Art Street: A Christmas tree for all seasons

At The Steps, a pedestrian-only public space in Bandra, a light installation pays homage to trees.

Images of Nest (Photo Credit - Abraham John Architects)

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On the climb up to the Mount Mary Church in Bandra, a glance to the left reveals a stack of light rods that beckons the curious passerby. Upon closer inspection, and a turn around the pyramid-shaped stack, one can see that the rods converge at points in the form of a tree—indeed, a Christmas tree, topped with a dainty star. “Nest” is the latest annual tree that pops up at the start of The Steps, a pedestrian-only public space opposite the St Stephen’s Church.

Architect and urban planner Alan Abraham of Abraham John Architects has designed these “trees” at The Steps since 2019. With Nest, he aims to bring together age-old but oft-forgotten ideas of the home. He says, “Nest is an actual home in a tree. Twigs form a nest…The tree is building material and not only for human beings as lumber…A tree is our home, it’s something that keeps us safe.” Using steel and LED rods, the architect aims for a balance between the delicate and the durable, much like how twigs and feathers shelter hatchlings.

The twiggy Christmas tree is the fourth iteration to come up at The Steps. Abraham has used the popular imagery of the Christmas tree to suggest ideas that extend beyond religious celebrations. In December 2021, he made The Family Tree, geometric shapes styled like a copse, which by January 2022 evolved into multicoloured kites to coincide with Makar Sankranti. “The Christmas tree is more cultural and not religious. Our basic bend is environmental. We love trees, and so we use the Christmas tree as an excuse,” says Abraham.

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Supported by Abraham John Architects, the tree debuted in 2019 and was inspired by the citizen-led Save Aarey Movement, which continues to campaign for the protection of Aarey Forest. Abraham says, “We are pro-trees even though we are pro-development. There is a certain logic that goes that if you are pro-trees then you are anti-development. That is not true. You can develop responsibly.” Through a social media campaign, the tree at The Steps was able to donate proceeds to the environmental NGO Vanashakti and its fight to protect Aarey.

The first tree was formed out of negative space, made by suspended marble slabs cut to form the outline of a Christmas tree. Abraham toyed with ideas of movement and light, which continue in Nest. There is an evident sense of play here and, in some places, Nest looks like falling twigs frozen in time. Nest is certainly not the kind of Christmas tree we are used to seeing across the city’s public spaces, but a refreshing change from the pyramids made of recycled bottles that pop up this time of the year.

As a temporary installation, Nest will be on view 24/7 “till good weather lasts” and is a part of the ongoing “Festival at The Steps”, where art and cultural programmes take place every weekend from now all through January 2023. Visitors are invited to interact with Nest and go beyond the usual selfie routine. You can sit under it as if it were a teepee or run around it as if it were a mulberry bush. Climbing it, however, is strictly off-limits.

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