On the occasion of the opening weekend of the 6th edition of the Normandie Impressionniste Festival, Cai Guo-Qiang presents an exceptional event conceived especially for the festival: Radiance of Spring, Sky Painting for Normandie Impressionniste.
Accustomed to the greatest international cultural institutions, from the Prado to the Guggenheim, from the Centre Pompidou to Beijing, via Pompeii, the artist does the honor of opening the festival with a monumental artistic spectacle: a daytime fireworks display inspired by Claude Monet and Giverny, on the banks of the Seine in Vernon, on Sunday, May 31, 2026.
Known worldwide for his monumental pyrotechnic creations, Cai Guo-Qiang transforms the sky into a living canvas with a show combining more than a thousand drones, colored pigments and controlled explosions.
Conceived as an immense "magic garden" suspended in the sky, this unique spectacle brings contemporary art, technological innovation, and the Impressionist legacy into dialogue in the centenary year of Claude Monet's death. Amidst colorful clouds, light, and metamorphoses, Cai Guo-Qiang translates the sensations so dear to the Impressionists—the fleeting moment, the vibrant energy, and the world's continuous transformation—onto the scale of the landscape.
Fireworks display in partnership with the Eure Department and the City of Vernon
Practical information
See you on Sunday, May 31, 2026 in Vernon starting at 6:30 PM:
- Free
- Show duration: 30 minutes (6:30 PM to 7:00 PM)
- The fireworks will be visible from the Quai Jacques Chirac and the Pont Clémenceau
- ATTENTION: CLEMENCEAU BRIDGE WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC SUNDAY, MAY 31ST FROM 6 PM TO 7:30 PM
- The Parc des Tourelles will be closed to the public from Wednesday, May 27th at 7pm until Sunday, May 31st at midnight
Additional information
This 20-minute show along the banks of the Seine in Vernon, which hosts the Bastille Day fireworks every year, will include aerial drones and colored smoke effects. Towards the end of the performance, firework sounds will be played for about a minute.
Fire safety officers and medical personnel will be present on site at all times. All pyrotechnic effects will be handled by Groupe F, France's leading pyrotechnics company, which has a long history of producing acclaimed public displays at historical heritage sites in France, including the Eiffel Tower, the Palace of Versailles, the Arc de Triomphe and the Pont du Gard, as well as at several Olympic ceremonies.
All pyrotechnic materials used are produced in Europe and comply with European safety standards.
Guests are asked to follow all instructions given by event staff and local authorities throughout the event.
Also worth discovering: a unique exhibition at the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey
The event will continue throughout the summer with an exhibition by Cai Guo-Qiang presented at the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey from May 29 to August 31, 2026.
Renowned for his gunpowder paintings, Cai Guo-Qiang is taking over one of Normandy's most iconic locations with a unique exhibition conceived specifically for the site. Inspired by Monet's garden at Giverny, the works were created in Vernon and designed to engage in a dialogue with the architecture of Mont-Saint-Michel.
The artist's creative process is as spectacular as it is unique: gunpowder is applied to paper, canvas, or other surfaces, sometimes using stencils, before being ignited. The combustion then reveals traces of burns, smoke, splinters, and textures that make up the final image.
