A Table from the Sea's Edge

Silas Birtwistle, the artist behind A Table from the Sea's Edge explains the background to his global project.

A few years ago, I set about finding ways to make a poetic idea of mine into a reality. The concept, was to travel to four biodiversity hotspots around the world in search of driftwood that I would eventually use to make a large conference table, surrounded by twelve chairs. At each geography, I worked alongside local communities and an environmental NGO. The finished piece therefore, is an attempt to unify the plights and issues these places face, and demonstrate that global biodiversity is inextricably linked. The driftwood table is symbolic of the link between land and sea, but a practical piece designed to be used for discussion and debate.

The sculpture was unveiled during the International Year of Biodiversity at the tenth meeting of at the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP-10) which took place in Nagoya, Japan in October, 2010. It provided a platform for high-level UN debates on environmental issues, and ceremonial signings of agreements.

Since Nagoya, it has been exhibited and used at a number of venues, including The Annual Meeting of The World Economic Forum, Davos, and The World Museum, Liverpool. 

I am delighted that the journey still continues. Now, the table is being hosted by PwC’s London office for a series of environmental talks over the coming months. I hope the table will continue to serve as a platform for debate, bringing together business and other groups to shed a light on the plight of the worlds’ rich and varied biodiversity.

Silas together with Malcolm Preston, Global Head of Sustainability and Climate Change