A single horizontal array of overlapping ellipses and circles unfurls across the wall. The progression moves from flattened, elongated ellipses at either end towards near-perfect circles at the centre, evoking the illusion of a series of discs balanced vertically on their edges and floating in space in a three-dimensional ring. The mechanism behind this illusion rests on a simple visual ambiguity: depending on the context, ellipses may appear to be circles viewed in perspective. 

The ring of twelve circles, each a different colour, progresses through the full spectrum of visible light. The large purple circle at the centre of the composition reads as the closest point of the ring, nearest to the viewer, while the yellow circle behind it can only be glimpsed where it peeks out above the other discs. This creates a vivid illusion of depth, despite the work being entirely flat. The appearance of transparency – the sense that one can see the far side of the ring through the foreground – is simulated by introducing shapes of intermediary hues wherever the discs overlap. 

As with most of Eliasson’s glass works, the panes have been handblown and thus exhibit natural ripples and bubbles that contribute to an overall feeling of luminosity and movement. The backs of the glass are silvered, so that they reflect the viewer and their surroundings in the distinctive monotone colour of each pane.