The V&A South Kensington has unveiled its annual Christmas installation, with this year’s commission crafted by artist and designer Anna Lomax.
Entitled All Lit Up!, the installation stays true to the “playful, celebratory spirit of Christmas” by using LED lights as a central medium to reimagine the traditional Christmas tree as a tall, twisting column.
The structure acts as a bold and playful intervention, contrasting yet harmonious with the museum’s own iconic entryway columns.
Lomax draws parallels between the strength and support exemplified both by trees in the natural world and columns in human-made structures, honouring their connotations of “life, growth, and resilience”. Unifying the elegance of a tree with the strength of a column, All Lit Up! seeks to evoke the feelings of joy and child-like wonder typically associated with that of a traditional ornamented Christmas tree.
“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,” Anna Lomax said. “My design for the 2025 V&A Christmas Tree uses the iconic V&A dome columns as a starting point but giving them an actual playful twist, embodying the ‘Christmas Spirit’ though a spectacle of light.”
With Meneesha Kellay, V&A Senior Curator, Contemporary adding: “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.”
