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CAI Guoqiang, <Project to Extend the Great Wall of China by 10,000 Meters: Project for Extraterrestrials No.10>, Three-channels video, 07' 33", 1993
[China] CAI Guoqiang Project to Extend the Great Wall of China by 10,000 Meters: Project for Extraterrestrials No.10
Cai Guoqiang began working with gunpowder in his art practice since 1984. During his time spent in Japan between 1986-1995, Cai continued to explore the possibility of using this material and gradually expanded the scale of the explosions, paving the way for his famous outdoor explosion projects. Project to Extend the Great Wall of China by 10,000 Meters: Project for Extraterrestrials No.10 explores the original function of the city wall, and the relationship between human beings to the great universe. Moreover, Cai has always realized his conceived notions through collaboration with others. More than hundreds of visitors and volunteers extend a ten thousand meters trigger and the gunpowder bag symbolizing the beacon posts, from the west end of the Great Wall at Jiayuguan to the Gobi Desert. Installed and lit at dusk, the light slit the horizon open like a flying dragon, as it trickled and spiraled, it disappeared above the snowy mountain. This project completed outside of the Great Wall lasted 15minutes, leaving an explosive line measuring over 10 thousand meters. It is also the most important work in the Project for Extraterrestrials. Other than gunpowder explosions, Cai Guoqiang’s art practice spans from painting, installation, video, performance and other artistic mediums, founded on Eastern philosophy and contemporary social issues, subjects to local circumstances, iterates and responds to local cultural history and society, nature and the universe. |
