June 18, 2013 at 5:15 pm
Scene: Ai Weiwei’s Animal Heads at City Hall
Some sculptures by China's most famous artist and activist have found their way to City Hall.
By
Steve Kupferman • Photos by Lodoe Laura Haines-Wangda
260247 All the heads were covered with these sacks prior to the unveiling. 20130618aiweiwei1 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei1-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei1.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei1.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei1/ 20130618aiweiwei1 0 0
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260249 The grand reveal. 20130618aiweiwei3 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei3-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei3.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei3.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei3/ 20130618aiweiwei3 0 0
260250 Mayor Rob Ford was there. 20130618aiweiwei4 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei4-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei4.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei4.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei4/ 20130618aiweiwei4 0 0
260251 He's not known for supporting the arts, but he seemed to enjoy himself all the same. 20130618aiweiwei5 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei5-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei5.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei5.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei5/ 20130618aiweiwei5 0 0
260252 Each animal head represents a different sign of the Chinese zodiac. 20130618aiweiwei6 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei6-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei6.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei6.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei6/ 20130618aiweiwei6 0 0
260253 20130618aiweiwei7 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei7-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei7.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei7.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei7/ 20130618aiweiwei7 0 0
260254 The AGO's Ai Weiwei exhibition opens in August. 20130618aiweiwei8 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei8-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei8.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei8.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei8/ 20130618aiweiwei8 0 0
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260258 20130618aiweiwei12 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei12-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei12.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei12.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei12/ 20130618aiweiwei12 0 0
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260267 The animal heads will remain in Nathan Phillips Square until September 22. 20130618aiweiwei21 https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei21-100x100.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei21.jpg https://torontoist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/20130618aiweiwei21.jpg 800 532 [] https://torontoist.com/2013/06/scene-ai-weiweis-animal-heads-at-city-hall/slide/20130618aiweiwei21/ 20130618aiweiwei21 0 0
WHERE: Nathan Phillips Square
WHEN: Tuesday, June 18
WHAT: These 12 bronze animal-head sculptures, each representing a different sign of the Chinese zodiac, were unveiled by the Art Gallery of Ontario this afternoon at a ceremony with Mayor Rob Ford in attendance. They’re the work of Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei, who attained something close to secular sainthood in 2011 after being held prisoner by the Chinese government for a few months. (He’s said to be under constant surveillance to this day.) This group of sculptures, known collectively as Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads , won’t be the last Toronto sees of Ai’s output, because the AGO will be opening a full Ai Weiwei exhibition on August 17. The animal heads, meanwhile, will remain until September 22.