2008-02-14
Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation is delighted to be the lead sponsor for Cai Guo-Qiang: I Want to Believe, an unprecedented retrospective of one of the most celebrated contemporary artists from China. Organized by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the exhibition features the thought-provoking work of Cai Guo-Qiang, who is a true citizen of the world.
The Foundation was established in Hong Kong with a mission to foster and promote understanding of Chinese arts and culture, in particular arts education and Buddhist philosophy. It shares Cai's vision of using art for social commentary, as well as his desire to provide creative opportunities for everyone.
By bringing the exhibition to an international audience, the Foundation wishes to highlight the impact of using art to comment on social issues. We firmly believe in the importance of seeking harmony and coexistence amid differences and contradictions. We admire the way Cai expresses this theme by exploring the relationship between the individual and society, and by probing and pondering the social landscape. He also creates space, both inside and outside the art world, to encourage dialogue and foster creativity within different communities.
The Foundation is convinced that education should encompass the whole person and facilitate the cultivation of empathy and mutual understanding. We believe that healthy growth of the individual and society ultimately brings about positive change in the world. The creation of art, together with personal inquiry and expression, is a means to these purposes, as it liberates potential, encourages openness, and stimulates new perspectives. By supporting this exhibition, the Foundation hopes to demonstrate its commitment to the promotion of cross-cultural understanding, arts education, and the opening up of the arts to broader participation.
The exhibition will feature themed events, including educational programs and Images from Wind Shadow, a collaborative dance performance developed by Cai and renowned choreographer Lin Hwai-min of Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. We hope that the audience will find these events, as well as the exhibition and the catalogue, as fascinating, challenging, and thoroughly enjoyable as we do.
Cai's creations from the 1980s to the present manifest his vision and efforts to discover the connection between self and society. They highlight his unique and forward-looking worldview. We hope the messages in his work will inspire deeper reflection on ourselves and the world around us.
Robert H. N. Ho
Chairman
The Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation
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