Cai Guo-Qiang about Powder

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Cai Guo-Qiang, specialist of installations, events and fireworks, brings an explosive glance on today's world. Like Christo, he makes many preparatory works. Like Warhol, he relies on most diverse contemporary themes: monuments, symbols, objects.

His technique is always the same, and deeply original: his works on paper are composed of gunpowder and ink, and his happenings are using pyrotechnics.

The invention of gunpowder is ascribed, as we know, to his ancient Chinese compatriots. Undoubtedly, this reference provides the thread of his art. But even his admirers regret the opportunism of his subjects.

For sale in Hong Kong by Sotheby's on October 6, Money Net No. 3 provides an interesting input to the understanding of his art. This work preparatory to the 2002 explosion of a purse tells the ambiguous relationship of current artists with money.

Like all significant works of Cai, Money Net No. 3 is huge: 4 x 6 m. It is estimated 4.7 MHK$. Much higher prices were recorded in the past, but on polyptychs.

Cai is a universally recognized artist since the exhibition of a retrospective of his work at the Guggenheim Museum of New York in 2008.

[Pierre Tavlitzki]

Trends can change very quickly in terms of contemporary art. This work has not been sold. Its estimate had been reasonable, however.

The Sotheby's sales in Hong Kong show the variety of modern and contemporary art from the Far East, which was sometimes reduced in the media to three or four artists who specialize in social critics or social provocation.

It's exciting. We still have much to learn together in this sector of the art market.