The much anticipated exhibition, Cai Guo-qiang: Hanging Out in the Museum , kicked off during an opening reception at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum on November 20. Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin also appeared the event.
The mayor noted Cai’s creation is known for the subtle fusion of eastern philosophy and global awareness; his latest attention-grabbing work is the large-scale fireworks displayed during the opening ceremony of Beijing Olympics.
The foreign media described him as “an indispensable artist to the world”. Hau remarked that the city is deeply honored by hosting Cai’s 20-year retrospective exhibition, adding that this event will no doubt be a great feast for art enthusiasts.
Dating back to the year of 1998, Cai has attended the Taipei Biennial, which marked the first collaboration between the artist and the Museum. The exhibition, which runs from November 21, 2009 to February 21, 2010, will be featuring gunpowder drawings, installations, documentary films and exhibits especially made for the Taipei session. The new pieces include Straits , Taroko Gorge and Day and Night.
The Taipei Fine Arts Museum hold three world-level exhibitions in 2009, including Dans les Collections du Centre Pompidou, Pixar: 20 Years of Animation and Cai Guo-qiang: Hanging Out in the Museum. All of them expect to attract over 1million visitors altogether.