Cai Guo-Qiang - Contemporary Art Part II New York Friday, November 17, 2006 | Phillips

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  • Provenance

    Acquired directly from the artist

  • Exhibited

    C. Cai, Project for Extraterrestrials No. 9 "Fetus Movement," Osaka, 1992 (illustrated)

  • Catalogue Essay

    This work is from Cai's Fetus Movement II: Project for Extraterrestrials No. 9, which was produced as part of the exhibition "Encountering Others" at the Kassel International Art Exhibition in Munden, Germany. Ninety kilograms of gunpowder were used to light 1,300 meters of fuse on a military base. The explosion took place in nine seconds over a 15,000 square meter site. "Cai's intention was to extend the ancient oriental concept of 'primary substance' to other kinds of cultural entities. He believed that non-Asian cultural features too were derived from such concepts, and that the idea of primary substance in Asian philosophy could be used as a foundation in any culture in the contemporary world... This project transcends his early oriental ideal by asking the audience to realize a dimension of art that is transcultural and transpolitical, perhaps even universal." (M. Gao, Inside Out: New Chinese Art, New York, 1998, p. 34)

292

Project for Extraterrestrials No. 9

1992
Ink and gunpowder on paper.
22 1/2 x 30 1/4 in. (57.2 x 76.8 cm).
Signed, titled and inscribed in Chinese characters "Project for Extraterrestrials No. 9 CAI GUO QIANG" upper left and lower center.

Estimate
$25,000 - 35,000 

Sold for $31,200

Contemporary Art Part II

17 Nov 2006, 10am & 2pm
New York