Cai Guo-Qiang Installations part two

Cai Guo-Qiang Head On, 1999, 99 life-sized replicas of wolves and glass wall;
Wolves: papier mâché, plaster, fiberglass, resin, and painted hide 

           Cai installation projects are large and vary in media. His art seems to go into this sad connection between society, fragility, and death. His installation can vary with traditional ancient China, Mao Zedong Communism, and events today like terrorism. Cai installations are usually large, well detailed, and connect with the gallery setting.  

Cai Guo-Qiang, The Orient
San Jo Tower, 1995
Salvaged wood, seirmograph, soil

            The Orient is made of salvaged wood that was from a sunken boat. It resembles a large temple or shrine from either Japan or China, but appears loosely made shack. In front of the makeshift tower, a mound of dirt is placed several yards away connected by a cable. The mound of dirt also bears a resemblance to a top portion of a person with a head, neck, and upper torso. Inside of the dirt there is a seismograph which gives these two different elements a meaning to the viewer. The Orient is also displayed in a gallery in Japan. Because their islands are in the Ring of Fire earthquakes are depressingly common. I’m not sure if The Orient is Cai version of something like a joke or something serious because eventually the makesift tower will fall when a powerful earthquakes shakes this part of Japan. It’s also funny that he used wood from a sunken boat which met its demise from water (another devastating threat for Japan) It’s very interesting and creates nervous feelings to the viewers.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Borrowing Your Enemy's Arrows, 1998, 
Wooden boat, 3000 arrows, electric fan, Chinese flag

        
Another installation that is meant to be hung from the gallery is Borrowing your Enemy’s Arrows. A large wooden boat is covered by 3000 arrows. The subject can be perceived as humorous and fascinating to the viewer. I find this very funny because it comes with an anecdote. Cai narrates a story of Chinese soldiers who were about to lose to the enemy because of lack of weapons and arrows. The leader devised a tactical solution to this dilemma by using wooden boats and during a foggy morning slipped them into the river where the enemy was located. Thousands of arrows pierced the boats, but with empty occupants. The leader managed to retrieve these boats and collect his needed arrows. Cai uses this legend and hangs a traditional Chinese boat from a gallery. He pierces 3,000 arrows throughout the boat, he also adds a small Chinese flag and a fan to mimic wind and blow the flag. It can be interpreted as the enduring spirit of a “Communist” nation.    

Cai Guo-Qiang, Inopportune:Stage One, 2004, 9 Chevy Metros, plastic rods, lights

 

          In the large installation Inopportune, Cai goes into problems arising in the Middle East. He explains the title of his work Inopportune as inopportune terrorist event which is commonly known as a car bomb. He uses nine white Chevy Metros with and hangs them changes their positions so they’re not actually on the ground. He also places long rods of various lengths with electric lights with pink hues in them. They are beautiful to view and the cars positions are similar to the force of an explosion lifting a car from the road. His work is very clear to the viewer of what he wanted to portray.

            A large scale installation is Head On. In this installation, Cai uses 99 life sized replicas of wolves and a glass wall. The media used for the wolves are paper mache, fiberglass, plaster, resin and paint for the hide. He places wolves in this start and finish line. In the start line, various wolves are amassing in this line, the line of wolves start levitating as if they were Santa’s reindeers and “fly” towards this glass wall a large distance away. The wolves that smack into this glass window fall to the ground in various positions. The work is to be interpreted of the events that happened in Germany with the rise of the Nazi regime to the communist construction of the Berlin wall. 

Cai Guo-Qiang Head On, 1999, 99 life-sized replicas of wolves and glass wall;
Wolves: papier mâché, plaster, fiberglass, resin, and painted hide

             Each of Cai conceptual installation greatly varies with the themes he wants to point out to the viewers. He dedicated to detail as one can see in Head On with the detail of the wolves. His installations also integrate the gallery environment making them mesmerizing like in the Guggenheim Museum for Head On. He is very interesting and his works deserves a part two for my blog.