Animal Zodiac Sculptures, by Ai Weiwei, at Somerset House, London

Bronze animal heads, by Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, re-creations of the traditional Chinese zodiac sculptures which once adorned the fountain of Yuanming Yuan, an imperial retreat in Beijing. The heads are on display in the courtyard of Somerset House, London, until 26 June 2011.

Skating at Somerset House

The skating season has started at Somerset House, London:

Preparation of the Ice Rink at Somerset House

The ice rink being prepared in the courtyard of Somerset.

See also Somerset House and water fountains at night and Ice Skating at Somerset House

Ice Skating: Steps to Success (Steps to Success Sports Series)

Somerset House and water fountains at night

The courtyard of Somerset House and its water fountains at night.
The current Somerset House was built as government offices around 1800. Parts of it were occupied for many years by the Inland Revenue with the courtyard used as a car park, but the buildings now house various art exhibitions and the courtyard is open to the public.
The water fountains will soon be replaced by an ice rink for the winter months. The courtyard has also been used for concerts and fashion shows in recent years.
See also my Ice Skating at Somerset House pictures

Ice Skating at Somerset House

Ice skating at Somerset House, London.

The ice rink was busy but the long exposure means that some skaters were moving too fast for the exposure and so appear as ghostly figures in the pictures.

Ice Skating: Steps to Success (Steps to Success Sports Series)