Cai Guo-Qiang's Drone and Firework Spectacle Marks Groundbreaking of Frank Gehry's Quanzhou Museum

On December 9, 2023, a groundbreaking ceremony for the Quanzhou Museum of Contemporary Art (QMoCA) in China featured a spectacular pyrotechnic performance by artist Cai Guo-Qiang, a native of Quanzhou. Titled 'Mirage,' the event utilized hundreds of drones and fireworks to project architectural silhouettes of ancient Quanzhou buildings and Gehry's museum design into the sky. The show also incorporated cAI™, Cai's personalized AI program, which debuted in the creative process for fireworks, learning Quanzhou's history and culture. The museum, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Frank Gehry, has been in development since 2010 and will be located in Quanzhou Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site and historic starting point of the Maritime Silk Road. Cai described the project as one of the most important works of his life, infused with both his and Gehry's artistic souls.