Limited edition of 250 copies, published by Fundação de Serralves. This sculpture, cast in tin and measuring 32 x 12 x 8 cm, comes with a certificate of authenticity signed and numbered by the artist himself. It is a scaled-down reproduction of the monumental Pequi Tree (2021), Ai Weiwei’s most ambitious work to date, which stands an imposing 32 meters tall in the Serralves Park.
In this collector’s edition, Ai Weiwei condenses all the majesty and symbolism of his colossal creation without losing an ounce of its evocative power. Pequi Tree belongs to a series dedicated to trees and roots—a living metaphor for identity, belonging, and transformation. The original 32-meter sculpture, inspired by a millenary specimen of Pequi Vinagreiro, a Brazilian endangered species, was molded in Brazil, cast in China, and finally exhibited in Portugal, tracing a global journey that connects nature, culture, and politics in a fascinating dance.
Transformed from wood to metal, from mortal to eternal, this tree takes on almost mythological hues, as if it had escaped from an ancient tale to remind us of the fragility and drama of the balance between humans and nature. The work not only alludes to the disappearance of this harmonious coexistence but also stands as a silent and powerful witness.
Every branch, every visible joint evokes the art of restoration and the aesthetics of the reassembled: what has broken can be repaired and reborn stronger. Thus, this sculpture contains a profound narrative of memory, displacement, and resistance.
Pequi Tree is not simply a collectible object, but a sculpted reflection. Like the tree it honors, it puts down roots locally to reach out universally. A visual ode to permanence, memory, and the human capacity to reinvent itself without losing the elegance of authenticity.
