Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals / Zodiac Heads

The monumental installation comprises 12 bronze animal heads, re-creations of the traditional Chinese zodiac sculptures which once adorned the fountain of Yuanming Yuan, an imperial retreat in Beijing. The installation is part of an international tour which starts in New York.

I am fascinated by making public art. ‘Public’ does not just refer to the museum public; it’s for people passing by and using communal spaces. I think the public deserve the best. In the past, only a pope or an emperor had access to the artworks they commissioned. I want my work to be accessible to everyone. As Yuanming Yuan was being built, Somerset House was being constructed and for me this means that the Courtyard is the perfect setting for Circle of Animals.

Ai Weiwei, 2011

The Harold Clurman Laboratory Theater Company presents the Los Angeles premiere of Jose Rivera’s play Marisol about God, the apocalypse, credit card debt and the hope for a brighter future

The play depicts the life of Marisol Perez, a young Puerto Rican copy editor in Manhattan.  Her world takes a tragic turn when her guardian angel is forced to abandon her for a revolution against a senile God.  Her sorrowful journey is reminiscent of modern day life, where the innocent are forced to take a stand. The narrative is enhanced by an evolving change of sets.
 
“Marisol is about so many things but I think at its core, it’s a call to the country to wake up and fight back against ‘God’: The god of religion, the God of credit, the God of big business, any monolithic power that claims to want to ‘take care’ of you, but really wants to control you,” said director Don K. Williams.  “It’s a call to the people to take back the power it has given up for centuries.”