Fireworks
¨Life is a milonga: Tango fireworks for Argentina” - Jaunary 24th of 2015, 20 pm- La Boca
Life is a Milonga: Tango Fireworks for Argentina is an ephemeral artwork by artist Cai Guo-Qiang that features conceptual fireworks, tango music and dance, as well as public participation.
Starting at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 24, the sky of La Boca will be covered in magic, color, and music thanks to Cai Guo-Qiang, the greatest fireworks creator anywhere in the world. Life is a Milonga: Tango Fireworks for Argentina is the first event that Cai Guo-Qiang has designed and produced in Latin America. Tango—its dance and music—is the source of inspiration for this work over the waters of the Riachuelo. For this work, the artist will use the most advanced pyrotechnics available to coordinate fireworks and music. The event will capture the sensuality of tango and present a poetic exploration of the history of its music and dance.
Tango Fireworks marks a new approach and direction in Cai Guo-Qiang's oeuvre of pyrotechnic "explosion events". Over the course of the creative process, he invited specialists such as musicologists, choreographers and dancers to collaborate with him. Dancers' body movements and that of the bandoneón were filmed from multiple angles to inform the pyrotechnic design; these motions appear as fireworks on the water at Vuelta de Rocha. Lasting approximately 80 minutes, the event will use over 40,000 shots of fireworks to capture the sensuality of tango and present a poetic exploration of Argentinean history through its music and dance. Innovative pyrotechnics will spell out Spanish phrases in the sky, followed by fireworks that employ three different design approaches: mimicking tango dancers' and the bandoneón's movements; taking inspiration from the melody and rhythm of the music; and responding to four historical periods over the twentieth century in a more abstract and symbolic way that defines the characteristics of each time period.
Vuelta de Rocha will turn into an outdoor milonga where—in the presence of fireworks, dancers, and musicians—everyone will be a participant as well as a viewer.
Internationally recognized as the greatest creator of fireworks, Cai Guo- Qiang has produced numerous artistic events, including the project for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Life is a Milonga: Tango Fireworks for Argentina is the first event of its kind and on this scale to take place in Argentina. A surprising and unique act of artistic expression, it will undoubtedly constitute a milestone the country's history.
Project conceived by Fundación Proa and Cai Studio; produced by Fundación Alon and the Government of the City of Buenos Aires with the support of Mecenazgo Cultural, Distrito de las Artes, Grupo Clarín, and American Express.
IMAGES OF THE EVENT
JORGE MIÑO
PATRICIO PIDAL
Backstage research for Life is a Milonga