at the royal college of art and visiting professof or drawing, university of the arts london. Why is it important to make these violent explosions beautiful, he has asked. Cai guoqiang is a contemporary chinese artist renowned for his innovative works which incorporate gunpowder and controlled explosions. Cai guoqiang the artist who created fireflies is famous for his virtuosic and poetic use of fireworks and gunpowder. Cai guoqiang has been appointed director of visual and special effects, and is a core member of the creative team, for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 beijing summer olympics, which. Cai guoqiangs work crosses multiple mediums including drawing, installation, explosion event, and performance. Cai guoqiang began experimenting with the properties of gunpowder in his drawings in the he used gunpowder of various grades and forms and exploded it on paper, leaving burnt and smoky.
Cai guoqiang was born in 1957 in quanzhou city, fujian province, china, and lives and works in new york. Nov 8, 2014 contemporary artist cai guoqiang is renowned for his innovative, politically charged pieces, ranging from installations and performances to works on paper, which incorporate gunpowder and explosions. Ephemeral and monumental, the work of cai guoqiang is founded upon an ancient religious and philosophical aesthetic tradition. While other artists turn to the easel with paint or pastels, cai guoqiang prefers to make a statement with explosives. Odyssey, museum of fine arts, houston, permanent gunpowder drawing installation in the tsung and wei fong chao arts of china gallery, opened oct. For more than 25 years, cai guoqiangs practice has spanned a range of media in contemporary art, including drawing, installation, video, and performance art, as well as a range of chinese traditions in medicine, art, and place making. While living in japan from 1986 to 1995, cai guoqiang began exploring the properties of gunpowder in his drawings. This past fall was landmark season for the career of chinese artist cai guoqiang. Cai guo qiang employs symbols, narratives, and traditions. Interview with cai guoqiang asia art archive in america.
Cai guoqiang was born in 1957 in quanzhou city in the fujian province of china. Drawing upon eastern philosophy and contemporary social issues as a conceptual basis, his artworks respond to culture and history and establish an exchange between viewers and the larger universe around them. The museo del prado and acciona, a spanish multinational committed to innovation, is presenting a new, contemporary project at the museum. Head on, national museum of singapore organized by the deutsche bank collection, jul. Cai guoqiang i do believe every artwork has its own. Cai guoqiang elegy explosion event, the ninth wave at huangpu riverfront of the power station of art, shanghai, china cai guoqiangs work in shanghai, china is of colors filing the sky, in a ritualistically sincere elucidation of the death of nature.
Sackler gallery, smithsonian institution, washington d. Born in quanzhou, china but based in new york, cai has made a career from. In perhaps cais most compelling work yet, sky ladder 2015, the artist ignited a 1,650foottall ladder rigged with explosives and held aloft by a giant balloon. As she publishes a new book, the daughter of cai guoqiang, chinas famed gunpowder artist, reveals all to lavender au. In 1993, he worked on a piece he claimed would extend the great wall of china by 10,000 meters and made a household name for his project. Cai guoqiang maintains an interdisciplinary practice that explores contemporary social issues and the grander implications of the intersection between chinese traditions and modern technology. What must it be like to grow up surrounded by groundbreaking art, challenging ideas and earsplitting explosions. He recalled as a child hearing the upsetting yet eerily. Hes been a prominent artist around the world for twenty years or so.
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