This site-specific installation aptly named Eucalyptus is a real eucalyptus tree located at the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane, Australia. Although it has been taken out of its natural environment and placed in man’s, this tree still retains its inherent serenity. There are seats in the gallery for visitors to observe and meditate.
Commissioned for Cai Guo-Qiang’s solo exhibition Falling Back to Earth, this piece focuses on the relationship between mankind and the world around us. The exhibition’s curator Russel Storer stated that “the new commissions drew on the striking beauty of Queensland’s landscapes and the exquisite imagery in historical Chinese painting and poetry, to express concerns regarding the ecological and social issues of our time.”
Guo-Qiang is a contemporary Chinese artist born in 1957 in Quanzhou City, Fujian Province, China. Originally trained in stage design, his artwork has since expanded into multiple mediums within art, including drawing, installation, video and performance art. He is widely known for his gunpowder drawings and his signature explosion events as seen at the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He currently lives and works in New York.
