Midburn 2023, ISRAEL
Collaboration: Daniel Nachmias, Shaul Gilboa, Pedro Team

Towering at 14 meters, Pedro is a monumental wooden sculpture inspired by the iconic silhouette of the saguaro cactus. Blending the disciplines of art and engineering, the work stands as a powerful fusion of structural ingenuity and poetic symbolism.

The name Pedro draws from the San Pedro cactus—revered for its sacred and healing properties. Much like its botanical namesake, the sculpture evokes the paradox of protection and vulnerability. The cactus’s soft, living core is concealed beneath a sheath of sharp thorns—defenses that once served a purpose, yet may now function as barriers, isolating us from deeper feeling and human connection.

At the heart of the experience is the Thorn Altar, a passageway that invites participants to walk through and reflect. This ritualized movement becomes a metaphor for personal transformation. Visitors are gently prompted to shed the metaphorical thorns they no longer need—the outdated protections, fears, or emotional armors that no longer serve them.

Pedro offers not only a space for contemplation, but a call to action. It speaks to our collective capacity for growth: to widen our shoulders, extend our empathy, and embrace those different from ourselves. In an increasingly fractured world, the sculpture stands as a quiet but insistent reminder of resilience, healing, and the power of small, inward shifts to reshape broader realities.