A 90ft long, inflatable sculpture of a bacterium has been suspended from the ceiling of the National Museum of Scotland’s grand gallery.
Luke Jerram of Bristol, England, created this artwork which depicts Escherichia coli as five times larger than its true size.
The bacteria is found in humans and animals, as well as in their food and environment.
The Edinburgh Art Festival runs July 28 through August 28 and features the colossal statue.
The impressive sculpture is being displayed in the museum’s grand palace (Luke Jerram/PA)
It was created to reflect on the importance of bacteria to humans and the environment.
Commenting on his work Mr Jerram stated: “Making visible the microscopic world around us, the artwork was made as an experimental object to contemplate.
“When standing next to it, does the bacteria alter our personal sense of scale?
“Does it look scary, beautiful, comical or alien?
“Will audiences be attracted or repelled by it?”
Luke Jerram, artist, and his sculpture E.coli in the National Museum of Scotland (Neil Hanna/PA).
Although E.coli bacteria can cause illnesses and even death in some cases, it can also be used for medical research.
Alison Cromarty is the head of exhibitions at National Museums Scotland. “We’re delighted to be bringing this spectacular creation to Scotland for the first time.
“It’s great to have it on display during the festival period and particularly as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival.”
This gigantic inflatable sculpture was created for the Krebs Fest. The fest celebrates the scientific research of Sir Hans Krebs.
The artwork was presented at other venues in the UK, such as the Eden Project, before arriving in Edinburgh.