National Gallery of Australia to install the most expensive stainless steel work in its history
September 26, 2021
The National Gallery of Australia has acquired the most expensive work of art in its history, commissioning a monumental $14 million stainless-steel sculpture. Australian artist Lindy Lee’s Ouroboros will be a 13 tonne, 4 metre-high torus of reflective stainless steel. The public will be able to walk inside the perforated sculpture, which will stream light from within at night.
With a sculpture of this magnitude, Lee wanted to create a deep interconnection between humanity and the cosmos that has an idea of inclusivity and an intimate experience. The sculpture’s self-consuming torus shape depicts the ouroboros, a mythical snake eating its tail, a symbol of renewal and regeneration.