A PROVOCATIVE modern arts trail opens today in Bournemouth’s Lower Gardens.

Students have spread 21 works through the trees, lawns and bushes – to people’s delight and confusion.

At yesterday’s installation, views ranged from “brilliant” to “rubbish – what’s it all about?”

People were confronted by lemon viewing machines and parachutes in the trees.

The most distinctive and controversial is “Parasites” – two large, ugly sculptures of shoppers carrying McDonald’s, Tesco and Primark bags.

They lurk by the bandstand and are attracting numerous photographers.

Artist Rene Farda, 29, said it was inspired by the worst side of “crazed” shopping culture you see in town on a weekend.

He said: “These don’t think what’s behind the products they buy.

“They contribute to problems all round the world.”

The black paint reflects a saying in his native Slovakia – if you do evil, you are said to carry a black stain.

Pat Holder, 84, visiting from Swindon, said: “It’s brilliant, isn’t it? It makes you think.”

The second year students of the Arts Institute at Bournemouth do an installation every year.

The works went down surprisingly well with the gardens’ many older visitors.

This year’s show is called Cradle to reflect a childlike theme in many works and runs for 10 days.

Maps of the trail are available in the gardens.

A tree swathed in knitting that “questions the security of time” won compliments for the quality of the stitching.

Cllr Pat Lewis, the council’s older people’s champion, was spotted looking at Stay Away, a collection of scarecrows for squirrels.

She said: “Older people are open minded.”