cai guo qiang: inopportune
the installation is comprised of nine identical white cars, which appear to be arrested in an animated sequence of explosion.
‘inopportune: stage one’, 2004 (detail) image © designboom
chinese artist cai guo-qiang has a history of making works of beauty from violent beginnings; most famously using gunpowder, fireworks and explosions in his sculptural installations.
currently on show as part of the 17th biennale of sydney is cai’s ‘inopportune: stage one’ (2004), one of his most challenge and spectacular presentations. the installation is comprised of nine identical white cars, which appear to be arrested in an animated sequence of explosion. together the vehicles are frozen in an arc of detonation, blast, launch, tumbling, gravitational return and rest. the cars are pierced with pulsing rods of light that simultaneously suspend the cars like wings, penetrating them like blades, signifying a co-existence between violence and beauty.
installation view of cai guo-qiang’s ‘inopportune: stage one’, 2004 at the biennale of sydney image © designboom
point of detonation… image © designboom
pulsing rods of light pierce the suspended cars image © designboom
a vehicle launching into the air… image © designboom
worm’s-eye view of the installation image © designboom
the frozen arc of vehicles image © designboom
sequence of tumbling… image © designboom
vehicle hanging almost perpindiculara to the ground image © designboom
launching and gravitational return occuring image © designboom
overturned vehicle image © designboom
overview of sequence image © designboom
image © designboom
‘inopportune: stage one’, 2004 image © designboom
gravitational return to resting image © designboom
view of installation from point of detonation image © designboom
nine identical white cars make up the entire installation image © designboom
cai guo-qiang was born in quanzhou city, fujian province, china in 1957. he was trained in stage design at the shanghai drama institute, and since then, his work has often been scholarly and / or politically charged. in 1999, he was awarded the golden lion at the 48th venice biennale. he currently lives and works in new york.
