Christmas trees of art
During the holidays, almost every home in the world features a Christmas tree. Finding its origin in pagan winter practices, the tree is now often associated with Christian symbols such as the Star of Bethlehem.
No two trees are decorated exactly the same. More often than not, people showcase their personal tastes and craft skills in decorating a Christmas tree.
For the design-driven mind, however, it’s the tree itself that has to be designed. In particular, the Victoria and Albert Museum (V & A) in London showcases the take of different talents on the traditional Christmas tree. Every year, they commission a designer to create a Christmas tree installation at the entrance of the Museum.
The following structures exemplify some of the most unique Christmas trees to grace the season, showing that Christmas is also a celebration of architecture.
The wiry Christmas tree of Studio Rosowas exhibited in 2011.
A Tree of Bobbin Lace
The English design firm Studio Roso produced an intricate interpretation of the age-old tradition in 2011. Finding inspiration in bobbin lacing, a technique often used to create Christmas ornaments, the tree was made out of elastic cord suspended from the ceiling.
It stood over four meters tall, with geometric shapes surrounding the tree at various height levels. The shapes were simple and skeletal, representing snowflakes and icicles of winter.
Lit with a spotlight at the top, the tree is a simple but elegant installation that pays homage to the building’s collections.
Reflective both literally and conceptually, this Christmas
tree is a work by Gareth Pugh.
Ceremony
Despite his background in fashion design, British designer Gareth Pugh has a very architectural take on V&A’s Christmas tree in 2014. Called the “Ceremony,” his art piece was made of wood, fabric, acrylic and lights. Consisting of triangular shapes, the structure provided reflective surfaces in gold.
According to the designer, the art piece aims to “provide a moment of reflection,” inspired by community get-togethers during the Christmas season.
English Eccentrics produced a velvet and antler-filled Christmas tree in 2013.
Velvet and Antlers
Finding inspiration in the name of the museum, the textile label English Eccentrics produced a Christmas tree bursting with love in 2013. The art piece takes its cue from an H.F.C Rampendahl chair, one of the museum’s exhibited pieces, which features a cushion of red velvet and frame of real antlers. The tree is made of flocked, antler-shaped leaves and heart-shaped ornaments. Dubbed as the Red Velvet Tree of Love, the installation was completed with fiber lights, providing an eccentric but cozy take on the Christmas tradition.
Th metalwork of Studio XAG pays homage to the building’s structure.
Iron Tree
Drawing inspiration from the Museum’s iron roof frame, the Christmas tree of Studio XAG is a small tower in its own right. The tree pays tribute to the Victorian origins of the museum decorated with popular green foliage and handmade ornaments. Standing at 4.5 meters tall, the structure is a metal work with intricate patterns, lit with a traditional star at the top. Built in 2016, the art piece is an expression of the museum’s historical roots adorned with familiar Christmas motifs.
Set designer Es Devlin stands next to her interactive Christmas tree of light and sounds.
A Singing Tree
Set designer Es Devlin was commissioned this year to create the annual Christmas tree of the Victoria & Albert Museum. Her take is rich in sensory experiences, combining sound, light and form to create an interactive Christmas tree show. The tree is basically made up of small plywood pieces onto which words suggested by the public were projected. The installation is completed with machine-generated sounds of a choir of human and synthesized voices. It is a unique sight to behold, continuously interactive, engaging its audience to contribute to its creation.
Overall, each commissioned tree took an innovative take on the age-old tradition. True to its purpose, the Victoria and Albert Museum uses Christmas as an opportunity to celebrate craftwork through its art installations.
Hopefully, these pieces would inspire us to conjure up our own unique take on the traditional display, expressing the joy of the season through something we created.
(Sources: Studio Roso; www.archdaily.com; www.wgsn.com; www.vam.ac.uk; cdn.theculturetrip.com; studioxag.com)
