Source: CCTV.com

Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guoqiang, famous for his art created with explosives, is preparing for an upcoming exhibition in the Proa Foundation in Buenos Aires, Argentina opening December 13.

With the involvement of a few dozen Argentine art students, renowned Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guoqiang began to pour gunpowder over a large artwork placed on the ground of a warehouse in Buenos Aires'La Boca neighbourhood. Cai's Argentine piece is named "Impromptu", which he has connected to the sense of improvisation in the Argentine tango.

"One of the philosophies I use for my work is to support myself through the power of others, from the strength that comes from other energies," Cai said.

"For example, the energy of nature helps me transform and helps me fill my work with energy. This also happens in the case of the explosives, which are something that cause destruction, but I use them to build, to create."

Cai said much of his work in Buenos Aires was inspired by the Argentine landscapes he came across while traveling.

"For this work, I am creating a landscape inspired by the waterfalls of Iguazu, the Cardones National Park, and a cemetery I found between Salta and Cachi. I am also working on some drawings based on Tango, so these are the subject matters that one can see in the exhibition."

Once his artwork and stencils are covered with gunpowder, Cai and his collaborators then place bricks over the work and attach a fuse. When everyone is at a safe distance, Cai lights the fuse. The artist and collaborators then rush to scatter the dust over the work, which then leaves an impression created by the artist.

Cai brought with him a rich diversity of influences, having grown up among the calligraphy and traditional ink paintings of his country.

Further representing his country on the international stage, Cai formed part of the team responsible for the fireworks at the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

He won the Golden Lion at the 48th Venice Biennale in 1999 and was a finalist in the Hugo Boss Awards in 1996. He has also exhibited work at the Modern Art Museum in New York and the Guggenheim museums in New York and Bilbao.