Paying it forward – Marx’s Mustache to be auctioned October 7, 2012

Cai Guo-Qiang (b. 1957, Quanzhou, China; Lives in New York)
Marx’s Mustache
2009
Gunpowder on paper
300 x 200 cm

On October 7, 2012, Sotheby’s will auction Cai’s gunpowder drawing Marx’s Mustache (2009) as part of the Hong Kong  Contemporary Asian Art sale. Proceeds from the sale will go to create the Asian Cultural Council’s Cai Fellowship, which will help two emerging artists from China participate in a six-month residency to the United States, annually.

Cai himself is a recipient of an ACC grant, which allowed him to come to the United States in 1995 and create his signature series The Century with Mushroom Clouds: Project for the 20th Century.

Cai speaks with Sotheby’s, detailing his long-time relationship with ACC, the inspiration for Marx’s Mustache, and the importance of supporting young artists:

Cai announced as one of five recipients for the Praemium Imperiale Laureate

Yesterday, the Japan Art Association announced the Laureates for their prestigious Praemium Imperiale global art prize.  Awarded annually in five disciplines, the Praemium Imperiale recognizes artists for “their achievements, for the impact they have had internationally on the arts, and for their role in enriching the global community.”

The event was held at the Museum of Modern Art here in New York City, with Cai awarded as the Laureate for Painting.  The acceptance of the award will take place October 23, 2012 in Tokyo, Japan.  A full list of the other recipients and more about the Praemium Imperiale can be found here. (Philip Glass is on the list, guys!)

For our international, Chinese-speaking friends, Sinovision was quick to cover the event.  The studio’s own Chiaying Yu covered the event in photos:

Cai Guo-Qiang speaking after announced as Laureate for Painting, MoMA, New York, 2012

 

From left: Aaron P. Dworkin, founder of Sphinx Organization; Hisashi Hieda, Chairman of Japan Art Association; composer Philip Glass; Cai Guo-Qiang; Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City; Ambassador William H Luers. MoMA, New York, 2012

 

Cai Guo-Qiang with press media after announcment ceremony, MoMA, New York, 2012

Cai Guo-Qiang with studio staff members, MoMA, New York, 2012

***Update!  A few more images from the announcement, as well as a post-celebratory dinner at the Met Club.  All photos by Yasutaka Kojima, courtesy The Japan Art Association:

Cai Guo-Qiang speaking after announced as Laureate for Painting, MoMA, New York, 2012

From left: Aaron P. Dworkin, founder of Sphinx Organization; Cai Guo-Qiang; composer Philip Glass; Kate D Levin, Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs, New York City; Hisashi Hieda, Chairman of Japan Art Association; Ambassador William H Luers, David Rockefeller Jr. MoMA, New York, 2012

Cai Guo-Qiang with Lady Elena Foster, Metropolitan Club, New York, 2012

From left: Cai Guo-Qiang, studio staff member Chinyan Wong, daughter Wen-You Cai, and wife Hong Hong Wu, Metropolitan Club, New York, 2012.

Cai Guo-Qiang with Hisashi Hieda, Chairman of Japan Art Association, Metropolitan Club, New York, 2012.

From left: Keiko Nishida (wife of Japan Ambassador Tsuneo Nishida); wife of Chairman of Japan Art Association Hishashi Hieda (wife of Chairman of Japan Art Association); Hong Hong Wu (wife of Cai Guo-Qiang), Metropolitan Club, New York, 2012