Heart of Okeanos

Returning the Heart to the Ocean

In 2026, British artist Petroc Sesti will deploy Heart of Okeanos, a monumental 30 ton sculpture inspired by the cardiovascular anatomy of the blue whale, off South Beach, Miami. The sculpture forms Phase 2 of REEFLINE, a seven mile underwater public sculpture park and hybrid reef extending along the Miami Beach coastline.

Heart of Okeanos, artists impression of under water installation at The Reefline, Miami Beach

The Blue Whale Heart

Now, in partnership with The ReefLine and the City of Miami, Sesti’s Heart of Okeanos will become a living reef habitat. Its pH neutral mineral surface, chambers and openings are designed to provide a permanent substrate for algae, coral and other marine organisms to establish, while creating shelter and refuge for fish and supporting greater biodiversity. Marine biologists working with The ReefLine are currently growing local corals that will be attached directly to the sculpture using a specialist coral locking system, accelerating the development of new habitat around the work. The sculpture will act as a nucleus for reef restoration, combining contemporary art with the development of a functioning marine ecosystem.

Petroc Sesti with H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco at the 2025, United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC)

Heart of Okeanos Atlantic, on show at Faena Art, Miami art Week 2022

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Heart of Okeanos

Earth Day, Sea and Space Exhibition - London April 2025

Landsec’s new 7,000-square-foot venue hosted the Sea & Space Exhibition, which opened to the public on Earth Day. The exhibition celebrated how Earth observation satellites and space technologies monitor the health of our planet and oceans, providing over 70% of global environmental data.

Presented by Space for a Better World and the Space for Art Foundation, the show featured Petroc Sesti’s Tracing the Void, Heart of Okeanos, and Solar Relay. In partnership with Platform Earth, the exhibition also unveiled the latest additions to the Carbon Collection by Rachel Whiteread, Jonathan Yeo, Emilie Pugh, Marina Abramović, Nigel Cooke, and others.

The programme included the Ocean Film Awards and Screenings, which brought together scientists, artists, astronauts, storytellers, and ocean advocates in a landmark event: Ocean, Culture, Life. Over its first three days, the exhibition welcomed more than 20,000 visitors, uniting culture and conservation on a global stage.