Tate Britain Kicks Off Winter Festivities by Suspending Upside Down Christmas Tree From Ceiling

London’s Tate Britain is celebrating the festive period in a curious way – by hanging a gold-rooted Christmas tree upside down through December.

Hanging inside the gallery’s Millbank building, the piece by artist Shirazeh Houshiary reimagines a 1993 work focusing on the natural qualities of the tree itself such as texture, colour, smell and shape.

The artist has suspended the tree, exposing its roots and “creating the impression of floating in air with the roots free from their earthly constraints”, drawing attention to what is usually hidden.

The 2016 tree is placed down the centre of a staircase, offering three viewing perspectives from multiple levels – the tree’s tip on the lower floor, the main body from the ground, and the gold leaf-covered roots on the upper floor.

The work by Houshiary marks the start of a festive series of works through December, beside a display of work by prominent British artists including Antony Gormley, Anish Kapoor and Alison Wilding.

“This unveiling marks a pivotal moment for the festive season at Tate Britain by looking to the past in order to look to the future,” said Tate Britain director, Alex Farquharson. “This tree fits the new space perfectly, allowing a different generation to experience the majesty of Houshiary’s work and signals the beginning of an exciting era of annual Christmas artist commissions at Tate Britain.”