Eulogy From An Artist

In Peter Marzio’s office, there was only a desk and a chair. Not one sheet of paper, a book, or even a telephone was in sight. After 28 years as the director of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, he made it all seem so effortless.

Within five minutes of discussing the Odyssey project with Peter, he made a decision, “We have to do this.”

When Peter walked in after Odyssey was installed, the first thing he said was simply, “Holy shit.” As he walked up to the pine trees in the drawing, tears welled in his eyes. He told Christine Starkman, the curator of Asian Art, that the antique works placed in the gallery hereafter must be first rate, or they will be overpowered by this work.

Artists are lonely by nature. A museum director like Peter can remind an artist that he is not alone in the history of a millennium, and that he’s done well!

I respectfully give this small sketch used in the creation of Odyssey to Peter as a memento of the journey we embarked on together, and to bid him a final farewell. As long as we remember him, he will always be with us.

Cai Guo-Qiang.

Sketch for Odyssey No. 4, 2010. Pencil on paper. 11 x 81 inches.

Peter Cort Marzio, 1943-2010

來自一個藝術家的悼念

Peter 的辦公室裡有一張桌子，一只椅子，裡面一張紙、一本書和電話都沒有。二十八年的館長，越做越輕鬆。

和 Peter 談〈遠行〉方案，五分鐘內他即拍板：「這個計劃我們一定做。」

〈遠行〉掛好後，Peter 一進展廳入口，說：「我操！」當他走到畫中的松樹林的前面，他流下了眼淚，對策展人講以後這個展廳都要放一流的文物，否則會被這件作品「吃掉」。

藝術家是寂寞的。遇到這樣的館長，他能提醒你在千年歷史內並不是孤獨的，你幹得好！

謹以這幅〈遠行〉的小草稿，紀念我們一起走過的這段旅程，送 Peter 一路好走。只要我們還想起他，他就永遠與我們一起。

蔡國強






Peter Marzio，休士頓美術館館長，1943-2010

Mezcal Pouring!

Cai’s latest work in Mexico City, Sunshine and Solitude, features 14 gunpowder drawings surrounding a pond filled with volcanic rock and 10,000 liters of Mezcal.

Mezcal is a distilled alcoholic beverage made from the maguey plant native to Mexico. It can reach an alcohol content of 55%, with the smell of 10,000 liters somewhat…overwhelming. In this video, Karen from Cai Studio shows us a glimpse of the construction of the Mezcal pond, and interviews Cai, Hong Hong, and all the staff as they pour the liquid.