As part of Cuyahoga50, a citywide commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the last Cuyahoga River fire and celebration of the progress made toward clean water for all, the Cleveland Museum of Art presents the exhibition Cai Guo-Qiang: Cuyahoga River Lightning to highlight the impact of human behavior on the environment. Featuring the work of renowned contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang (Chinese, born 1957), the exhibition draws attention to current threats to clean, sustainable water and encourages visitors to reflect on individual actions that impact the future of our planet.

Cai Guo-Qiang: Cuyahoga River Lightning presents three monumental gunpowder works by Cai Guo-Qiang, known for his site-specific artistic fireworks, gunpowder-ignited paintings, explosion events, installations, and for choosing environmentally friendly material. While Cuyahoga River Lightning (2018) was specifically created for the exhibition, two other works in monochrome and polychrome gunpowder illustrate the artist’s reflections on the state of our planet, wildlife, and the world’s diminishing natural reserves of fresh water.