[Pastiche]
"Explosion Event" by Cai Guo-Qiang

About This Event

Chinese-born artist Cai Guo-Qiang presents one of his remarkable "explosion events," a thrilling combination of pyrotechnics, artistry and optical illusion in four dimensions, in front of the Freer's north entrance off of the National Mall. A 40-foot pine tree erupts in a shimmer of fireworks as if in a "tree lighting" ceremony, followed by a cascade of black ink-like smoke that mimics traditional Chinese brush drawings. The black tree-shaped cloud of smoke drifting through the air will create a spectral scene of two trees: one real, one imaginary. The event will be streamed live on asia.si.edu/Sackler25.

This site-specific, one-time-only commission is presented in conjunction with Art in Embassies, an office of the U.S. Department of State, to celebrate the office's 50th anniversary and the Sackler's 25th.