Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 24: Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) France staged a protest at the Pompidou Centre in Paris on Thursday, condemning the French contemporary art institution for celebrating Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, whose recent firework display in Tibet triggered widespread environmental and ethical criticism.
The Pompidou Centre, in collaboration with one of the world’s leading contemporary art galleries, White Cube gallery, is currently showcasing Cai Guo-Qiang’s work, portraying him as a pioneering figure in contemporary art. However, Tibetan activists have denounced the celebration, citing his controversial project in Tibet that caused significant ecological harm and cultural insensitivity.
On September 19, Cai Guo-Qiang, in partnership with the Canadian outdoor clothing brand Arc’teryx, executed a massive firework explosion on sacred mountains in Shigatse, Tibet, as part of a commercial advertisement. The large-scale pyrotechnic display, conducted on fragile high-altitude terrain, left behind substantial debris, including remnants of explosive shells and plastic fragments. Local Tibetans were reportedly left to clean up the aftermath of the event without acknowledgement or support from the organizers.
Despite this, the Pompidou Centre and White Cube chose to celebrate Cai as an innovator who bridges “tradition and modernity” through his use of gunpowder and explosives to create art. His exhibition has been described by the institutions as a reflection on “humanity’s relationship with nature and the cosmos,” a framing that critics say blatantly ignores the environmental destruction and cultural disrespect involved in his Tibetan project.
SFT France during the protest condemned both institutions for turning a blind eye to the artist’s actions and for “glorifying destruction under the guise of creativity.” “To celebrate an artist who destroys the land of people is to be an accomplice,” SFT France declared. “Tibet is a living, sacred, spiritual land. And no one has the right to set it on fire — not even in the name of art. We are here to remind you of the truth: Tibet is not a setting, and spirituality is not a marketing product. Art without ethics is disguised power. We denounce their complicity in this symbolic and environmental violence. We demand clear answers and an assumed position from White Cube and the Pompidou Centre.”
SFT France called on both art institutions to publicly acknowledge the harm caused by Cai Guo-Qiang’s project in Tibet and to take a stand against the exploitation of occupied lands for commercial and artistic gain.
