logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2024
14m 8s

A firework ladder to the sky — and the m...

TED
About this episode
From a boy setting off small explosions in his living room to the creator of world-famous pyrotechnic events, multidisciplinary artist Cai Guo-Qiang has always been drawn to gunpowder. He gives a stunning tour of his work — including his fireworks spectacle at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, his "sky ladder" of fire reaching to the clouds and new work created with AI — and shows how his art probes the line between destruction and construction, control and freedom, violence and beauty. (This talk was delivered in Mandarin and translated live into English. The translation was put through a custom AI model of Cai Guo-Qiang's voice, powered by technology from Metaphysic. You'll hear how Cai would sound if he were speaking English.)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
"Marigolds," a poem about wonder | Safiya Sinclair
Poet Safiya Sinclair performs "Marigolds: A Letter to Wonder," an original poem she created for TED that explores memory, beauty and the fragility of life. After the poem, she talks with TED's Helen Walters about her writing process — and what it feels like when the creative muse ... Show More
9m 2s
Yesterday
The miraculous device that saved my farm — and changed my life | Josephine Waweru
Exhausted from carrying water up a hill to keep her small farm in Kenya thriving, Josephine Waweru received an unexpected call that offered a nearly unbelievable solution. She shares how one simple device allowed her crops (and her dreams) to flourish — and offers a glimmer of ho ... Show More
10m 18s
Jul 7
The inside story of Notre-Dame’s incredible reconstruction | Philippe Villeneuve
In a moment that stunned the world in 2019, the famed Notre-Dame in Paris went up in flames, threatening the future of the centuries-old Gothic treasure. Philippe Villeneuve, the chief architect of the cathedral’s restoration, recounts the collective effort to bring the building ... Show More
13m 38s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 30
OOO, AHHHH! The history of fireworks
Fireworks dazzle us on special holidays, at flashy concerts and during some big public events (National Mr. Potatohead Day anyone?). But did you know people have been using fireworks to celebrate for centuries?This week Joy and cohost Elliott learn about how firecrackers started ... Show More
25m 35s
Mar 2025
Interview | Babak Tafreshi on the Magic of the Night Sky
Babak Tafreshi is an incredibly inspiring Iranian photographer, science journalist and amateur astronomer. He got his start photographing in Iran, but has since moved to the United States. He is the creator and director of The World At Night, an international program in which pho ... Show More
53m 2s
Aug 2024
Solutions Journalism: The art of air pollution
Air Pollution is responsible for around seven million deaths every year. Governments around the world have been trying to tackle it with a variety of measures. But now, the fight against air pollution is increasingly catching the imagination of artists and designers. In Al Hudayr ... Show More
22m 56s
Apr 2024
Finding Your Voice in Chinese: Happi's Multilingual Melody
Driven by her love for Asian cultures, anime, and K-pop, Happi (from Happi Across Cultures) has learned Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. Starting with friendships with exchange students, she went on to double major in Chinese and Japanese including studying abroad in Tokyo and Shan ... Show More
48m 17s
Aug 2024
Fireworks Founder Lin Qiao on How Fast Inference and Small Models Will Benefit Businesses
In the first wave of the generative AI revolution, startups and enterprises built on top of the best closed-source models available, mostly from OpenAI. The AI customer journey moves from training to inference, and as these first products find PMF, many are hitting a wall on late ... Show More
39m 18s
Mar 2025
Using Urban Fabrics Literally To Explore Layers That Shape Our World | Zé Tepedino at Quoz Arts Fest
Brazilian artist Zé Tepedino tells his fascinating story of journeying from Rio to Dubai, his innovative public art residency, and the creative process behind his large-scale fabric installation. He shares his unique perspective on materials, their histories, and their transforma ... Show More
27m 29s
Jan 2025
Intermediate | How Did New Year's Come About?
Experiencing Chinese New Year in China is truly a spectacular event. Houses are covered in bright red decorations. Bright red lanterns are lit up for all to see. Literally millions of firecrackers are set off at the same time, filling the streets with a mighty roar. But how did t ... Show More
15m 20s
Sep 2024
The Moon Festival English Story: A Fun Night with the Moon!
高雄美術特區2-4房全新落成,《惟美術》輕軌C22站散步即到家,近鄰青海商圈,卡位明星學區,徜徉萬坪綠海。 住近美術館,擁抱優雅日常,盡現驕傲風範!美術東四路X青海路 07-553-3838 ----以上訊息由 SoundOn 動態廣告贊助商提供---- Hey there, kids! Get ready for a super fun adventure to the Moon Festival! In this episode, we'll learn all about this special Chinese holiday. We'll he ... Show More
8m 9s
May 2024
China's race to tech supremacy: Shenzhen speed
How did China go from tech imitator to innovator? The FT’s James Kynge reports from Shenzhen, known as China’s Silicon Valley, where he explores the city’s vast electronics markets with inventor Noah Zerkin, an American who’s based himself in China, visits robot start-up Youibot ... Show More
26m 16s