Cai Guo Qiang, Light Passage, Summer

“Fallen Blossoms” showcases works that explore the passage of time and the theme of memory. This is the first time that this group of works has been exhibited in the United States. Light Passage includes four gunpowder paintings which include objects symbolizing each of the four seasons. It is amazing to me that using gunpowder he is able to control the medium in order to form recognizable imagery which is often abstracted down to its essence. Thankfully there was a man visiting the show who was able to read the characters written on the works identifying some of the objects. “Summer” includes lotus blossoms, dragonflies, a and a weeping willow. “Autumn” shows yellow chrysanthemums, a bird in flight, falling leaves and a setting sun. “Winter” is made up of crows, barren trees, a chicken and a plum branch. “Spring” has a koi pond and the shadowy effect of the fish with added drawn details is gorgeous. The works include a good amount of negative space so that the viewer is not inundated with imagery.

Installation shot

Above these works is 99 Golden Boats from 2002. The individual boats dangle from the ceiling in a meandering river-like pattern. This work complements Light Passage; together they create a wonderful, small installation that does gives the viewer pause as it should be.

Bruce Nauman: Days and Giorni, installation view

Bruce Nauman’s Days and Giorni is an auditorial assault that confuses the senses by having recorded men’s, women’s and children’s voices say the days of the week out of order. In the main building the days are spoken in English. The annex has the same set up but the days are said in Italian. With fewer distractions, I enjoyed the piece more in the Museum’s annex. The way the piece is configured, there are stools strategically placed in between two white squares which focus a particular voice towards the viewer while with the echoes generated because of the acoustics of the room, the other voices are audible in the background. It was probably neater to see in Venice. As the press release states Nauman, “alters and undermines the very sequence that normally measures our lives in procession.”