Palm Springs Art Museum will feature the exhibition "Circle of Animals/Zodiac Heads: Gold," a group of sculptures by internationally acclaimed contemporary Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, from December 20 through May 31, 2015 at the Palm Springs Art museum.
 
The installation consists of 12 gilded bronze animal heads - rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, and pig - that are each a representative symbol from the ancient Chinese zodiac. Ai Weiwei's work extends beyond the visual statement and reaches into history. These sculptures were based on the zodiac heads originally located at the Imperial retreat Yuanming Yuan (Old Summer Palace) just outside of Beijing, where they adorned the famed fountain-clock. The original heads were made by Giuseppe Castiglione (1688-1766), an Italian Jesuit who executed a number of commissions for the Chinese emperor in the 18th century.