Yokohama Museum of Art “Cai Guo-Qiang Exhibition: Return and Return” Gunpowder drawing production site report
TEXT: Hiroo Miyakoshi Published on July 2, 2015
Click here for a video of the production of gunpowder drawings for “Cai Guo-Qiang Exhibition: Return and Return”
“Cai Guo-Qiang Exhibition: Return and Return” Gunpowder Drawing Production Site Report
Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio
On Saturday, June 20th, contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang held a press release of the Gunpowder Drawing production site at the Grand Gallery of the Yokohama Museum of Art. What was created on this day is the right side of Cherry Blossoms at Night, a new gunpowder drawing made on Japanese paper that will be exhibited at the Cai Guo-Qiang Exhibition: Return and Coming, which will be held at the Yokohama Museum of Art from July 11th (Saturday). part. The completed work will be 2,400cm long and 800cm high, making it the largest painting ever made using gunpowder.
Cai Guo-Qiang Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio
The title ``Returning and Coming'' comes from the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming's masterpiece ``Kikyorainoji'', which describes a poet who returned to his hometown after quitting his government job. It celebrates the free spirit of looking at reality, returning to one's right path, and surrendering to nature. Although Tsai is now active around the world, her career as an artist began in earnest when she lived in Japan from 1986 to 1995. The title ``Returning and Coming'' reflects Ms. Cai's feelings about returning to Japan and returning to her roots as a writer.
When the public production was about to begin, the press gathered in an area overlooking the Grand Gallery (museum entrance). On the first floor of the Grand Gallery, paper covered with cardboard is laid out, with volunteer staff waiting around it. Ms. Tsai has been collaborating with volunteer staff since the beginning of her career, and a total of dozens of volunteer staff participated in the production of this new work.
Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio
Gunpowder drawing is a painting method that involves exploding gunpowder to fix images on canvas or Japanese paper. Below the cardboard, there are several layers of cardboard and glassine paper (thin paper), and inside is a template with the outline of the picture cut out. When the gunpowder explodes, the cut out part becomes browned.
The sketch production stage Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio
Before the ignition, Mr. Cai gave an explanation of gunpowder drawing in Japanese.
“There is a special sense of tension in creating works in front of people.Using gunpowder creates chance and brings new possibilities.The reaction of gunpowder is different every time, so I am both excited and nervous. .It's the uncontrollable part that makes it so appealing.Also, gunpowder drawings are not something that can be created by one person, but are realized through collaboration with local people.I have collaborated with people in various countries so far. The way volunteers work varies from country to country. Japanese volunteers are wonderful. That made me very happy."
At the end, Ms. Tsai said, ``I will do my best today. I will leave the rest to God,'' and lit the fuse.
There was a small ``chi-chi-chi'' sound of the fuse burning, and about 2 to 3 seconds later, smoke rose with an explosion, and the area was enveloped in white smoke.
Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio
As the smoke cleared, volunteer staff gathered around the fuse and worked to extinguish the smoldering fuse. Then, remove the cardboard and peel off one more layer of paper. Each time I peeled off the paper, a new layer appeared, and the outline gradually became clearer, revealing a large cherry blossom flower.
Photo by Wen-You Cai, courtesy Cai Studio
After the paper was removed, an interview was held with Ms. Cai in front of the painting, which still had soot on it.
Interview with Cai Guo-Qiang
Photo by Yu Miyakoshi
- Why did you choose "cherry blossoms" as the theme this time?
It had been a long time since I had held an exhibition in Japan, and when I thought about what I should paint, I first studied the paintings of my Japanese predecessors, such as Yokoyama Taikan. Yokoyama Taikan also painted cherry blossoms. So, the challenge of seeing if I could draw cherry blossoms using gunpowder became a motivation for me. In contrast to the beautiful and soft cherry blossoms, the gunpowder is violent and energetic. There's a big difference. Another thing I thought was that the momentary life of the cherry blossoms is similar to the momentary fate of gunpowder. I thought that connection was interesting. It's difficult to draw something as gentle as a flower with gunpowder, but as I've gotten older, I've come to want to express warmer or softer feelings closer to home, rather than on a large scale. This drawing has such a meaning.
―Why did you choose the title “Kikakurai”?
When I lived in Japan and started working as an artist in earnest, it was a very important time for me as an artist's starting point. Since then, I have created works all over the world, but recently I have decided to go back to the roots of my youth. When I returned to Japan, I thought about what was there when I was young, and what I had lost now.Isn't that enough? That's why I thought the title ``Kikakurai'' would be good. The theme of flowers and nature is also a feeling of returning to the earth.
Flowers and Birds of Brazil (detail), 2013, gunpowder and Japanese paper, collected by the artist (reference plate)
Commissioned by Banco do Brazil.Photo by Zhang Feiyu, courtesy Cai Studio
- Why are you so particular about methods that use gunpowder?
After all, it's the uneasiness and excitement of not being able to control it forever that appeals to me. Even if things go well today, I don't know what will happen next. Gunpowder has endless possibilities. You can draw flowers, the universe, or anything you want. Also, since gunpowder cannot be transported by plane, we will use gunpowder from the countries we visit and collaborate with volunteers from those countries. From there, new difficulties and new fun emerge every time. In January of this year, I did a gunpowder drawing in Argentina, but the gunpowder was slow and the drawing was overcooked. At that time, I was really disappointed. So I lined it with paper and displayed it, and when I finally put it on display, it showed the freshness and strength of the South American land. Artists are like "seeds". No matter which country I go to, I bury myself in the land and look forward to something new arising from my dialogue with the land.
- What was the reason for using gunpowder?
I'm a serious and rational person. As a human being, that's fine, but as an artist, it's a little easier to control, and it's not very interesting. My father also draws, but he was a very serious person, so I thought that maybe I would become like that too (lol). So I've always been looking for ways to incorporate chance and surprise into my work. I tried various things, such as using fire and a fan. So I think one of the reasons people use gunpowder is to destroy their own humanity. Another reason was that firecrackers were easily available in my hometown. When I was young, there were many wars between my hometown and Taiwan. So when I thought about the challenges I could take on as a contemporary artist, I came up with the idea of using gunpowder.
Photo by Yu Miyakoshi
The above interview conveyed Ms. Cai's sincere thoughts.
“Cai Guo-Qiang Exhibition: Return and Return”
``Night Cherry Blossoms'' created on this day will be exhibited in the Grand Gallery. The cherry blossoms also remind me of the ``Iwaki Ten Thousand Cherry Blossom Project'' in Fukushima, with which Cai has a deep connection.
The ``Iwaki Ten Thousand Cherry Blossoms Project'' was started with the aim of passing on the memories of the Great East Japan Earthquake and gifting future generations with the world's best cherry blossom viewing spot. Since 2011, we have been planting cherry blossom trees in Iwaki's Satoyama, with the ultimate goal of planting 99,000 trees. Mr. Cai supports this project, and in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of exchange with Iwaki City (2014), he built the ``Kaikōichi Dragon Bone'' on the top of Tateyama, where the ``Iwaki Corridor Museum'' is located, which was built in collaboration with the same project. The work was exhibited. ``Kaikouichi Dragon Bone'' is the first work that Cai and the ``Iwaki Team,'' made up of Iwaki citizens, collaborated on in 1994. The Iwaki Team and Mr. Cai deepened their friendship through this production, and have remained close to this day. According to “Iwaki Ten Thousand Cherry Blossom Newsletter” (Iwaki Ten Thousand Cherry Blossoms Project Executive Committee, Issue 16, 2014), the exhibition of “Meikouichi Ryukotsu” in Tateyama is “a corridor staircase rising step by step towards the sky. When you reach the end, the scenery suddenly opens up in front of you, and along with the cherry blossoms in full bloom lies a dragon bone about 13 meters long, carved over 20 years.''
“Wall Punishment” 2006, Replicas of wolves (99 figures), glass, size variable, commission work by Deutsche Bank
The Deutsche Bank Collection Photo by Jon Linkins, courtesy: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
“Wall Punishment” 2006, Replicas of wolves (99 figures), glass, size variable, commission work by Deutsche Bank
The Deutsche Bank Collection Photo by Jon Linkins, courtesy: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art
The Cai Guo-Qiang Exhibition: Return and Return, which begins on July 11th (Saturday), will be Cai Guo-Qiang's first solo exhibition in Japan in seven years. In addition to the new work ``Cherry Blossoms at Night,'' which was exhibited this time, there will also be ``Kabetsuki'' (2006), which depicts a flock of 99 wolf replicas flying in the sky, as well as a new work called Terracotta. The exhibit includes an installation by ``Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter'' (2014), a porcelain work made from gunpowder. Not only am I looking forward to the dynamic collection of works, but when I looked at ``Cherry Blossoms at Night'' again, I wanted to listen closely to the artist's contemplation and the silence that spread beyond the remains of the fire.
