From 10 to 20 September, a 30-metre-long golden serpent took up residence on New York’s High Line. Berlin-based duo Plastique Fantastique created auruBOROS for jewellery brand Bvlgari’s Serpenti Infinito art series. Two intertwined loops weave between the park’s structures and The Standard Hotel, allowing visitors to walk around and beneath them.
Despite its size — 30×10×10 metres — the structure has no rigid frame. The design plays on the contrast between apparent weight and actual lightness: a mirrored gold shell made of thermoplastic polyurethane holds its shape through constant internal air pressure maintained by fans.
The name combines the Latin aurum, meaning "gold", with the ouroboros, a serpent biting its own tail. The designers opened up the traditional ring and stretched the serpent through the urban space. Its mirrored surface reflects trees, buildings, the sky and passers-by, changing with the light and the viewer’s position.