On September 15, internationally acclaimed artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s fireworks display at the Los Angeles Coliseum, intended to kick off the Getty’s $20 million PST Art: Art and Science Collide exhibition, took a dangerous turn. Debris from the fireworks struck several guests, with a few requiring first-aid treatment.
Getty spokesperson Alexandria Sivak confirmed multiple injuries but did not specify the number or nature of the injuries. “Unfortunately, pieces of debris fell on some people. We know a few of them required first aid,” Sivak stated. “Of course, this is distressing to us, and we have expressed our concern to the people for whom we have contact information.”
The Getty, the world’s wealthiest arts organization, commissioned the public fireworks event from Cai, titled “WE ARE,” for an undisclosed sum. The Getty has spent around $20 million on this edition of PST Art, primarily through grants to Southern California museums and organizations.
Approximately 4,500 guests attended the event, watching as firework shells exploded above the seats and colorful pigment-based pyrotechnics, carried by drones, dazzled overhead. Cai, known for designing the pyrotechnics for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, narrated the event with the help of an AI-assisted Chinese-to-English translator.
The show culminated with “Divine Wrath,” a series of thunderous explosions that filled the field with smoke and fumes. Witnesses reported seeing rocks or pellets falling from the sky during this time.
One guest, Adam, described being hit on the hand by debris while covering his ears. “I had this moment of panic because it hurt, and I was expecting more of these rocks to be raining down,” he said. Adam added that he saw a woman with a split lip being attended to by a medic as he left the stadium.
Sivak confirmed that some of the debris included pieces of clay caps but did not address specific questions about the fireworks malfunction. Cai had not yet responded to questions emailed to his studio at the time of reporting.
Sayart / Joy nunimbos@gmail.com
