Press — Petroc Sesti

Platform Earth, the environmental arts charity founded by Italian-British artist Petroc Sesti, presents THE SKYWALK, a landmark Collateral Event of the Venice Biennale Architettura 2025. Curated by Nadja Romain and supported by TBA21–Academy’s Ocean Space, THE SKYWALK will be exhibited at La Fucina del Futuro, a cultural laboratory for environmental and scientific inquiry just steps from Ocean Space in the historic Castello district. THE SKYWALK is made possible through the support of Xerjoff, the Turin-based perfume house founded by Sergio Momo and Dominique Salvo.

At La Fucina del Futuro, the exhibition explores THE SKYWALK’s design process, ecological imperatives, and artistic origins. Models, projections, and research underscore the vital role of the salt marsh as one of Europe’s most efficient carbon sinks, sequestering carbon at a rate 40 times greater than that of temperate forests. The project unveils a bold architectural vision aimed at reconnecting Venice with its fragile salt marshes, which are Europe’s biodiverse and largely inaccessible ecological treasures.

A centerpiece of THE SKYWALK is a striking six-meter-long architectural model of the Venetian Lagoon, designed by Sesti in collaboration with Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners (RSHP). The model includes floating wetlands, seagrass observation points, bird blinds, and a cultural science gallery, all developed in close partnership with Venice’s scientific community. In addition to the model, the exhibition showcases artworks in carbon-negative ink by prominent international artists from the Platform Earth Collective, whose practices examine the intersection of art, nature, and science: Marina Abramović, Es Devlin, Conrad Shawcross, Rachel Whiteread, Jonathan Yeo, Emilie Pugh, and Petroc Sesti. As a multi-sensory exhibition, the space will be filled with mist and infused with scents from Xerjoff’s Shooting Star collection perfumes.

The SKYWALK exhibition also features Sesti’s Tree Beacon, a 29-foot-tall sculpture near La Fucina del Futuro and Ocean Space. This artwork symbolises the urgent need for a permanent connection between culture and conservation, emphasising how creative visions can unite public attention with scientific efforts to restore and protect the natural world. Crafted from hand-poured sheet metal, each component is hand-welded and polished, offering a lightweight, low-carbon alternative to traditional casting. After its presentation in Venice, Tree Beacon will travel to Belém, Brazil, where it will stand as a symbol of disappearing rainforests at the COP climate conference. Tree Beacon is a direct result of Sesti’s experiences in rainforests, where he worked with forestry scientists using laser scanning technology to document the intricate root systems of towering buttress-root trees. The sculpture stands as a monument to fragile ecosystems worldwide.

Conceived as a living bridge above the salt marshes of the Venetian Lagoon, THE SKYWALK offers a transformative way to experience one of Europe’s most biodiverse landscapes. Envisioned by artist Petroc Sesti in collaboration with Laura Onofri (University of Padua) and developed alongside leading environmental scientists from the University of Padua, Andrea D’Alpaos and Adriano Sfriso, the proposed walkway reimagines how infrastructure can foster artistic and educational encounters with the natural world. Designed with architect Ivan Harbour and RSHP (Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners), the walkway aims to provide a poetic yet practical response to rising sea levels and biodiversity loss. Supported by an island that will accommodate a hybrid scientific and cultural pavilion, THE SKYWALK presents a living bridge that connects ecological stewardship with architectural innovation.

Sesti has a deep familial connection to Venice. His father lived, studied, and conducted research at the Biblioteca Marciana. Returning annually to the city since childhood, Sesti brings a deeply personal and culturally embedded perspective to the urgent ecological conversation surrounding Venice’s future.

See the article here: https://www.artribune.com/mostre-evento-arte/the-skywalk-by-platform-earth/