In 1975 Nancy Holt developed Annuli, seen here installed in her loft at the corner of West Twelfth and Greenwich Streets in Manhattan's West Village. Holt and Robert Smithson moved into the loft in the early 1960s, and Holt continued to live there until 1986. The loft was both a home and a working space, where Holt experimented with light, perception, and the relationship between sculpture and its architectural surroundings.

Annuli comprises three illuminated circular units mounted horizontally at eye level. Light emitted from the sculpture creates concentric rings of illumination and shadow on the surrounding wall. Holt's installation instructions specify that cardboard elements should be gently tilted until the shadows are evenly distributed around each circle. She notes that the sculpture should be installed without direct external illumination, so that its shadows are produced solely by its own light. Electrical wiring is concealed within the wall, with a switch positioned at the base.