April 30, 2021
Fallen Blossoms: Explosion Project, a 60-second explosion commissioned by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 2009.
Cai Guo-Qiang
Gunpowder, considered one of China’s most significant contributions to the world, has always fascinated Cai Guo-Qiang. Growing up, explosions from cannon blasts, artillery batteries firing into the air and festive firework displays were commonplace, and he recalls the hand of his classmates stained red from filling firecrackers in factories.
A child of the Chinese Cultural Revolution, who participated in propaganda activities, he found an outlet through the medium of gunpowder. Playing with fireworks set him free amidst the oppressive and restrictive context.