Portfolio of Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang

Cai Guo-Qiang is a Chinese contemporary artist, curator and internationally recognized as a creator of large scale explosion events. He was born in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China in 1957 and lives and works in New York. From 1982-1985 he trained in stage design at Shanghai Drama Institute.

His practices on wild life, Chinese medicine, fire works and gun powder. He explored the properties of gunpowder in his drawings when he was in Japan from 1986 to 1995. In 1996 he was selected for finalist for Hugo Boss Prize and in 1999 in 48th Venice Biennale he holds the Golden Lion award and he was awarded the 7th Hiroshima Art Prize in 2007. In 2009, he was awarded the 20th Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize[1].

The Chinese art was influenced by the New Culture Movements of Western techniques. The aim of new Chinese art is to make contemporary Chinese art accessible to a global audience. For these; it presents several portfolios with 100 contemporary Chinese artists. Some of the selected exhibitions and projects of China are I Want to Believe, Stage One and Illusion, Explosion Project for the Festival of China, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Flying Dragon in the Heavens.

Cai Guo-Qiang was first exhibited by the Guggenheim in 1996. I want to believe is the first solo exhibition of an Asian artist organized by Guggenheim Museum of Bilbao in 2009. It is funded by the National Endowment for the Arts and some additional individuals and foundations support. This exhibition charts the artist’s creation of gunpowder drawings, explosion events and social projects and promotes the understanding of Chinese arts and culture worldwide[2].

 If there is no action the artistic work of Cai Guo – Qiang is nothing. “I want to believe” is the creative body work with illustration and visually. It is about the pain and bliss of aggressive explosions–celebratory fire-works versus deadly car bombs.

“I want to believe” significance comes from modernity, secularism and human kind. “I want to believe” shows the truth of the era and also increase the awareness. “I want to believe” is the creation and innovation of the intelligence. “I want believe” got the concentration of the cross cultures.

“I want to believe” is the artistic art work. It got the interest of the viewers without artist’s intention.  “I want to believe” is the “explosion event” by Cai. To show pure energy force Cai used fire works in “I want to believe”. It is the great art of work with energy.

“I want believe” is know for its explosives. It’s the combination of gunpowder, explosives etc. It shows 80 artistic works from past to present. It is also consists installations and social projects. I want to believe is the magnificent and famous work by Cai[3].

“I want to believe” is the combination cultures and creation. His works are hugely inspired from locations. He explores wide variety art forms .He is best known for his “fire works”

All his works are got inspired from ancient cultures of Chinese. His works mentions Buddhism and martial arts frequently. His works always speaks about the fight between human and nature. His work also mentions about Maoist and Taoist themes. His work is expensive in market of power and product.

“I want to believe” is huge with sight and sound of explosions. It speaks about the artistic work of the art. I want to believe is the work of revolution and aggression[4].

Conclusion:

Cai Guo – Qiang is an extraordinary artist of twenty first century. He is a transnational artist of extraordinary creative vision and illustration, his structure are inherently unstable, dealing with expenditure of materials and ideas of transformation.

Although his work is very expensive to imagine and also to realize his works always speaks about wide variety of aspects such as Capitalism, Secularism, Martial arts, Buddhism, Maoist, Taoist, Cross cultures, Transformation etc .His work also shows the combat between the nature and man.

Reference:

1. Gersh-Nesic, Beth S. “Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe”. Arthistory.about. 2008. Web. 2 June. 2010. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/special_exhibitions/l/bl_qiang_bgn_0608.htm>
2. Guggenheim. “Guggenheim Museum Presents Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want To Believe” Guggenheim. 21 May, 2008. Web. 2 June 2010. <http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/press-releases/press-release-archive/2008/1805-the-guggenheim-museum-presents-cai-guo-qiang-i-want-to-believe >.
3. Guo-Qiang’s, Cai. “Biography”. Pbs. 2007. 2 June 2010. <http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/cai/index.html#>
4. Smith, Roberta. “Cars and Gunpowder and Plenty of Noise” The New York Times. 22 February. 2008.
5. Guo-Qiang’s, Cai. “Biography”. Pbs. 2007. 2 June 2010. <http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/cai/index.html#>
6. Guggenheim. “Guggenheim Museum Presents Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want To Believe” Guggenheim. 21 May, 2008. Web. 2 June 2010. <http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/press-room/press-releases/press-release-archive/2008/1805-the-guggenheim-museum-presents-cai-guo-qiang-i-want-to-believe >.
7. Gersh-Nesic, Beth S. “Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe”. Arthistory.about. 2008. Web. 2 June. 2010. <http://arthistory.about.com/od/special_exhibitions/l/bl_qiang_bgn_0608.htm>
8. Smith, Roberta. “Cars and Gunpowder and Plenty of Noise” The New York Times. 22 February. 2008.