By Clarissa Von Spee
With contribution by David Stradling
As the City of Cleveland observes the 50th anniversary of the infamous Cuyahoga River fire in 1969, the Cleveland Museum of Art has engaged the acclaimed Chinese contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang to help convey compelling visual statements about the state of the world’s natural resources, wildlife, and water supply. In this beautifully illustrated book, exhibition curator Clarissa von Spee discusses three monumental works by Cai Guo-Qiang exhibited at the Cleveland Museum of Art during the city’s observation of the 50th anniversary of the river burning; and David Stradling (co-author of Where the River Burned: Carl Stokes and his Struggle to Save Cleveland, 2015) relates the circumstances and story of the Cuyahoga River fire. The book concludes with a comprehensive interview with artist Cai Guo-Qiang that sets his art into the context of the 1969 Cuyahoga River incident.
82 pages
Published 2019