At the auction of contemporary art Phillips in London a series of 12 bronze sculptures AI Weiwei Circle of animals/Zodiac heads" was sold for 2.8 million pounds @there is a new personal record of Chinese artist

a Series of sculptures "Circle of animals / Zodiac heads" became the most expensive work of contemporary Chinese artist AI Weiwei (Ai Weiwei): auction of contemporary art at Phillips, London, on 12 February 12 sculptures of gilded bronze were sold for 2.8 million pounds ($4.3 million). The previous record price for a work by AI Weiwei was $ 1.2 million for work "Card Kita@

To create a series of sculptures "Circle of animals / Zodiac heads by AI Weiwei, was inspired by the famous fountain with statues of animals of the Chinese zodiac from the old Summer Palace in gardening complex yuanming yuan. This fountain, presumably designed for the Chinese Emperor Qianlong Italian monk-Jesuit and court painter Giuseppe Castiglione, showed time, alternately blowing a jet of water of animals. The Palace and Park were pillaged in 1860 British and French troops during the Second opium war. The bronze heads of the statues of the fountain were cut and transported from China. Now they are a symbol of the struggle of the Chinese people for the return of stolen property. There are now only seven surviving heads, and all of them have already returned to China. And two of them (the head of the rat and rabbit) in 2013 were returned to China free of charge by the French billionaire and owner of Christie's Francois Pino@

AI Weiwei made his "Zodiac heads" more original and also restored the missing five, focusing on traditional Chinese image from old prints and tapestries. The artist made six large castings of this series in bronze (one large series, for example, exhibited around the Pulitzer Fountain at Grand army Plaza in new York) and twelve smaller castings of gilded bronze. One of these six series of smaller and auctioned by Phillips, and the series was first exhibited at public auction completely. The dealer originally bought these "heads" in the Paul kasmin gallery in new York. And they became the new owner of the player to place bets on telefonu@

the Material was prepared by Maria Onuchin, AI

Источники: telegraph.co.uk, bbc.com, artdaily.com, artinvestment.ru