Three years to manufacture, 60,000 hours and 200 people brought Canberra’s spectacular shiny new centrepiece to life.
Lindy Lee’s AO $14 million Ouroboros sculpture, the most expensive artwork commissioned for Australia’s national collection, stands tall at the National Gallery of Australia (NGA).
The ouroboros is an image seen across cultures and millennia, exemplifying a symbol of eternal return, of cycles of birth, death and renewal – common themes seen throughout her career.
“(The artwork is) an invitation to feel a deep intimacy with your birthright and that we all belong – I believe this has strong resonances with the First Nations belief,” Lee said.
The artist of more than four decades consulted with Ngunnawal Elder Aunty Jude Barlow for the piece.
The large-scale work of art based on the ancient symbol of a snake eating its tail, levitates in a 240-square metre pond with a walkway guiding people into the “mouth” of the sculpture
The 3-tonnes, 1.5-metres wide and 12m long sculpture was made from recycled metal and has 45,000 freehand perforations ranging from 16-155-milimetres. It consists of 231 individual cast panels.
The NGA is also staging an exhibition of Lee’s work, which can be viewed until June 2025, and a more than 50-kilogram pure ABC Bullion Australian gold maquette titled Abundance Lee also worked on.
At the sculpture opening, arts minister Tony Burke said Lee was “arts royalty”.
“The concept of the snake eating its own tail is both an ancient symbol of the circle of life ad also not a real smart thing to do in terms of the messages for life as well,” he said.
“But this will capture people, and it will move as the sun moves, the light will change on this from different angles, and you’ll see the reflection on different days that is quite different.
“As the dark falls each night you will see a work that comes to life in a completely different fashion.
Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn also likened the 70-year-old artist to royalty.
“I have to tell you that in a week of a lot of highs, and as we’ve heard, a lot of kings and queens and royalty, I agree with the minister that we are amongst significant arts royalty here today,” Ms Mostyn said.
The opening on 24 October was held just three days after King Charles and Queen Camilla visited Canberra during their whirlwind five-day tour to Australia.
“The NGA selecting one of our most celebrated living Australian artists to mark an auspicious 40th anniversary, which is one of our country’s youngest cultural institutions championing the place of commission, allows Australian artists to speak to a greater wider audience,” Ms Mostyn said.
“And in the process, significantly supporting Canberra to take its rightful place as a national cultural capital.
“Lindy, you have given us a path for the future whereas you see Ouroboros becoming a beacon, daytime or nighttime, it’s going to pulse with light and energy.”
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