Cai Guo-Qiang

signed in Pinyin, titled in Chinese and English and dated 2009

Entire auction proceeds from Marx’s Moustache will benefit the Asian Cultural Council (ACC) to establish the ACC Cai Fellowship Program, which will allow two Chinese artists to participate in individually tailored six-month fellowship programs in the United States annually. Cai Guo-Qiang rarely uses the human figure as a theme in his gunpowder works, and Marx’s Moustache is interestingly inspired by the artist’s childhood memories in China. He explained, “Since I was young, from kindergarten, primary school, to high school, in the classroom aside from the teacher, I would see a row of Mao, Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin photographs in the back.” Marx’s moustache especially made a strong impression on Cai, who further went on to recreate the form and feel of the of the moustache through his signature gunpowder technique. The explosion effect further highlights the texture of the moustache, placing the finishing touch for this extremely rare and personal piece by the artist.  

The Asian Cultural Council first came to know Cai Guo-Qiang in 1991, when he was living in Tokyo. At that time he was well-versed in Asian cosmology, philosophy, and history, yet his experience abroad awakened his insatiable curiosity about the world outside of Asia. Cai’s ACC grant placed him in the International Studio Program at PS1 in New York for one year in 1995-96, during which time he was inspired by many new ideas and encounters.  The ACC arranged for his visit to the Nevada Atomic Test Site, and the experiments and images he recorded there became the basis of his “Century with Mushroom Clouds” part of the acclaimed “Projects for the 20^th Century” series. Later on, the ACC also helped to support Cai’s efforts in reclaiming the island of Kinmen for art and peace. In 2004, when the ACC celebrated its 40^th anniversary with a gala event, Cai donated his time and creative energy to mount a spectacular gunpowder explosion art piece that was the highlight of a very special evening.

The Asian Cultural Council (ACC) is a non-profit organization dedicated supporting international dialogue, understanding and respect through meaningful exchange in the visual and performing arts between Asia and the United States  and among the countries of Asia.

Established in 1963 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, the ACC has awarded over 6,000 grants to arts professionals, many of whom received support in the early stages of their career and are now are now leaders and pioneers in their field.  These arts professionals include Cai Guo-Qiang, Takashi Murakami, Yayoi Kusama, Lin Hwai-min, Shen Wei, Yo-Yo Ma, Barbara London and Alexandra Munroe amongst many others.  ACC is headquartered in New York City and maintains offices in Hong Kong, Manila,Taipei, and Tokyo.

As ACC marks its 50^th anniversary in 2013, Mr. Cai hopes that his gift will inspire fellow ACC alumni to support future generations of artists to experience extraordinary opportunities and foster unique transformations in the US and Asia. 

For more information about ACC, please visit:www.asianculturalcouncil.org