Author Description

Ai Weiwei's work of sculpture Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads features twelve large-scale bronze animal heads, each depicting a segment of the ancient Chinese zodiac. As a major work of public art, it is an extraordinary accomplishment in its own right. But as this souvenir guide explains, the origins and the motivation behind the piece are as compelling as the work itself. Ai Weiwei based the sculpture on a complex zodiac fountain that was built for an imperial retreat in eighteenth-century China. When the retreat was looted by European soldiers, the fountain's bronze animal heads were stolen only seven of the twelve are known to survive. By reimagining the work, Ai Weiwei confronts uncomfortable truths within Chinese and Western history. This souvenir guide for the New York City Pulitzer Fountain installation of the Zodiac Heads (that ran from May 2, 2011 - July 15, 2011) contains a full-color portfolio of the twelve zodiac animals and an interview with the artist.