Nature Speaks transforms the Ocean Space Research Room into a Policy Lab dedicated to the Rights of Nature. Curated by Pietro Consolandi and Amalia Rossi, the project was developed in collaboration with the NICHE Centre for Environmental Humanities at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. The initiative maps the growing global movement for the Rights of Nature – described by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as the fastest-growing legal movement of the 21st century – trough visual practices, campaign building, and calls to action.
​In Venice, a broad alliance of citizen groups, coordinated by IDRA (Iniziativa per i Diritti delle Reti d’Acqua), led to the publication of the Declaration of the Rights of the Venice Lagoon, first presented at Ocean Space in October 2025. This document outlines the historical, scientific, and philosophical principles for a potential charter of rights and a legal personhood mechanism for the Lagoon.
​The Research Room thus becomes an open space for community meetings, research, and campaign promotion. It hosts:
​Documentaries by Giovanni Pellegrini, Pietro Torrisi, and Yann Arthus-Bertrand.
​Demonstrative objects by the River Sisters collective.
​Research materials from case studies collected by the Confluence network and developed by local entities within IDRA.
​The Policy Lab aims to transform the Declaration of the Rights of the Lagoon into a formal legal proposal and a public campaign. It provides a welcoming environment for Venetian citizens and allies to participate in assemblies and public meetings, giving shape to the hopes and struggles of those who live with the Lagoon.
​Nature Speaks: Listening to the Rights of Nature in Venice and Europe is the 2026 Ocean Space research unit, co-produced by TBA21–Academy and the NICHE Centre for Environmental Humanities (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), in collaboration with IDRA and the Confluence of European Water Bodies.