February 18, 2008
Cai Guo-Qiang Suspends Disbelief, and Cars, at the Guggenheim
Photos via the Guggenheim Museum.
Everyone's bursting with anticipation for the opening of Cai Guo-Qiang's new exhibit at the Guggenheim; the site-specific installation serves as a mid-career retrospective and is now just four short days away from being unveiled.
The NY Times has a lengthy profile of the artist (who has lived in New York since 1995) which begins with this insight: "his favorite artistic moment is the pregnant pause between the lighting of the fuse and the detonation of the gunpowder." Thus a partial explanation of his use of ancient Chinese gunpowder in his work; Cai further explains, "One reason I chose gunpowder is that I had the good luck in my environment to be exposed to gunpowder. The other reason is I was always looking for a visual language that goes beyond the boundary of nations, and so I found gunpowder.”
That's not all you will take in at his show, however, The Post reports that "other mind-boggling works feature 99 life-size, stuffed replicas of wolves charging over viewers' heads headlong into a glass wall." Another piece, titled "Inopportune: Stage One," acts as a centerpiece -- illuminated with LED lights as it dangles above the fragile onlookers below.
With more than 80 works, the installation -- which takes up most of the museum -- is called "I Want to Believe," something Cai says is a nod to suspending disbelief. See how the large pieces were installed here, then see them for yourself -- the show runs through through May 28.
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what a bunch of junk. hanging cars in mid-air? stuffed wolves?
stick with the july 4th fireworks, dude...at least that is enjoyable to watch for a minute or two. but it still ain't art.
oh yeah, how come Cai never talks about his early days in japan when he was kissing ass....
i like it. It's like an adolescent boys dream come true.
I saw his stuff at MassMoCa in North Adams MA. I thought it was pretty amazing. I guess suepart might have some inside dirt on him, but it sounds more like player hating to me. Care to share any more with us sue? Or will you just be coy and back up your attack?
I thought that picture with the cars was fake...
so that's who this guy is. a pre showing was sold out on the families with chinese children site.
I wanna know about that Jap connection, too.
Looks like he and Mr. Hirst are competing for cool+gross points.
suepart here. sorry no player hating, because he ain;'t a player.
better yet get a media crew and ask him, then see if he does a fireworks number on you.
best regards.
suepart here. sorry no player hating, because he ain;'t a player.
better yet get a media crew and ask him, then see if he does a fireworks number on you.
best regards.
He did an amazing project with Creative Time and the Parks Department in 2003. It was a huge fireworks display in Central Park. Check out the website: http://www.creativetime.org/programs/archive/2003/LightCycles/lightcycle/index.html
the creative time project wasn't amazing. that night it rained hard. it was just a bunch of fireworks. only an after the fact buffoon would say it was "amazing" because he hires professional photographers and videographers to document the whole thing. otherwise, it could never match his "concept"-a phony rainbow.
ask him about his early days in japan and how the people in his building called the police on him when he tried to do some illegal construction on his place!!!
the creative time project wasn't amazing. that night it rained hard. it was just a bunch of fireworks. only an after the fact buffoon would say it was "amazing" because he hires professional photographers and videographers to document the whole thing. otherwise, it could never match his "concept"-a phony rainbow.
ask him about his early days in japan and how the people in his building called the police on him when he tried to do some illegal construction on his place!!!