CAI GUO-QIANG
WHEN THE SKY BLOOMS WITH SAKURA

COMMISSIONED BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO
FOR SAINT LAURENT


CONTEMPORARY ARTIST CAI GUO-QIANG WILL SET OFF DAYTIME FIREWORKS ENTITLED WHEN THE SKY BLOOMS WITH SAKURA ALONG THE COASTLINE IN IWAKI, FUKUSHIMA. THE PROJECT IS COMMISSIONED BY ANTHONY VACCARELLO FOR SAINT LAURENT AND ORGANIZED BY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF WHEN THE SKY BLOOMS WITH SAKURA.

THE ARTWORK EXPLORES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMANITY, OTHER LIVING BEINGS IN NATURE, AND THE GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT. INFORMED BY THE ETHOS OF EASTERN PHILOSOPHY WHERE REBIRTH IS ATTAINED THROUGH TRANSCENDING TRAUMA, IT ASPIRES TO BOLSTER THE RESILIENT HUMAN SPIRIT IN THE FACE OF GLOBAL ADVERSITY, CONVEYING A MESSAGE OF HOPE AND RENAISSANCE. THE EVENT ALSO PRELUDES CAI’S SOLO EXHIBITION RAMBLE IN THE COSMOS―FROM PRIMEVAL FIREBALL ONWARD, AT THE NATIONAL ART CENTER, TOKYO (NACT), OPENING ON JUNE 29TH. THE EXHIBITION IS CO-ORGANIZED BY NACT AND SAINT LAURENT.

THE SPECIAL PYROTECHNIC COMMISSION AND INVOLVEMENT IN ORGANIZING CAI GUO-QIANG'S EXHIBITION MARK THE LATEST INSTANCE OF SAINT LAURENT'S ONGOING MISSION, UNDER THE INITIATIVE OF ANTHONY VACCARELLO, TO SUPPORT EXCELLENCE IN VARIOUS CREATIVE FIELDS INCLUDING VISUAL ARTS, CINEMA AND MUSIC.

FOR SAINT LAURENT RIVE DROITE, ANTHONY VACCARELLO HAS CURATED A DELICATE SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS GIVING FREE REIN TO REVERIE AND INSOUCIANCE.

THE DAYTIME FIREWORKS WILL BE BROADCAST ON YSL.COM ON JUNE 29TH AT 8PM AND PROJECTED ALL AROUND THE WORLD THROUGH PHYSICAL AND DIGITAL PLATFORMS, INCLUDING THE LED BILLBOARD SCREENS AT TIMES SQUARE, NEW YORK; PICCADILLY, LONDON; THE GRAND GATEWAY, SHANGHAI; SHAMAO, CHENGDU; SHINJUKU AND HARAJUKU, TOKYO.



© PHOTO BY DAXIN WU, COURTESY CAI STUDIO