Shirazeh Houshiary Christmas Tree

11 December 2014

In collaboration with Victoria Beckham, Shirazeh Houshiary has created a temporary installation in the stairwell of 36 Dover Street for December 2014.

“In a playful subversion of the tradition of decorating trees to celebrate the festive season, I have chosen to focus on the natural and formal qualities of the tree itself, exposing the root and coating it in red pigment. By turning the tree upside down and suspending it above the stairwell, it appears as if floating, its roots freed from their earthly constraints and the intricate beauty of their form revealed. The use of pure red pigment gives the roots radiance and illuminates that which is normally concealed.”
– Shirazeh Houshiary

Houshiary was inspired to work with the architecture of the Victoria Beckham store. It was her intention to instigate a dialogue between the natural materials at her disposal and the industrial finishes and design of the store, using colour to further highlight the contrast and interplay between these disparate elements.

"The store has had such an incredible response since it opened in September and its modular and gallery feel really allows for some exciting collaborative concepts. It felt right to celebrate our first festive season not with a traditional Christmas display but with something more integral to the space and the architecture. I fell in love with Shirazeh's original upside down christmas tree that she created for the Tate in 1993. I am so thrilled that she has agreed to revisit elements of that concept for Dover Street and collaborate with me on my first Christmas installation for the store.”
- Victoria Beckham