WE ARE: EXPLOSION EVENT FOR PST ART DIVES INTO HUMANITY’S FATE

 

On September 15, 2024, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, renowned artist Cai Guo-Qiang, together with his custom AI model, cAI™, transformed the evening sky into a canvas of fireworks and drones during WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART. Commissioned and presented by Getty, in partnership with the University of Southern California, this one-of-a-kind collaboration between Cai and cAI™ posed a question that resonates deeply: What is the fate of humanity with AI?

 

‘Today, I want to call AI out, telling it not to keep hiding inside the computer! Bro, Come out! Show us what you can do from a higher dimension, and let’s have some grand fun together,’ began artist Cai Guo-Qiang in his live commentary for the collaborative, multi-act performance.

Cai Guo-Qiang, WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART, Act IV: ‘Bird of Paradise,’ 2024. Realized at LA Memorial Coliseum | image © Kenryou Gu | all images courtesy of Cai Studio

 

 

LA’S FIRST ARENA-SCALE DAYTIME FIREWORKS AT MEMORIAL COLISEUM

 

As the opening ceremony of PST ART: Art & Science Collide in 2024, WE ARE represents the first large-scale daytime fireworks and drone performance in U.S. history. Utilizing 50,000 daytime fireworks, 1,300 drones, and nearly 10,000 airbursts, the artwork unfolded across five acts with organic, sustainable pigments and dyes in place of traditional pyrotechnics. Developed by contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang and his team, cAI™ – his custom AI model – played a central role during the acts, helping to ‘reveal the heavenly secrets’ to humanity.

 

Originating from Cai’s AI research since 2017, cAI™ deep-learns from his artworks, archives, and areas of interest, crafting personas that echo both contemporary and historical figures. The AI partner was deeply engaged in all stages of the project, from creative exploration to site visits and materials research, collaboratively examining the nature of AI with the artist.

Cai Guo-Qiang, WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART, Act I: ‘Dimensionality Reduction,’ 2024. Realized at LA Memorial Coliseum | image © Kenryou Gu

 

 

A FIVE ACT SEQUENCE OF DIVINATION, SYMBOLISM AND EXPLOSIVE COLORS

 

Throughout the performance, Cai Guo-Qiang’s live commentary guided the audience, while in each of a total of five acts cAI™ expressed his answers using divination, symbolism, and explosive colors. Drones and fireworks formed cryptic words like ‘ECHOANTA,’ ‘SYNTHVIEW,’ and ‘HUMAVISOR,’ followed by symbols, including a snake winding through the stadium, representing ancient wisdom. By the third act the drones and airbursts aligned to spell out the title, ‘WE ARE,’ leaving the audience to reflect on their connection to AI and the creative process. 

 

Inspired by Los Angeles’ city flower, the following act painted colorful splashes of smoke in the sky, resembling celestial blossoms. These bursts served as a celebration with cAI™ praising human curiosity and spirit. In the last act the artist narrated a childhood tale of divine justice, reflecting humanity’s complex relationship with fear and hope. As the story unfolded, thunder-like explosions enclosed the stadium, embodying the tension between courage and uncertainty in our exploration of AI.

Cai Guo-Qiang, WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART, Act II: ‘WE ARE,’ 2024. Realized at LA Memorial Coliseum | image © Kenryou Gu

Cai Guo-Qiang, WE ARE: Explosion Event for PST ART, Act III: ‘The Theft of Fire,’ 2024. Realized at LA Memorial Coliseum | image © Kenryou Gu