Tree Beacon

Unveiled on 8 May 2025 as part of the Skywalk exhibition, a Collateral event of the Venice Architecture Biennale, Tree Beacon continues Petroc Sesti’s long-term inquiry into the role of large-scale sculpture within ecological discourse. A smaller version was first shown in the Climate Room at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition. Conceived in collaboration with scientists using forestry laser-scanning techniques for rainforest carbon mapping, an early model of the work was presented in London to Sir David Attenborough. The completed 30-foot Tree Beacon was unveiled to the public in Venice on Sir David Attenborough’s 99th birthday.

Standing nine metres tall, Tree Beacon was selected by Biennale Director Carlo Ratti for inclusion in the Venetian public realm under the Biennale Architettura 2025 theme, INTELLIGENS.

The sculpture is constructed from hand-forged and welded stainless steel, shaped and polished without casting. This low-carbon fabrication method reflects a deliberate shift away from energy-intensive approaches to monument-making. Both technically and symbolically, this process is central to the work, positioning Tree Beacon as a proposition for sustainable sculptural practice.

The immersive reflective geometry of the root system echoes shifting water and invites viewers to contemplate the giants of the rainforest while engaging with the broader discourse on art’s ability to enable first-hand encounters with these climate-critical habitats.