Ai Weiwei's Zodiac heads stand ten feet tall and weigh around 800 pounds. They are cast in bronze and are
displayed outside at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyomong.
The Chinese government bans artist Ai Weiwei from traveling abroad, but his art continues to fly around the
world. One of his major exhibitions has landed in Jackson, a rural Wyoming commuy of 9,000 people, the town
is a draw for millions of outdoor enthusiasts each year and a gateway to Grand Teton national park.
It's also home to the National Museum of Wildlife, it's a world class museum with an enormous collection of animal
related art created by top artists like Andy Warhol and Robert Kuhn.
The museum overlooks a lush green field where elk herds feed, and is surrounded by mountains. This space
provides a dramatic natural backdrop for Ai Weiwei's project, title "Circle of Animals/Zodaic Heads."
The Zodiac heads weigh between 800 and 1,500 pounds. They rest upon poles 10 feet in the air.
The heads are new takes on original 18th century pieces displayed in Yuanming Yuan, also known as " The Garden
of Perfect Brightness." The museum says those original zodiac heads were destroyed during the Second Opium
War, or looted by invading Europeans.
So the exhibition is both a symbol of Chinese national pride and a critique of foreigners looting art and claiming
ownership of it.
"This series is an important artistic statement for our time." says museum president Jim McNutt. "It demonstrates
how contemporary art can keep history alive."
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