28 November 2011 Last updated at 15:43

In pictures: Bruce Munro installation lights up Bath

Glass spheres are illuminated in Bruce Munro's "Field of Light" installation in the grounds of the Holburne Museum, Bath

A trip through the Australian red desert 18 years ago has proved inspirational for a giant installation which uses 5,220 stems to give off light at a museum in Bath.

Artist Bruce Munro said the concept first slipped into his sketchbook when travelling in Australia

Artist Bruce Munro said the "Field of Light" idea first came to him after being inspired by the energy of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and marvelling at how the ground came to life after a rain storm.

The installation uses 5,220 fibre-optic stems to give off light

The Wiltshire-based artist said the installation meant a lot to him because Australia was a "hugely important" part of his life and it was the first project he had managed to get to fruition from ideas he had in the early-1990s.

The stems are lit up between 16:00 GMT and 19:30 GMT at the museum

"It is about better things in life and is meant to just be something that anybody can look at and enjoy for what it is," he said. The illuminated sculpture lights up at 16:00 GMT every day until 19:30 GMT, in the garden of the Holburne Museum in Bath. It will remain on display until 8 January.

Alexander Sturgis, museum director, said the installation "works beautifully"

Alexander Sturgis, museum director, said: "It works beautifully on our site and really lifts the spirits at the darkest time of the year."

Bruce Munro said the installation meant a lot to him because Australia was a "hugely important" part of his life

"The park in which the museum sits was famous for its illuminations in the 18th Century so we are delighted to be able to surround our new building with Bruce Munro's Field of Light," he added.

Bristol

In pictures: Bruce Munro installation lights up Bath

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