At the South Kensington Grand Entrance of the Victoria and Albert Museum, designer Anna Lomax has revealed her stunning creation, the All Lit Up! sculpture, reminiscent of a glowing Christmas tree. This dazzling installation, reminiscent of a luminous Christmas tree, spirals gracefully around the museum’s majestic columns, embodying the charm of a traditional festive centerpiece.
The structure serves as a bold and whimsical intervention, presenting a contrast that is both striking and harmonious with the museum’s iconic entryway columns. Lomax draws a connection between the strength and support represented by both natural trees and human-made columns, thereby honoring their shared symbolism of life, growth, and resilience. This interplay between nature and architecture enriches the thematic depth of the installation.
By merging the elegance of a tree with the robustness of a column, All Lit Up! aims to evoke feelings of joy and child-like wonder that are typically associated with a traditional, ornamented Christmas tree. The installation invites visitors to engage with the festive spirit in a fresh and imaginative way, celebrating the season through the transformative power of light.
Meneesha Kellay, the Senior Curator for Contemporary exhibitions at the V&A, expressed her enthusiasm regarding this year’s Christmas tree installation, stating, “Lighting up and lifting spirits this festive season, we are thrilled to commission Anna Lomax for this year’s V&A Christmas tree installation. Delighting visitors with her playful site-specific response, Anna has taken inspiration from the iconic columns in our Grand Entrance as well as Prince Albert, Victoria’s beloved husband, who popularised the idea of the traditional Christmas tree in this country.”
In response, Anna Lomax remarked, “It’s an honour to be invited to design the 2025 V&A Christmas Tree, adding to the line of amazing designers that have had the opportunity before me. My design for the 2025 V&A Christmas Tree uses the iconic V&A dome columns as a starting point but gives them an actual playful twist, embodying the ‘Christmas Spirit’ through a spectacle of light.”
Anna Lomax‘s artistic practice is deeply rooted in pop culture and the notion of the ‘readymade.’ Her diverse expertise spans creative direction, spatial and object design, set design, and artist editions. Her projects are often distinguished by the incorporation of unexpected objects and textures, which serve to infuse humor and new perspectives into familiar settings. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with esteemed brands across fashion, sports, and technology, creating site-specific installations and visual works for a global clientele that includes Apple, British Vogue, Calvin Klein, Chanel, Google, Hermès, Kenzo, MoMa, Nike, Selfridges, The Serpentine, and Veuve Clicquot.