Jun 30, 2022
Two Evenings with Cai Guo-Qiang: A Visit to the Artist’s NYC and NJ Studio
Cai’s New York City Studio
On June 24, TRLab invited 10 guests, all TRLab X Cai NFTs and TRCABs collectors, to visit Master Cai Guo-Qiang’s New York City Studio. As the perfect conclusion to Your Daytime Fireworks, it was also TRLab’s first-ever IRL event with its collectors and community members.
The studio visit started at 5pm ET and lasted approximately 2 hours. The guests arrived together in front of Cai Studio in NYC’s historic East Village and were greeted by the TRLab Community team.
The guests met TRLab’s CEO and Co-Founder Audrey Ou, who introduced them to staff members of Cai Studio as Cai Guo-Qiang emerged from his downstairs library and greeted the guests shortly after.
Cai remarked that he brought several works from his New Jersey studio to show the collectors, and then he introduced these works and spoke about his inspirations and techniques.
After touring the studio, the collectors were brought downstairs to see a very special room that was nearing completion — a tea room with an austere fountain outside its entryway, trickling water down from the street level above.
After, Cai brought the guests to a conference room, where plates of fresh fruit were prepared and waiting for them, with tea served by Cai Studio staff. The guests were then shown a video to learn more about Cai’s life and works.
An intimate Q&A followed, where Cai was asked more detailed questions on his artistic philosophies and NFT technology. In the end, Cai surprised the collectors with special physical rewards sponsored by TRLab for achieving certain sets of fireworks within his Your Daytime Fireworks collection. These included signed, personalized, never-before-seen gunpowder drawings and physical prints of his Sky Ladder creation, as well as signed, limited edition lenticular cards of the Sky Ladder. Additionally, Cai gave every guest a book of his art, which he signed in front of them, including a unique firework sketch alongside his signature.
In the guest’s words
“Really enjoyed the tour (guided by Cai himself!) and the conversation. He must have a Galaxy in his brain. Many thanks to Cai and the staff for having us and for the thoughtful gifts; and to TRLab for bringing us altogether. Couldn’t think of a better way to wrap up NFT NYC.” — Naka
Cai’s New Jersey Studio
On June 25, TRLab also invited a few web3 friends to Master Cai’s New Jersey Studio, where the artist took the guests around his 2nd sprawling workspace and home built by his friend, renowned architect Frank Gehry.
Our good friends Matt, from broken thread, and Andrew Wang very nicely curated the guest list and put together an amazing group of artists and thinkers in the space for this occasion.
