Contemporary Chinese Artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s debuts ‘When the Sky Blooms with Sakura” commissioned by Saint Laurent’s Anthony Vaccarello & organized by the project’s Iwaki executive committee marked Japan’s 1st daytime fireworks show which lasted for about 30 minutes, utilizing a hefty number of 40,000 strategically choreographed firework shells in a boasting display that measured to be 400 meters wide and 130 meters high, all presented midday at Yotsukura Beach in Iwaki City on June 26th. 

This firework show served as a precursor for Cai’s June 29th solo exhibition ‘Ramble in the Cosmos-From Primeval Fireball Onward’ also presented in Japan, housed at the National Art Center in Tokyo. 

Saint Laurent partook in this collaborative effort to further uphold their vision and devotion to supporting the various arts in the creative field outside of fashion, with this showcase serving to also show their admiration for Cai Guo-Qiang’s renowned artistry and one-of-a-kind repertoire. 

This newest exhibition is the most recent installment/continuation of Cai’s decade’s longstanding relationship with the Iwaki region and community, a story that first began in the late 80s which by no mistake was purposely chosen for this showcase to align with Cai’s personal experiences and gratitude having had dwelled in the coastal town as part of a near decade living in Japan years prior. 

Cai seamlessly consolidated pyrotechnics with artistry (also a nod to his previous gunpowder exhibition that took place in the same area in 1994), an underappreciated medium in order to transcend his vision and message to pay tribute to those that have been afflicted by the world’s challenges (pandemic, increased global conflicts, economic disarray, and de-globalization) conveyed through the usage of mournful colors of white and black, then shifting into a theme of hope and resilience through the striking bursts of pink and orange (emulating that of sakura, hence the underlying inspiration).

‘When the Sky Blooms with Sakura’ presented by Saint Laurent will be globally available to watch on ysl.com at 8pm (local) on June 29th.