Australia’s National Gallery Unveils $14 Million Sculpture

The piece took four years to complete, involving 60,000 hours of work by 200 skilled artisans.

Lindy Lee's, Ouroboros, the 2021-24 installation at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra, commissioned for the National Gallery’s 40th anniversary. Courtesy of the National Gallery of Australia/Lindy Lee

The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) has unveiled its newest and most expensive artwork, Ouroboros, in Canberra.

The 13-tonne, $14 million sculpture by Chinese-Australian artist Lindy Lee is inspired by the ancient symbol of a snake swallowing its own tail, representing cycles of birth, death, and renewal.