Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei will be the first contemporary sculpture to go on display in the historic courtyard of Somerset House, London.

The first European venue of this international touring exhibition, Circle of Animals at Somerset House will also be the first major public outdoor sculpture installation by the artist in London. The installation will comprise 12 monumental bronze animal heads, re-creations of the traditional Chinese zodiac sculptures which once adorned the fountain-clock of Yuanming Yuan, an 18th-century imperial retreat just outside Beijing. The heads will be installed in an arc around Somerset House’s Edmond J. Safra Fountain Court in a close re-creation of how they were originally displayed at Yuanming Yuan.

Designed in the 18th century by two European Jesuits at the behest of the Manchu Emperor Qianlong, the fountain-clock of the Yuanming Yuan featured the animals of the Chinese zodiac, each spouting water at two-hour intervals. In 1860, the Yuanming Yuan was ransacked by French and British troops, and the heads were pillaged. Today, seven heads – the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, horse, monkey and boar – have been located; the whereabouts of the other five are unknown. In reinterpreting these objects on an oversized scale, Ai Weiwei focuses attention on questions of looting and repatriation while extending his ongoing explor-ation of the “fake” and the copy in relation to the original.

The 12 heads are cast bronze and positioned on bronze bases. Each head weighs approximately 800 pounds and measures approximately four feet high and three feet wide. The head and base together are approximately 10 feet high.

“My work is always dealing with real or fake, authenticity and value and how value relates to current political and social understandings and misunderstandings,” said Ai Weiwei. “However, because Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads is composed of animal heads, it’s a work that everyone can understand, including children and people who are not in the art world. I think it’s more important to show your work to the public. That’s what I really care about.”

Gwyn Miles, Director of Somerset House Trust, said: “I am delighted that Ai Weiwei’s Circle of Animals will be on display at Somerset House. Our 18th-century courtyard is a perfect fit for Ai Weiwei’s installation – a contemporary take on 18th-century Chinese art works. This is an example of how Somerset House is showcasing cutting-edge work from international contemporary artists working today, set against the backdrop of our historic, neo-classical building.” To contextualise the installation there will be a display in the Courtyard Rooms providing background information on the history of the original Summer Palace in Beijing.

Circle of Animals will be presented in collaboration with Chinese contemporary art organisation AW Asia.

The show of Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads at Somerset House is part of a multi-year international outdoor public sculpture touring exhibition.

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