Circle of animals / zodiac heads

When Ai Weiwei's Circle of animals / Zodiac heads is a current exhibition, which has stattfgefunden in cities like New York, Los Angeles, London and Taipei. This installation has commenced on 25 September 2010 and will be in the spring of 2014 come to an end. Has made ​​It is twelve three -meter-high bronze animal heads that Ai reconstructed several times and also in a smaller gilded bronze, "museum grade " version.

Description of the work

At the sight of the installation, the viewer initially perceives twelve three meters high, standing on a pole animal heads made ​​of bronze. It is zodiac sign of the Chinese horoscope.

According to Chinese tradition, everyone is born under one of these symbols, which can be assigned by our birth year. Each animal has its meaning and represents something else. Western society is used to other zodiac signs, in which not only animals play a role, but additionally characters like the twins, the Virgin or the scale. Europeans are also used to other animals as compared to the Chinese, such as the ibex. Irrealistic and fictional animals like the dragon are not available in the West. This zodiac sign have no personal qualities, but also represent a personality. The mentioned differences indicate a difference between the two cultures.

The sculptures were made and modeled in China of bronze. On September 25, 2010, they were installed at the 29th São Paulo Biennial. Ai represents characters often in the same fashion, namely, be presented in a semi-circle with the face of the animal to the front. The heads are all impaled as demonstrated on piles, each Bronze rod has the same ornament that looks like a tree trunk.

It is noteworthy that the figures surrounding a pre-existing fountains, acting through its mirroring the bronze figures slightly greenish on the viewer and depending on where you position yourself, all the stares of the three meter high animal heads are directed at the viewer. These two effects, the installation has a frightening and surreal effect.

Ai Weiwei came first time in 2008 with the idea to create these sculptures and then to provide the outside, so that these public art for every passerby is visible. His intuition is that everyone regards his work is about asking questions and informed, because each of his works has a certain message. It is one of the first and largest public projects of the Chinese conceptual artist.

Inspiring let Ai, however, by a water meter from the Summer Palace Yuanmingyuan in the north of Beijing, also known as Yu Yuan.

Origin of the work

The animals of the Chinese horoscope were from the Chinese imperial jade, also Yu Di, the Prince of Heaven, determined. This invited, after the Asian mythology, all living creatures one to celebrate with him the New Year. But only twelve animals were present. It was determined by the order of their arrival in a given year.

During the Qing dynasty in 1709 was a monument in the garden of the old Summer Palace, Yuanmingyuan (Chinese圆明园, Yuanming Yuan " Garden of Perfection and Light " ), north of Beijing, where the animal head sculpture fountain surrounded in the garden and as a water meter served.

Between 1756 and 1759 the Emperor Qianlong made ​​by the two Jesuits Giuseppe Castiglione and Michel Benoist build in the old summer palace of a water meter, in which sat on either side of a fan-shaped basin six figures with animal heads in a semi-circle. The figures were chronologically ordered by their arrival next to each other and each of these animals play in his hour of water. Only at noon every twelve sculptures were also active.

However, it is in these bronzes are former and destroyed works of the old summer palace, because of this today only ruins remain. This zodiac figures in 1860, during the Second Opium War, looted by British and French troops and disappeared since then. In addition, the Summer Palace was burnt to the humiliation. Since then, Yuanmingyuan are only preserved ruins of the palaces, which remained one of the largest Chinese tourist attractions. China succeeded for 150 years not to regain this stolen, national symbols. In 2009, two bronze heads, specifically the rabbit and the rat, rediscovered in an Yves St -Laurent collection, as well as a further five symbols appeared that, in retrospect. The rest, however, is still missing. This act of the West, which refers to the plundering of Europeans remained in China an act of humiliation of their country.

There were auctions held mainly in Paris, the rediscovered original where it was trying to auction. They were to acquire the animal heads back to popularity in the West and all the efforts of the Chinese government, were in vain, because the Europeans did not want to bring back to its original location, the old Summer Palace, the heads of animals. Even the attempt to cancel the sale in 2009 was unsuccessful.

Ultimately, the same year as Mingchao Cai, a Chinese bidder, 31.49 million euros in two animal heads offered and then also won this, he refused afterwards to pay this out of protest, and his sabotage described the auction as a patriotic act Cais think every Chinese citizen would have done if he had had the opportunity, and Cai had the chance to perform this patriotic act. He came into the headlines of various newspapers and was celebrated in China even as a hero. His action should the people wake up and allow the Chinese to express their opinion. In addition, Cai was invited to the auction as a VIP guest and had no money paid in advance. With consequences Cai had then but to be expected in hindsight, because it is prescribed that the person who wins the bid, must pay it. Added to this was that these two objects have been stamped by the Chinese government as illegal and they can not therefore be taken to China - which is another self-evident reason is for Cai Mingchao not have to pay the animal heads obtained.

Approaches to interpretation

Circle of animals / zodiac heads, Ais previous last work, can be seen by looking back at the history of the castle Yuanmingyuan as a reinterpretation and reinvention of the animal head sculptures from the 18th century.

Since the incident, the re- surfaced bronze heads Ai started on his project Circle of animals / zodiac heads to work. He tried the icons to come in his version, the originals as closely as possible and set the way the animals with an expressive glance shows which functions differently than the look of animal heads from the 18th century. Superficially, one notices that Ais figure considerably greater, the viewer has to figure to look up. The original animal heads are in contrast to the reconstructions produced about two meters smaller. Bronze, the material of the plastic has been retained in order to refine the shape and facial features can. It is also remarkable that each of the heads of animals do not have a body, were special as impaled by Ai set on a bronze rod which, unlike the old figures, for each animal is the same. Ais bronze rods act like a tree trunk. However, the old animal heads originally had a solid body in contrast to the bronze rod and surrounded the fountain in the knees sitting. Each of these animals had a attribute with them. The water plays a major role in the figures of the old water meter. It tells not only the time, but expresses her breathing function, the vitality of the animals and of the castle, because water stands as a symbol of life and vitality. Ai Weiwei has not performed this function in his work. He issued the bronze heads at a fountain, but wanted their original function of the water meter not stress. It is assumed that Ai has not done intentionally to reflect the former heads of the robbery and the exposure of China. Added to this is that Ai waived the chronological account of animal heads.

Ai Weiwei has changed a lot in his work and the heads re-interpreted by his inspiration from the old water meter. Small changes would not be noticeable, but they have a completely different effect on the viewer.

Ai himself explains that he plays with the idea of the real and the fake, and the nationalist symbolism. In his opinion, its the same zodiac sign the originals from the old Summer Palace, although only visually, slip this similarity but also because it is a brand new project from the 21st century and has thus made ​​an entirely new interpretation noticeable.

He would testify that the tradition of the zodiac signs has remained the same and he did this only to pick up in order to provide the people a second time to shop for and to give them their own interpretation. The background and the reason of formation is not the same. Ai indicated by his work on the plundered figures of " Old Summer Palace" and thus on the corresponding thereto act of Europeans. For Ai is one that those who, this story know it will notice and feel provoked by the newly created work of animal heads or appreciate this work even. "My work is always based on reality or fake, authenticity, the amount of the value and how this value relates to current political and social understandings and misunderstandings. In my opinion, here is a humorous aspect. The " Yves Saint Laurent " audition in February 2009 has really designed these aspects by the real, fake, art, looting and the recognition of objects, much more complicated. "Said Ai Weiwei. This statement confirms Ais intention to the creation of this work and to whom it is directed. Anyone can otherwise take. Therefore, Ai has also designed the interpretation versatile, both politically as well as humorous.

The plant Circle of animals / Zodiac signs is expected to attract viewers from around the world and make it available to the average citizen is available, where it is exhibited to the public, because everyone has a relationship with a zodiac sign.