Under the Baobab

This is Under the Baobab on London's South Bank. It is made from an assortment of dazzlingly colored textiles from around the world. The installation makes up part of the Southbank Center's Festival of the World exhibition.

The immense baobab (most of the species are native to Madagascar) was created by Pirate Technics. They were helped by students from the Chelsea College of Art and Design. Rings of fabric were stacked high before the branches were set atop this remarkable piece of art.

The baobab is symbol in Africa for conciliation and arbitration between communities. As such this is a tree of peace, mediation and harmony. It is one of a series of large scale pieces of art which will be place around the Southbank Center over the summer – perhaps to distract people from the Olympics not to mention the weather.

Image Credit Flickr User xpgomez

Although these pictures show sunshine, it hasn't rally stopped raining in London for twenty four hours. Whatever Under the Boabab weighed a day ago, by now it will be significantly heavier. However, it does seem to be brightening up the day of many a soggy Londoner as they pass this on their way to and from work.

All pictures by Flickr Photographer Cluttercup unless otherwise stated.