Cai Guo-Qiang paints with pyrotechnics that explode out of the MOCA

Unfortunately the Atlantic (that pesky pond) is between me and some life affirming-ly good art as highlighted recently on the site with a Land Art retrospective at MOCA’s Geffin Contemporary. While perusing for that post, another exhibition at the same gallery came to my attention, Sky Ladder by Cai Guo-Qiang.

The theme is aliens, “natural forces and extraterrestrial life” specifically and the work utilises a very sophisticated and spectacular means of creation – pyrotechnics. The most remarkable piece was rigged up to one elevation of the gallery’s exterior and is/was Mystery Circle: Explosion Project for MOCA, Los Angeles, an explosive mural featuring flying saucers, burning crop circles, and an alien god. The video above shows the glorious performance that looks as if the artist has gone all Men In Black on the MOCA. He could potentially be the only creative whose medium is gunpowder but I’d hate to make assumptions, I’m sure the kids who set off fireworks down my road consider themselves quite the tormented artists.

Sky Ladder will be on show until July 30.