Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals Zodiac Heads

October 15, 2016 – October 15, 2017 - The exhibition is comprised of twelve animals derived from the Chinese astrological calendar of years, weeks, and hours. The design of these heads was inspired by a specific source: an elaborate fountain created in the 1700s for the gardens of Yuanming Yuan, an imperial retreat outside of Beijing, China. The Qianlong Emperor commissioned Giuseppe Castiglione, an Italian Jesuit, to create gardens and fountains with a sense of Western opulence. Each zodiac animal corresponds to a two-hour period on a 24-hour cycle. Thus in its original design, each animal sprayed water from its mouth during its corresponding two-hour period.