New photos of Major Opening-Day Explosion Event at Mathaf

UPDATE / Cai Guo-Qiangâ€™s first solo exhibition opens in the Middle East. His biggest since 2008, the show includes more than fifty works including seventeen newly commissioned pieces, thirty recent works and nine documentary videos.

Saraab, (‘mirage’ in Arabic), showcases the artistâ€™s diverse body of work, ranging from his signature gunpowder drawings to large-scale site-specific installations and the opening day explosion event ‘Black Ceremony’. Saraab is inspired by the history of the artistâ€™s hometown of Quanzhou, China, and relationships between China and the Arab world dating back to the ancient maritime Silk Road.

Portrait of Cai Guo-Qiang Cai Guo-Qiang (b. 1957, Quanzhou, China; Lives in New York). Photo by Lin Yi, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Still from video compilation of Selected Explosion Events 1994â€“2009: Celebrations (2010) / 17 minutes 35 seconds. Videography by Araki Takahisa, Jan Deboutte (Courtesy S.M.A.K.), NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation, Central China TV, Shanghai Oriental TV Station, and John Borst. Edited by Lauren Petty and Zhang Keming / Collection of the artist

Cai Guo-Qiang / Black Ceremony (2011) / Realized on site outside Mathaf: Arab Museum of Art, Doha, December 5, 2011 / Approximately 3 minutes. Explosion area 29,500 sq. meters. 8,300 smoke shells fitted with computer chips / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Lin Yi, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Rendering of Black Ceremony (2011) / Realized on site outside Mathaf: Arab Museum of Art, Doha, December 5, 2011. Approximately 3 minutes. Explosion area 29,500 sq. meters. 8,300 black smoke shells fitted with computer chips / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Installation view of Ninety-Nine Horses (2011) / Gunpowder on paper, gold-leafed resin models of horses Gunpowder. Drawing: 400 x 1,800 cm. Model horses: 14x24x5 cm / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Detail of Ninety-Nine Horses (2011) / Gunpowder on paper, gold-leafed resin models of horses. Gunpowder drawing: 400 x 1,800 cm. Model horses: 14x24x5 cm. Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo Lin Yi, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Installation view of Endless (2011) / Three wooden boats, pool of water, wave-making machine, automatic fog machine. Houri boats: 620 x 100 x 56 cm (244 1/16 x 39 3/8 x 22 1/16 in.) each, Chinese boat: 800 x 250 x 180 cm (315 x 98 2/5 x 70 7/8 in.) / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Installation view of Route (2011) / Gunpowder on four sheets of paper, stones. 400 x 1,200 cm (157 1/2 x 472 7/16 in.) overall, 400 x 300 cm (157 1/2 x 118 1/8 in) each sheet / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Lin Yi, Courtesy of Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Installation view of Fragile (2011) / Gunpowder on 480 panels of porcelain. 318x1800 cm (125 3/16 x 708 11/16 in.) overall, approximately. 30 x 39.75 cm (11 13/16 x 15 5/8 in.) each panel, 480 panels in total / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Memories, from Miniature Series (2011) / Gunpowder on paper, mounted on wood as nine-panel screen. 230x697.5x2.8 cm (90 9/16 x 274 5/8 x 1 1/8 in.) / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Flora on Porcelain, from Miniature Series (2011) / Gunpowder on paper, mounted on wood as three-panel screen. 230x232.5x2.8 cm (90 9/16 x 91 9/16 x 1 1/8 in.) / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Garment A from Dragon: Explosion on Pleats Please Issey / Miyake (1998/2011). Gunpowder on Pleats Please garment. Approximately 142.24 x 33.02 cm (56 x 13 in.) / Collection of the artist / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio

Cai Guo-Qiang / Installation view of Homecoming (2011) outside Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / 62 carved rocks, Dimensions variable / Commissioned by Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art / Photo by Hiro Ihara, Courtesy Cai Studio