Pyrotechnic Artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s Exhibit at Geffen Opens with a Bang — 40,000 Fireworks Rockets Explode at Once

Thousands of people gathered at dusk Saturday night outside the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Little Tokyo for the opening of artist Cai Guo-Qiang’s Sky Ladder exhibition.

Cai — who created the spectacular fireworks show that ended the Beijing Olympics — launched the exhibit with a bang on the north wall of the Geffen.

With a massive crowd watching from a fenced off area and five fire trucks standing by, Cai ignited 40,000 fireworks rockets simultaneously, creating a massive fireball.

It’s not clear from the rendering of what was expected that the display came off exactly as planned but it was spectacular.