The Verbier 3-D Foundation proudly announces the launch of Pavillon de l’Eau, a bold new public art initiative within the Verbier 3-D Sculpture Park that reimagines how large scale visual works can meaningfully engage with both the alpine landscape and the essential, life-sustaining presence of water.

This new project invites artists to submit original works to be exhibited in a striking panoramic format: an 8 meter by 3 meter artwork printed on weatherproof fabric and mounted on a custom built metal structure, positioned in a prominent scenic location within the Sculpture Park. Each year, one selected work will be presented for twelve months, offering the public an extended encounter with art in an unexpected and powerful form.

The central and ongoing theme of the Pavillon de l'Eau series is water — a vital element that shapes the alpine environment and underpins its fragile ecosystems. Artists are invited to interpret the theme expansively, drawing from environmental, cultural, social, or poetic perspectives to reflect on water’s profound role in our interconnected world.

To launch the project, the Foundation has commissioned local artist and filmmaker Melody Sky. Known for her dynamic visual storytelling and deep connection to nature, Sky’s work captures the elemental energy and sublime beauty of mountain landscapes. Her films and photographs, often created from summits, helicopters, and ski slopes, celebrate adventure while reflecting on the fragile balance between people and the environment.

Her inaugural artwork, Sous Vos Pieds, created in collaboration with local water company Altis, draws attention to the region’s water systems, honoring both the visible and invisible forces that sustain alpine life. Sous Vos Pieds is a striking visual dialogue with the way ALTIS interprets and represents water through colour. In this installation, gradations of colors mirror the nuances of groundwater sources, glacial melt, and seasonal flow that ALTIS monitors across its network. Each pigment corresponds to a layer in ALTIS’s hydrological tableau such as cobalt which echoes deep springs and glacier-fed aquifers, light aqua recalling high-altitude snowmelt seepage or subtle earthy grey-beige which signifies the mineral-rich, seasonally fluctuating groundwater typical of the region.

By grounding her palette in real hydrological data — from source hardness to seasonal shifts — Sky transforms Sous Vos Pieds into a contemplative and sensory experience, celebrating the unseen forces flowing just beneath our feet.

The installation also highlights the vital work of ALTIS, whose extensive infrastructure — over 300 kilometers of drinking water pipes, 77 sources, 41 reservoirs and 153 kilometers of irrigation network — delivers 2 billion liters of clean mountain water annually to Val de Bagnes. Much of this network lies hidden beneath the very landscape of the Sculpture Park, making Sous Vos Pieds both a tribute and a revelation: an artistic lens onto the silent systems that make life in the Alps possible.

This partnership celebrates Altis’ behind-the-scenes impact and brings environmental awareness to the forefront through art.

Pavillon de l’Eau also challenges conventional ideas of public art and visual communication. What was once a format reserved for mass advertising is here reclaimed as a monumental canvas for reflection. Instead of promoting products, it provokes thought, redefining how image, object and environment intersect. Visitors can approach the work on foot or by gondola, observing it from multiple angles and elevations. Its scale, presence and interaction with the landscape transform viewing into a physical and contemplative experience.

Through this initiative, the Verbier 3-D Foundation continues its mission to support artists who engage with urgent global issues and to enrich Verbier’s cultural life with accessible, thought provoking encounters that resonate deeply with both people and place.

This project is made possible with the generous support of Altis, Commune de Val de Bagnes, Téléverbier, STA, Swiss Post, and the Office de Tourisme de Verbier.

SAVE THE DATE: Pavillon de l'Eau - Melody Sky
VERNISSAGE: 26 July 2025
Verbier 3-D Foundation Sculpture Park

For more information:
melodysky.com
altis.swiss