Cai Guo-Qiang – Radiance of Spring, Exhibition

Renowned for his gunpowder paintings, Cai Guo-Qiang's art is explosive and his installations are among the most spectacular. After exhibiting in major institutions around the world, this summer he is taking over one of Normandy's jewels: Mont Saint-Michel.

This encounter between the artist and the iconic Normandy monument will be a landmark event. He will present a unique exhibition of explosive paintings, inspired by Claude Monet's garden in Giverny, created in Vernon and conceived in dialogue with the site's architecture.

The artist applies gunpowder to paper, canvas, or other surfaces, sometimes using stencils or objects, and then sets it alight. The combustion leaves unpredictable traces: burns, smoke, and explosions of shapes and textures compose the final image. This work plays on chance as much as on control, transforming a material associated with destruction into a tool for creation. It gives rise to unique, poetic works, marked by the power of the gesture and the unpredictability of fire.

Exhibition in partnership with the Centre des monuments nationaux, the national public establishment of Mont Saint-Michel and the Cult hangar