Cai Guo-Qiang — Radiance of Spring — Divers lieux — Exhibition — Slash Paris

In 7 days: May 29 → August 31, 2026

Originally from China and now based in New York, Cai Guo-Qiang has gained international acclaim for his gunpowder paintings, explosive art, and monumental installations. His practice also extends to other creative fields, including video, performance art, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. Throughout his career, he has held solo exhibitions at prestigious institutions including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2006, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 2008, the Museo del Prado in 2017, and the Galerie des Offices in 2018. He also served as the director of visual effects and fireworks for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.

Internationally celebrated for his large-scale artistic interventions, Cai was a natural choice to mark the return of Normandie Impressionniste at the Mont-Saint-Michel. For the occasion, he presents a new series of gunpowder paintings inspired by the garden of Claude Monet in Giverny. Created in Vernon, these works will enter into dialogue with the iconic architecture of the legendary monument.

At the same time, Cai is also creating a daytime pyrotechnic performance in Vernon, inspired by the spirit of Impressionism to celebrate the festival’s opening weekend. Transforming the sky into a living canvas, the performance explores perception, time, and nature through the fleeting instant of an explosion, echoing the experiments of the Impressionist painters. On Sunday, May 31, his work Radiance of Spring: Sky Painting for Normandie Impressionniste will officially inaugurate the festival. Using drones to launch fireworks releasing colorful clouds of smoke, the artist will create an ever-changing magical garden in the sky, composed of ghostly brushstrokes reminiscent of Monet’s pursuit of the ephemeral. Free and open to all, the spectacle aims to leave audiences with unforgettable images comparable to the greatest ephemeral artworks in history.

Curated by: Philippe Platel

Practical Information

Abbaye du Mont-Saint-Michel, 50170 Le Mont-Saint-Michel — Open daily: 9 a.m. — 7 p.m. — €13 — +33 (0)2 33 60 14 30