About
Welcome to Ai Weiwei at Princeton
Ai Weiwei is a renowned contemporary Chinese artist, architectural designer, curator and social activist. He is considered one of China’s most prolific and controversial artists.
His work in recent years has included collaboration on the design of the “Bird’s Nest” stadium for the 2008 Beijing Olympics; Sunflower Seeds, an exhibition at London’s Tate Museum featuring 100 million hand-painted porcelain seeds; and innovative uses of social media to advance artistic objectives, free speech and human rights.
Princeton University is pleased to present the exhibition of Ai Weiwei’ s Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, on display at the University’s Scudder Plaza, in front of Robertson Hall, home of the Woodrow Wilson School, through December 4, 2016.
The exhibit features 12 bronze monumental sculptures, each approximately 10 feet high, 800 pounds, and representing a sign of the Chinese zodiac (snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit and dragon).
The exhibit is part of a world tour which has appeared in cities including Sao Paulo, London, Los Angeles and Taipei. The sculptures have been generously loaned to the University by the family of an alumnus.
A collaboration of the Woodrow Wilson School, the Princeton University Art Museum, and Princeton University Press, of the presentation of Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads reflects a longstanding commitment on the part of the Woodrow Wilson School to engagement with human rights issues around the world, as well as the Art Museum’s commitment to placing art across the campus in order to create opportunities to discover great art in the path of everyday life.
To celebrate and explore Mr. Ai’s art and his dedication to human rights, Princeton is planning a number of public events culminating in a visit by Ai to the Princeton University campus on October 10, 2012, should he be allowed to leave China.
This site is designed to highlight Ai Weiwei at Princeton, scheduled events, as well as the artist himself.
Time Lapse Installation of Ai Weiwei Sculpture Exhibit
July 30-31, 2012 saw the installation of 12 bronze monumental sculptures on Scudder Plaza overlooking the Fountain of Freedom pool outside Robertson Hall – the home of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.
Cameras were on hand to capture the delicate installation of the sculptures by dozens of workers and the time lapse video is available here for viewing: