There are three more evenings left to see Tate Britain’s 2009 Christmas tree which consists of nothing more than a big fir tree and several score yellow beeswax candles. Artist Tacita Dean who came up with the idea for the tree says it reflects the “purity and magic” of Christmas.
Watching the candle flames flicker and the wax drip it feels rather as though you’ve come across a tree which is still standing in some forest clearing - an essence of all Christmas trees that will endure from year to year.
In reality I’m sure when the Victorians did this sort of thing a lot of the time the candles either failed to light or burnt down the tree, the house and several visiting relatives. I did hear one gloomy woman muttering, “That tree must be getting drier each day they light those candles, it could go up like a torch any minute.”
Still, it’s always nice to dream of the perfect Christmas and in icy-cold, snow-sprinkled London this as good a place as any to do so. Tree lighting up time is 4pm and the final flare up will be on Wednesday 23 December.
