National Gallery of Australia to install the most expensive stainless steel work in its history
September 26, 2021
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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.