The 90ft long inflatable sculpture is 5 million times bigger than the real bacterium.

Bristol-based Luke Jerram's inflatable E.coli sculpture was suspended from the ceiling of our Grand Gallery. Watch the time lapse video below to see how this amazing artwork was installed. 

Installation time lapse

Bacteria were the earliest form of life on our planet, and so this artwork could be considered as a curious portrait of our distant ancestors. If there is life on other planets (or moons) in our solar system, it may well look like this. This artwork was also made to reflect upon the importance of bacteria in our lives. Although some forms of Escherichia coli (or E. coli) bacteria can cause illness and even death in humans, the use of the bacteria is vital in medical research.

The E.coli artwork was brought to Edinburgh Art Festival with the support of the University of Sheffield.