Through the addition of a strategically placed aperture, Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has transformed a classical Chinese vessel type into a living environment for the Western Screech-Owl. The form selected by the artist also refers to the tree cavities that the owl chooses as its home. The porcelain vessels were produced in China using the age-old techniques of China's imperial kilns. Each vessel features a unique, hand-painted blue-and-white design adapted from a classical Chinese pattern. These elegant and purposefully ornamental habitats evoke a range of associations—the Presidio's Pacific Rim orientation, San Francisco's Chinese heritage, and the transmission and transformation of culture through trade.

Ai Weiwei (Chinese, b. 1957) is one of the most prominent artists working in China today. He is internationally respected as an artist, curator, architectural designer, and cultural and social commentator. As artistic consultant for design, he collaborated with the Swiss firm Herzog and de Meuron on the "Bird's Nest," the Beijing National Stadium for the 2008 Summer Olympics. A major exhibition of his work, So Sorry, was presented in 2009 at the Haus der Kunst in Munich, Germany, where it received international attention and recognition as one of the key art events of 2009.

Western Screech-Owl (Megascops kennicottii) Like many species of small owls, the Western Screech-Owl nests in tree cavities and is easily attracted to nest boxes. Able to find habitat in human-created landscapes, it often nests and hunts in residential areas and suburban parks if suitable trees are available. Although it is one of the most common owls in low-elevation woodlands and deserts, this species has not been observed in San Francisco for almost a decade. There is no evidence that the Western Screech-Owl migrates, and therefore it is unlikely to return on its own to the city. Primary source: The Birds of North America Online