Crazy Pablo: Thrive Together

This week, I found myself thinking a lot about choices, decisions, and the possibility of a world without borders. I imagined a reality with no need for security systems, passport controls, or dividing walls - a place where you can simply cross between countries, trusting that humanity is genuinely tired of wars and that, deep down, we all share the exact same desire: to live in peace and thrive together.

Author

Inbal Zakai
August 09, 2026

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Cai Guo-Qiang, Heritage, 2013, 99 replica animals, water, sand, drip panel, single-channel sound, dimensions variable (site-specific installation), approx. 315 X 1390 X 3200 cm, Collection of QAGOMA.

Utopian Gathering

In his monumental 2013 installation Heritage, artist Cai Guo-Qiang creates a strikingly serene yet surreal landscape. Around a vast, mirror-like pool of clear water surrounded by white sand, 99 life-sized replica animals - predators and prey alike, from lions and tigers to zebras and kangaroos - bow their heads together to drink.

Every few moments, a single drop of water falls from above into the center of the lake, sending gentle ripples across the surface and disrupting the absolute quiet of this impossible, utopian gathering.

Fun Fact

To create this hyper-realistic watering hole inside the museum, the artist filled the central basin with roughly 345,000 liters (over 91,000 gallons) of water - along with 170 tons of white sand! But the real challenge was the animals themselves: because Cai Guo-Qiang wanted them to look completely lifelike, the 99 replicas were meticulously handcrafted in China using real animal fur (ethically sourced from livestock) glued over carved styrofoam bodies, making each animal entirely unique.

Think About It

In Heritage, Cai Guo-Qiang offers us a captivating image of harmony: 99 wild animals - predators and prey - setting aside their instincts to share a single body of water. It is a poetic vision of peace, shared resources, and collective survival.

But art often serves as a mirror to our own fragile realities. Just last week, Europe faced a stark reminder of how complex and delicate open sanctuaries can be, as tens of thousands breached borders from Morocco into Spanish territory. It brings to light a troubling human paradox: while good-intentioned societies strive to build open, welcoming, and trust-based systems, nature and human reality often intervene. Too often, goodwill is mistreated not as a shared virtue, but as a weakness to be exploited - a vulnerability where the very openness meant to foster harmony risks undermining the structure that makes it possible.

Cai Guo-Qiang’s gathering of animals is, after all, an impossible utopia. The moment the truce breaks, or the water runs dry, the delicate balance shatters. It leaves us with a provocative question: can a society remain truly open and generous without leaving itself vulnerable to those who would dismantle it from within?

How does it relate to the here and now? or What to say during casual conversation to show off your art knowledge?

Human nature - “I was looking at Cai Guo-Qiang’s installation where 99 wild animals -predators and prey - drink together at a single watering hole. It got me thinking: we love dreaming about this peaceful, borderless world, but in real life, can total trust ever exist without someone taking advantage of it?”.

Open borders - “It’s like that famous Cai Guo-Qiang piece with all the animals sharing one pool of water. It’s a beautiful, utopian idea - until you look at what’s happening in Europe right now. Generous, open systems are amazing in theory, but when there are no boundaries, the balance might breaks down.”

Now have another Look!

Cai Guo-Qiang, Heritage, 2013, 99 replica animals, water, sand, drip panel, single-channel sound, dimensions variable (site-specific installation), approx. 315 X 1390 X 3200 cm, Collection of QAGOMA.

And If You’re Up for More…

  1. Radiance of Spring: Cai Guo-Qiang at Mont-Saint-Michel Abbey until August 31, 2026, in Normandy, France, this exhibition features explosive gunpowder-on-canvas paintings by master artist Cai Guo-Qiang, creating a powerful dialogue between Impressionist light and medieval architecture.

  2. Ai Weiwei: Aftershock at MAXXI L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy - until 6 September 2026, this retrospective spans five decades of the artist’s career, confronting systems of power, human resilience, and political boundaries through powerful installations and new sculptural works.

Till next time - Did Cai Guo-Qiang’s gathering of wild animals leave you with a sense of optimism for a real-world utopia?

Hit reply or leave a comment below to share your take! Do you believe that kind of harmony is a dream we can actually achieve, or is human nature destined to break the peace? And what artworks or quiet moments of hope have been haunting you lately? I’d love to hear what’s on your mind - I read and cherish every single one of your replies.

Yours,
Inbal Z M

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