The Lace Trees

The lace Trees celebrate Luton’s cultural heritage, while symbolically weaving the different people and cultures of Luton, with the past and the future of the town. The Trees are created with the people in Luton and aspire to bring nature and people together.

During the day, the Tree’s lace surface reflects, absorb and retransmit sunlight, casting intricate, patterned shadows with a pleasant visual interplay of light. At night, the mysteriously glowing large tree in lace create a sense of magic as if transported from different time and place. The Trees are tangible and inhabitable art. When inside a Tree, one can understand that every part of the lace is touched and created by hand.

With the help of Museum Makers, the project calls for local volunteers, first to crochet then to sew crochet pieces together. Skills learned from generations before connects us with the memories from the past and also with the people from the area whom we have never known. Working with people to achieve a single vision brings people together, creating a true sense of community, while everyone shares one goal; to create a beautiful work of art for the town.

Once installed, the visitors in Stockwood will complete the artwork by writing wishes on small pieces of paper, and hanging them until the branches are full. The act of wishing transforms the art work and will be visible throughout the exhibition. The participatory and ephemeral aspect of the project creates a shared memory which contributes to a sense of place. The juxtaposition of the softly glowing intricate Trees against night sky interrupts our mundane and coherent everyday, creating a surprise that ignites the imagination. The project evokes a sense of wonder though this unexpected encounter, which causes the viewer to stop and gaze.

This momentary pause gives us an opportunity to find the poetry around us.