Storyteller: Artist, Ai Wei Wei
Made entirely of small LEGO pieces, this latest body of work demonstrates the Ai Weiwei’s continued interest in the zodiac animal concept, and builds on the success of his internationally acclaimed Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Bronze and Gold sculpture series. The Zodiac (2018) LEGO portraits feature the twelve traditional Chinese zodiac animal heads in the foreground with select scenes from his Study of Perspective (1995 – present) series of photographs in the background.
The Zodiac (2018) LEGO series presents a bold, bright, and playful re-interpretation of the zodiac by employing thousands of LEGO bricks as a contemporary material that extends the life of these ancient animal motifs. It continues the artist’s tendency toward the accumulation of materials, a creative method the he has employed for many of his best-known works. Ai Weiwei’s interest in amassing and collecting connects with his ongoing interest in how individuals relate to society through experience. The use of LEGO bricks is a poignant example of his artistic practice and the reconfiguration of these elements, transforming the narrative and nature of this medium.
Speaking of the ideas and inspiration behind the original zodiac heads, Ai Weiwei comments: “All twelve images are familiar for me, because I was a collector, and in history they appear in different objects—jade, stone carvings and two-dimensional designs, everywhere.” Like much of Ai Weiwei’s work, The Zodiac (2018) LEGO series offers a subtle commentary on the past in his modern artistic vernacular. In reference to the subject of this work, the artist goes on to say: “I think it’s something that everyone can have some understanding of, including children and people who are not in the art world.”
For more on the artist’s zodiac series, pick up Ai Weiwei: Circle of Animals, published by Prestel, 2011.
Zodiac, 2018; LEGO bricks mounted on aluminum; Set of 12: Each 45.3 cm sq
Shown: pig, tiger, goat, rat, rabbit, rooster, ox, snake dragon
– Christina Spearman