14 million, 13-tonne artwork unveiled at National Gallery in Canberra

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The National Gallery of Australia in Canberra has unveiled its latest acquisition. Lindy lee's 13 tonne 14-million-dollar sculpture "ouroboros" is the most expensive artwork ever commissioned by the gallery.

Transcript

00:00It's taken four years and more than 60,000 hours of work by 200 people to bring artist

00:08Lindy Lee's masterpiece to life.

00:10Work on Ouroboros started in Queensland before it took a truck journey which required police

00:15escorts and travel under the cover of darkness across three states.

00:19Its final resting place is a pond surrounded by a native garden in the forecourt of the

00:23National Gallery of Australia.

00:25Ouroboros is based on the story of the snake eating its own tail, described by Lee herself

00:30as an ancient symbol of renewal and belonging.

00:34Endless beginnings and ends and I think for me this work is about cosmos.

00:40From inside and out, the mirrored piece is striking for its many holes which let light

00:44in during the day and night.

00:46With a price tag of $14 million, the piece is the most expensive ever commissioned by

00:51the National Gallery of Australia.

00:53The gallery hopes it will become an icon in its own right.

00:56Art and cultural experiences are things that people across Australia are looking for so

01:02we're super excited.

01:03Built to last 500 years, Ouroboros is expected to draw many future generations of visitors

01:08to the nation's capital and it's now open to the public 24 hours a day.

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