Events
August 1, 2012 to December 4, 2016
Sculpture Exhibit – Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads
Scudder Plaza, Robertson Hall
Corner of Washington and Prospect Streets
Each towering 10 feet and overlooking the Fountain of Freedom pool outside Robertson Hall, 12 bronze monumental sculptures, each representing a sign of the Chinese zodiac, are now on public display until December 4, 2016. The sculptures are the work of renowned contemporary Chinese artist, Ai Weiwei.
In Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads, Mr. Ai draws inspiration from sculptures that once adorned the fountain clock at Yuanming Yuan, an imperial retreat outside Beijing, representing the 12 signs of the Chinese zodiac (snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit and dragon). Designed by Italian artist Giuseppe Castiglione in the mid-18th century, the original works were looted in 1860 when France and Britain invaded China. Of the 12 figures, only seven are known to have survived. Five have been repatriated to China, but ownership of the remaining two remains contested.
Mr. Ai’s re-envisioning of the work represents an intriguing intersection of history and politics and is a reflection on the complexities of authenticity and derivation. By reinterpreting art commissioned by a Qing dynasty emperor, designed by an Italian artist, engineered by a French Jesuit mathematician, and accessible only to the elite circles of 18th-century Chinese society—and then sending the resultant sculptures on a worldwide tour—Ai complicates conversations about repatriation, shared cultural heritage and contemporary expectations regarding the democratization of art and public space.
The figures are rendered in fabulously detailed bronze, each approximately 10 feet in height and weighing 800 pounds. The dual title of the work addresses the notion that, even for those viewers who have no cultural connection to the Chinese zodiac, the sculptures stand as animal figures in their own right, universally accessible to all people.
This 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 whole of the University campus, thus creating rich opportunities to discover great art in the path of everyday life.
October 1, 2012
“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry”
Documentary Film Screening and Director Discussion
4:30 p.m.
Dodds Auditorium, Robertson Hall
The Woodrow Wilson School will host a special screening and discussion of the newly released documentary film by Alison Klayman, “Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry.” Klayman will be on hand to participate in a discussion of the film following the screening.
“Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry” is the inside story of a dissident for the digital age who inspires global audiences and blurs the boundaries of art and politics. First time director Alison Klayman gained unprecedented access to Ai while working as a journalist in China. Her detailed portrait provides a nuanced exploration of contemporary China and one of its most compelling public figures. Klayman was awarded a special jury prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival.
For further information on the documentary film, please visit: www.aiweiweineversorry.com.
All details subject to change. Please check back closer to the date for final details.
October 10, 2012
Due to Ai Weiwei’s inability to leave China at this time, the Woodrow Wilson School is postponing its October 10 4:30 public talk with the human rights activist/artist. We are hoping to reschedule this event for the spring, 2013. The 2:30 panel, Art in a Democratic Society,” will still take place at the Carl Fields Multipurpose Room.
For more information, please go to
http://www.princetonartmuseum.org/visit/calendar/201210/art-democracy-human-rights
A Princeton Day with Ai Weiwei
Princeton University has invited Ai Weiwei to campus on Wednesday, October 10, 2012. If Mr. Ai is permitted to travel, Princeton hopes to host the following public events with him:
2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Panel Discussion
Hosted by Princeton University Art Museum
Location: Carl Fields Center for Equality and Cultural Understanding; Large Multipurpose Room, 104
Panelists: Thomas Keenan, Director, Human Rights Project, and Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, Bard College; Aaron Levy, Executive Director, Slought Foundation; Stephanie H. Tung, Doctoral student, Department of Art & Archaeology, Princeton University
Moderator:
Kelly Baum, Haskell Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, Princeton University Art Museum
4:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. “Human Rights and Public Policy”
Event postponed
Public Talk
A Conversation with Ai Weiwei – Moderated by Bart Gellman
Hosted by Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Location: Richardson Auditorium
All details subject to change. Please check back closer to the date for final details.