Explosion Process Drawing for Dragon or Rainbow Serpent: A Myth Glorified or Feared: Project for Extraterrestrials No. 28 1996

Linking humankind and the cosmos, fire is both a creative and destructive force. Chinese artist Cai Guo‑Qiang captures this duality in his work that traces detonated gunpowder charges on paper, leaving a residue of scorch marks.

This preparatory drawing was created for a series of controlled (but ultimately unrealised) explosions along the Brisbane River. Inspired by commonalities between the stories of the Rainbow Serpent and the mythology of the Chinese Dragon, the drawing recalls the calligraphic form of traditional Chinese ink painting, which delicately balances the contradictory tensions of control and spontaneity.

Cai understands the significance of fire — as the originating element of the universe, as the impetus for the development of civilisation, and as possessing an ultimately cathartic power. Through his experimentation with this unpredictable medium, he creates a visible record of absence and presence, reminding us that the universe holds the forces of creation and destruction in a constant state of flux.