New Lindy Lee Exhibition Will Celebrate Arrival of Ouroboros and a Golden Partnership at The National Gallery

The National Gallery will stage an exhibition of Lindy Lee’s work to coincide with the opening ofOuroboros, the major public sculptural work by Lee commissioned for the National Gallery’s 40thanniversary to be installed in the Sculpture Garden. Both Ouroboros and the exhibition, titled Lindy Lee, will open to the public on 25 October 2024.

Supported by Pallion Group as part of a new partnership with the National Gallery, the Lindy Lee exhibition features works from the national collection alongside a new work Charred forest – a natural evolution of Lee’s practice which alludes to the cyclical notions of existence, migration, transformation and hope.

Charred forest comprises camphor laurel trees that have been treated using the Japanese preservation technique of Shou Sugi Ban which blackens the logs, before being pierced with a scattering of conical holes revealing the natural colour of the timber underneath. Piercings will appear as stardust, falling from above and penetrating the tops of the branches.

The works featured in the exhibition explore similar themes to the Ouroboros including ancestry, spirituality, the environment and the cosmos. The Ouroboros mimics the ancient image of a snake eating its own tail, referencing birth and death, renewal, regeneration and transcendence.Visitors will be able to enter the ‘mouth’ of the Ouroboros and experience the darkness that is illuminated by thousands of perforations on its surface.

Lindy Lee said, ‘Similarly to Ouroboros, the exhibition at the National Gallery will be a meditative experience for audiences.’

‘Penetration of the light into the dark speaks to the cyclical nature of Cosmos and the regenerative capacity of life on Earth. These perforations you see in Charred forest and Ouroboros may also be read as wounds or imperfections, however, the old adage, ‘cracks are where the light gets in’ speaks to these openings and vulnerabilities ultimately leading to healing, transformation and growth,’ continued Lee.

Lee’s work has evolved from her long-held questions around identity and belonging stemming from a sense of an ‘existential split’ between her Chinese ancestry and Australian birthplace.

The exhibition continues to build on the National Gallery’s Know My Name initiative which celebrates the work of women artists with an aim to enhance understanding of their contribution to Australia’s cultural life.

Pallion Group will also support the National Gallery’s 2024 Gala, and Annual Lecture which will be delivered by Lee on 24 October 2024. First presented in 1983, the Annual Lecture invites leading art world thinkers to present new ideas in the field of art and art history.

Director Dr Nick Mitzevich said, ‘Lindy Lee’s boldness and creativity has shined throughout her 40-year artistic career.’

‘The arrival of Ouroboros alongside her first solo exhibition at the National Gallery and giving of the 2024 Annual Lecture is truly a momentous occasion for one of Australia’s most significant contemporary artists. The Gallery is incredibly grateful for the generous support from our partner Pallion Group who has helped to make this exhibition possible.’

As part of Pallion Group’s new Arts Program, Lee and Pallion have been working together on a separate project, creating a gold maquette of the Ouroboros. Made from more than 50kgs of pure ABC Bullion Australian gold, the maquette titled Abundance will go on public display at the National Gallery through a long-term loan arrangement from 28 October 2024. The Pallion Arts Program supports emerging and established First Nations and Australian artists to work with precious metals.

Pallion Group CEO, Andrew Cochineas said, ‘We are thrilled to be partnering with the National Gallery to present the Lindy Lee exhibition and the 2024 Gala and Annual Lecture. To launch our National Gallery partnership with Lindy Lee, Australia’s most significant contemporary artist is a privilege and aligns perfectly with the Pallion Arts Program – a program aimed at developing art for all Australians to enjoy.’

‘Precious metals have been used by civilisations for centuries to create art. Our aim is to give Australian artists the opportunity to continue that legacy by giving them access to precious metals that they might otherwise be precluded from working with.’

‘We hope that our partnership with the National Gallery will inspire collaboration, push artistic boundaries, and bring further recognition to Australian art globally,’ continued Cochineas. 

Lindy Lee’s practice is explored in a special episode of ABC Compass ‘Lindy Lee and the Cosmos’ premiering this Sunday 12 May at 6.30pm, and anytime on ABC iview.

Lindy Lee is a free exhibition.

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