With this philosophy in mind, we made every effort to minimize the environmental footprint of our project while fostering circularity and sustainability. Essentially, within a 3m x 3m footprint, there are three editions of the Biennale, pieces of its walls, and decades of dedication and actions from the project team to address climate change and social justice.

This project exclusively used locally sourced, repurposed, recyclable, and reusable materials, including plexiglass, wood, steel, and earth materials. Part of the plexiglass utilized for the exhibit is recycled, and all the plexiglass, besides being recyclable, will be reused at the end of the exhibition to create jewelry by local designer MiGa Design. The clay was recovered from Anna Maria Maiolino’s installation at the last Biennale in the Giardino delle Vergini, which received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. The wood supporting from the interior the exhibit is now living its third life—it came from the 2024 Swiss Pavilion and was previously used in Argentina’s 2023 Pavilion. The bricks were reused from the U.S. Pavilion and were produced by the local company San Marco. The pipes and cables were collected around Venice. Even the stones and masegni were recovered from construction sites and dumps across the city.

To further enhance awareness of underground climate change among the local population, the project involved collaborations with residents and local entities to install temperature sensors in selected properties across the city. This collaborative approach established a unique sense of community and belonging, significantly strengthening the project’s mission to transform Venice into a living laboratory. The sensing network is set to remain operational as long as permitted by local residents and entities, continuing to serve as a valuable and dynamic research tool in the years ahead for understanding and mitigating underground climate change.