Organised by the AGO and Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum, the large-scale artwork is said to be the first major public sculpture of Ai Weiwei. The installation consists of heads of 12 animals in bronze, which are installed in order according to the Chinese zodiac. These include Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig.
Standing three metres high, each sculpture ranges in weight from 680 to 950 kilograms and is supported by a marble base weighing 270 to 450 kilos. The combined weight of the sculptures was over 20,000 kilograms.
Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads also references to an historical incident where similar sculptures installed at an Imperial retreat just outside Beijing were plundered by French and British soldiers in the first Opium War of 1860. The basic premise behind Ai Weiwei’s action to recreate all 12 sculptures was also to question the idea of shared cultures and histories, reports thestar.com.
The installation will be showcased till 22 September 2013. It has been previously exhibited in London, Los Angeles, New York, Sao Paulo, Taipei and Washington, D.C., among other cities.
